The requirements for obtaining licensure as a Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) are set forth in 22 TAC 781.401.
In general, to receive an LMSW, an applicant must apply with the Council, pay the required fee, and provide proof of the following:
Click each link to be taken to an explanation of documenting that requirement.
- Conferral of a masters or doctoral degree from a CSWE accredited social work program
- Passage of the Masters 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 Required
Applicants must hold a masters or doctoral 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.
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.
Registration for Examination
To register for the ASWB Masters exam, see the 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 Students:
Texas allows a student in a qualifying masters or doctoral social work program to register and sit for ASWB’s Masters exam while still in school. However, before applying for Texas LMSW, the person must pass the ASWB Masters exam AND graduate from the qualifying masters or doctoral social work program with an official transcript showing the degree has been conferred.
NOTE: To award a Texas LMSW, staff cannot accept a passing score on the ASWB Clinical exam or Advanced Generalist exam in lieu of a passing score on the ASWB Masters 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 Masters 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 and submit the completion certificate. 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 application submitted and approved by applicant, 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 it 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.
Supervised Experience Documentation for LCSW.
Please note: Staff may not pre-evaluate your supervised experience before you apply for Texas LCSW licensure. However, it may be important to complete this documentation now, while you are still in contact with your supervisor(s) and retain these documents for your records until you are ready to reclassify as Texas LCSW.
For Texas-based experience have your LCSW-Supervisor complete a Clinical Supervision Verification Form for LCSW form. Staff must receive a separate CSV Form from each LCSW-Supervisor. You must also submit a copy of the Clinical Supervision Plan for LCSW, which you should have completed with your LCSW-Supervisor when you began supervision, as part of your application to reclassify as LCSW. Both forms are available on the SW Board’s Forms and Publications webpage.
If you completed supervised clinical experience outside Texas: Texas rules require the applicant to have the supervision verified by the non-Texas licensing authority in the other jurisdiction; and Texas rules allow if such verification is impossible, the applicant may submit an alternate verification of supervised experience. The Verification of Licensure 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 Texas’ Clinical Supervision Verification Form for LCSW form, available on the SW Board’s Forms and Publications webpage. 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.
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.
