Requirements for holders of an LMSW seeking an LCSW

Click the links below to be taken to an explanation of documenting that requirement.

Conferral a doctoral or master’s degree from a CSWE accredited social work program
Completion of at least 3000 hours of supervised professional clinical experience over a period of at least 24 months
Completion of at least 100 hours of supervisory sessions, over the course of the 3000 hours of supervised experience under an appropriate supervisor
Passage of the Clinical examination administered nationally by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
Completion of the Texas Social Workers Jurisprudence exam, dated no earlier than six months before the date staff receives the online application for license
A certified self-query from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB)
A fingerprint background check
Verification of any social work license in another jurisdiction

Official Transcript of Degree

Applicants must hold a doctoral or master’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), or a program in candidacy for accreditation by CSWE, and which includes successful completion of a field placement in social work

If staff already has official transcript(s) from your Texas LMSW application in Council records, there is no need to submit a duplicate copy.

Otherwise request your school(s) email an official transcript(s), showing qualifying degree was conferred, to transcripts@bhec.texas.gov. Alternatively, staff may accept an official transcript mailed to BHEC SW, 1801 Congress Ave., Ste. 7.300, Austin, Texas 78701, as long as the transcript is still in an unopened envelope sealed by the school.

Supervised Experience Documents

Texas-based supervised experience

Have your LCSW-Supervisor complete a Clinical Supervision Verification Form for LCSW (CSV form) (available below). Staff must receive a separate CSV form from each LCSW-Supervisor. You must also submit a copy of the Clinical Supervision Plan for LCSW (available below), which you should have completed with your LCSW-Supervisor when you began supervision, when you submit your application to reclassify as LCSW.

Supervised experience outside of Texas

If you completed supervised clinical experience outside Texas, Texas rules require you to have the supervision verified by the non-Texas licensing authority. The Verification of Licensure of Other Jurisdiction form (available below) provides space for non-Texas licensing agency to verify supervised experience and other items.

If the non-Texas licensing agency is unable or unwilling to provide supervised experience information on the Verification of Licensure form, staff may consider information on Texas’ Clinical Supervision Verification Form for LCSW (available below). The CSV form must be completed by your non-Texas Supervisor and submitted with a copy of your non-Texas Supervisor’s credentials. Staff must receive a separate CSV Form and copy of credentials from each non-Texas Supervisor.

Registration for Examination

To register for the ASWB Clinical exam, see SW Board’s ASWB Licensure Examinations webpage. Note: Texas partners with ASWB such that ASWB staff perform all pre-exam eligibility tasks. If you need help with exam-eligibility questions or registration, please contact ASWB staff at texas@aswb.org.

Examination by Current LMSWs Under Supervision:

ASWB allows a candidate to register for the Clinical exam up to six months before completion of the supervised experience requirements. However, be aware that the exam is designed for those with two full years of experience.

NOTE: To award a Texas LCSW, staff cannot accept a passing score on the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam in lieu of a passing score on the ASWB Clinical exam.

Report of Examination Score

If you use the online, Texas-specific exam registration, ASWB will automatically release your exam score to Texas Council staff.

If you already have passed the ASWB Clinical exam in another state or jurisdiction,

You may contact ASWB to request transfer of your passing exam score to Texas; or
If you hold a social work license in another jurisdiction, the licensing authority of the non-Texas jurisdiction may be able to verify your ASWB passing exam score on the Verification of Licensure in Other Jurisdiction (available below).

Social Worker Jurisprudence Exam

Complete the Texas SW Jurisprudence Examination via the link on the webpage. This is an online learning experience similar to an open-book test on the Texas laws and rules that govern the practice of social work. Retain the completion certificate for the Texas SW Jurisprudence Exam. The date on the completion certificate cannot be any earlier than six months before the date your application is received.

National Practitioner Data Bank Self-Query Report

Visit https://www.npdb.hrsa.gov/pract/selfQueryBasics.jsp for instructions on how to obtain a Self-Query Report from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB).

The NPDB may email to you a certified self-query report in PDF. Do not alter the PDF. You may upload certified report PDF when you complete your online application for license.
OR after your online application has been submitted, you may forward the emailed, certified NPDB self-query report PDF to NPDB@bhec.texas.gov.
OR the NPDB will mail the self-query report to you. Mail the NPDB self-query report to the Texas SW Board so it is still in the unopened envelope sealed by NPDB. Mail to BHEC SW, 1801 Congress Ave., Ste. 7.300, Austin, Texas 78701.

Fingerprinting Process

After the Council’s Online System confirms you application submission, the system will generate an email message with a link to instructions on how to submit your fingerprints for statutorily the required fingerprint-based background check. See our Fingerprint Information webpage for more information.

Verification of Licensure in Other Jurisdiction

Complete Part I of Verification of Licensure in Other Jurisdiction (available below), then send to the non-Texas licensing agency that issued your license. The non-Texas licensing agency should complete the form and submit it to the Texas SW Board at socialwork@bhec.texas.gov. A separate form must be received for each license you currently hold or have ever held in the past.

Some state agencies generate their own form, staff may consider the data on the state-agency-generated form – if data is not included on the state-agency-generated form, staff may ask the applicant for additional information / documentation. The state-agency may send their own generated form to socialwork@bhec.texas.gov.
Some state agencies no longer issue any type of license verification, but rather provide an online, primary source If that’s the case for one or more of the licenses you hold, please note that in your online application or send in an email to socialwork@bhec.texas.gov after your application has been submitted. If another state’s online license verification does not include all the data needed, staff may ask the applicant for additional information/documentation.

Note on Renewal Periods for Texas LMSW license holders

Because the reclassifying of your Texas LMSW as LCSW is not issuing a new license, your renewal period remains the same. For example, if as an LMSW, your LMSW license was due for renewal on February 28, 2027, and you applied for upgrade to LCSW license in December 2026, with issuance of the LCSW in January 27 – your LCSW license must be renewed before February 28, 2027. All continuing education that you completed as an LMSW count toward the continuing education requirements for the renewal period during which you reclassify as LCSW.

Key Forms and Publications:

You can find other helpful information for applying for a social work license on our How To User Guides webpage or the Board’s Forms and Publications webpage.