Nebraska certifies social workers rather than licensing them: a Certified Social Worker (CSW) and a Certified Master Social Worker (CMSW). Social workers who provide mental health therapy hold Nebraska's mental health practitioner license (LMHP or LIMHP), which for MSWs uses the ASWB Clinical exam. 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.
Nebraska at a glance
License
ASWB exam
What it takes
CSW (Certified Social Worker)
None
A bachelor's or master's in social work from an approved program. Cannot practice independently or provide mental health services.
PCMSW (Provisional Certified Master Social Worker)
None
For MSWs completing 3,000 hours of supervised social work in Nebraska.
CMSW (Certified Master Social Worker)
Advanced Generalist, Masters or Clinical
An MSW or social work doctorate and 3,000 hours of supervised experience.
LMHP / LIMHP (mental health practitioner)
Clinical (for MSWs)
Nebraska's therapy license: 3,000 supervised hours as a provisional LMHP; see the counseling page for details.
Nebraska, step by step
Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit, Board of Mental Health Practice (social work)
CSW: a social work degree and an application; no exam. You need the certification to call yourself a social worker in Nebraska, though social work activities themselves do not require it.
CMSW: as a Provisional CMSW, complete 3,000 hours of supervised social work experience in Nebraska, then pass an ASWB exam; DHHS lists the Advanced Generalist, Masters or Clinical exam for CMSW-only applicants.
Mental health practice: to provide therapy, MSWs get the Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner license, complete 3,000 supervised hours, and pass the ASWB Clinical exam for the LMHP; the LIMHP adds supervision by an LIMHP, psychologist or physician with half the hours spent with clients diagnosed with major mental illness.
Exam authorization: send the DHHS examination application; DHHS authorizes you to test, then you register with ASWB.
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.