Utah has three social work licenses: Social Service Worker (SSW), Certified Social Worker (CSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Only the LCSW has an exam, and ASWB, not the state, now handles exam pre-approval. 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.
Utah at a glance
License
ASWB exam
What it takes
SSW (Social Service Worker)
None
See DOPL for education routes.
CSW (Certified Social Worker)
None
A master's or doctorate in social work.
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Clinical
3,000 supervised hours as a CSW (1,200 direct client care and 100 hours of direct clinical supervision if your CSW was issued on or after May 1, 2024), suicide prevention training.
Utah does not use the ASWB Bachelors, Masters or Advanced Generalist exams for licensure.
Utah, step by step
Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Social Work
CSW: with a master's or doctorate in social work, apply to DOPL for the Certified Social Worker license; there is no exam.
LCSW hours: as a CSW, log 3,000 total hours on the Record of Clinical Supervision Hours. If your CSW was issued on or after May 1, 2024: at least 1,200 hours of direct client care and 100 hours of direct clinical supervision, 25 of them with direct observation. CSWs licensed before that date need 1,000 direct hours and 75 supervision hours.
LCSW exam: the ASWB Clinical exam. DOPL no longer pre-approves candidates; you apply for pre-approval through ASWB's Utah page, then register with ASWB. Do not send the license application until you have passed.
Suicide prevention: proof of 2 hours of continuing education in suicide prevention goes with the LCSW application.
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.