Connecticut licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section. Connecticut has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what Connecticut asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Connecticut Social Work License Requirements
Connecticut licenses social workers at 3 levels: the LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker), the Temporary permit (Temporary permit to practice as a master social worker) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
LMSW: ASWB Masters. P.A. 23-31 waived this exam from June 7, 2023 until January 1, 2026; the Department of Public Health requires it of applicants who earned the MSW on or after January 1, 2026.
LCSW: ASWB Clinical.
Independent clinical practice requires the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
3,000 hours of post-master's supervised experience for the clinical license, including 100 hours of direct supervision.
Licensed elsewhere: Connecticut endorses LMSWs and LCSWs licensed in states with substantially similar requirements who passed the matching ASWB exam. A clinical social worker may substitute three years of licensed clinical work in another state for the 3,000-hour requirement.
How Much Does a Connecticut Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Connecticut figure yet
We have not verified Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
Board: Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section
We handle the Connecticut application end-to-end.
Eligibility screening, document prep, board follow-ups, and tracking — so you don't lose a board meeting cycle to a missing form.
View full pricingWhere Connecticut Applications Get Delayed
Licenses renew every year, not every two years, so the CE requirement is 15 hours annually.
Connecticut licenses only master's and clinical social workers, through the Department of Public Health; there is no bachelor's-level license.
Hours completed in Connecticut toward the LCSW must be earned while holding an LMSW.
Supervisor attestations and verifications from other boards take the longest. Request them the week you decide to apply, not the week you file.
Renewing Your Connecticut Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every year
CE Requirement
15 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Connecticut
Connecticut has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (May 21, 2024). When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is Connecticut will be able to apply for one multistate license that covers every member state, and members' multistate licensees will be able to practice here. That has not happened yet: as of October 2026 the Commission was still building its data system and had issued no multistate licenses. Until it does, practicing here takes a Connecticut license.
Keeping it current
Connecticut renews social work licenses every year, with 15 hours of continuing education per cycle. At least 5 hours live (in person or synchronous online), no more than 10 asynchronous; 1 hour of cultural competency each year; 2 hours on veterans' mental health in the first CE year and every six years after. The first renewal is exempt. Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Connecticut Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Connecticut issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Connecticut?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Connecticut?
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How many supervised hours does Connecticut require for the clinical license?
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Where these facts come from
Checked against primary sources. Boards change rules between sessions, so we confirm the current process again before anything is filed.
- C.G.S. 20-195n (titles, exams, 3,000 and 100 hours, endorsement, three-year substitution), 20-195o (exam waiver under P.A. 23-31 until 2026-01-01), 20-195t (temporary permit), 20-195u (CE), 20-195w (compact) — checked 2026-10-08
- ASWB Masters exam required for MSW earned on or after January 1, 2026 — checked 2026-10-08
- LCSW hours, supervision, Clinical exam, three-year substitution — checked 2026-10-08
- DPH social work licensure hub — checked 2026-10-08
- Public Act 24-30 (HB 5197) approved May 21, 2024 — checked 2026-10-08
- compact status: enacted — checked 2026-10-08
- compact status: enacted — checked 2026-10-08
What Working with Us Costs
Transparent, a la carte service fees. Board, exam and fingerprinting fees are paid directly to those organizations. Our concierge fee is separate and is the only thing you pay us.
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