How to get a social work license in Tennessee

Tennessee licenses social workers at four levels and uses all four ASWB exams: the Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW), Licensed Master's Social Worker (LMSW), Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker (LAPSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). 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.

Tennessee at a glance

LicenseASWB examWhat it takes
LBSW (Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker)BachelorsA BSW from a CSWE-accredited program. $25 application + $50 license + $10.
LMSW (Licensed Master's Social Worker)MastersAn MSW from a CSWE-accredited program. $50 + $75 + $10.
LAPSW (Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker)Advanced GeneralistTwo years as an LMSW under an LAPSW or LCSW supervisor. $100 + $125 + $10.
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)Clinical3,000 hours of clinical experience as an LMSW over 2 to 8 years (2,250 direct), 100 hours of supervision. $100 + $125 + $10.

Tennessee, step by step

Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (Department of Health)

  1. Every application: the board's form with disclosures, a passport-style photo from the last 12 months, a criminal background check sent by the board's vendor, and an official transcript sent by your school (CSWE accreditation in place when the degree was granted).
  2. LBSW or LMSW: pass the ASWB Bachelors or Masters exam. A temporary license is possible with a passed Bachelors or Masters exam ($50).
  3. LCSW experience: hold an LMSW (or temporary LMSW) before you start, keep it active throughout, and practice at least two years under a qualifying LCSW supervisor. Within 2 to 8 years of the application you need 3,000 hours of clinical experience and at least 100 hours of supervision on top of them, about one hour for every 30 clinical hours. Under the board's 2023 policy, at least 2,250 of the 3,000 hours must be direct clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment; up to 750 can be other clinical social work activities.
  4. LCSW exam: the ASWB Clinical exam.
  5. LAPSW: the advanced non-clinical license needs two years of practice as an LMSW under an LAPSW or LCSW supervisor and the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam.
  6. Fees (Rule 1365-01-.05): LBSW $25 application + $50 license; LMSW $50 + $75; LAPSW and LCSW $100 + $125; plus a $10 state regulatory fee each time. The license fee is refundable; the others are not.

Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1365-01 (rev. Sept 2024), Board policy on clinical hours for LCSW applicants (2023), Tennessee Department of Health: licensure. 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 Advanced Generalist exam, freeLeadership, personnel, program evaluation, grants and research ethics, on the 2026 Advanced Generalist outline. 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