How to get a social work license in Maine

Maine licenses social workers at several levels: Licensed Social Worker (LS, with a conditional LSX version), Licensed Master Social Worker (LM, non-clinical), Licensed Master Social Worker Conditional Clinical (MC) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LC). Maine calls supervision "consultation." Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.

Check with your board. Social Work Ticket is a study aid. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) or any state social work board; ASWB is their mark, used here only to name the exam. Laws on confidentiality, reporting and licensing differ by state; follow your state's law, your agency and your supervisor.

Maine at a glance

LicenseASWB examWhat it takes
LSW (Licensed Social Worker)BachelorsA BSW (or a related bachelor's plus the conditional LSX route with 96 consultation hours during 3,200 hours of work).
LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker, non-clinical)MastersA CSWE-accredited MSW; may do non-clinical private practice.
LMSW Conditional Clinical (MC)MastersAn MSW, the Masters exam and an approved consultation agreement; no private practice.
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)Clinical96 hours of consultation during 3,200 hours of clinical social work employment as an MC.

Maine, step by step

Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation)

  1. Exam approval through ASWB: Maine sends exam approval requests to ASWB's Maine page (aswb.org/maine; [email protected]); the board does not run the exam. After you pass, apply for the license.
  2. LMSW or MC: an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program and the ASWB Masters exam. For the clinical track, add a signed Agreement to Provide Consultation; an MC may not practice without an active consultation agreement on record.
  3. LCSW: a Verification of Consultation documenting 96 hours of consultation concurrent with 3,200 hours of social work employment in a clinical setting, from your approved consultant(s), and the ASWB Clinical exam.
  4. Fees: license fee $70 plus a $21 criminal history check at first issuance; renewal $70 every two years. Licensees complete a one-time 12 hours on family or intimate partner violence.

Sources: Maine Board of Social Worker Licensure: licensing and forms. Checked October 18, 2026.

Practice for the Bachelors exam, freeThe Bachelors level: generalist practice, benefits programs and task-centered work, on the 2026 Bachelors outline. Practice for the Masters exam, freeVignette questions on the 2026 Masters outline, every answer sourced. Practice for the Clinical exam, freeDSM-5-TR diagnosis, psychotherapy models, clinical ethics and supervision, on the 2026 Clinical outline.

The national steps, briefly

The steps that hold nearly everywhere: a CSWE-accredited degree, your board's approval (or ASWB's, in a few states), the ASWB exam at the level your license needs, then the license. Every ASWB level has 122 questions (110 scored) in 4 hours; Bachelors and Masters cost $230, Advanced Generalist and Clinical $260, and you wait at least 90 days to retake (ASWB Examination Guidebook, August 2026). A passing score counts in every state for the same exam level. The full walk-through: How to get your social work license.

Official pages