Florida licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (Florida Department of Health). Florida is not a Social Work Licensure Compact member. Below: what Florida asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Florida Social Work License Requirements
Florida licenses social workers at 3 levels: the Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern (Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern), the CMSW (Certified Master Social Worker) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
CMSW: ASWB Advanced Generalist. A state certification under F.S. 491.0145 that requires 3 years of experience, 2 of them post-master's and supervised. It does not authorize clinical social work.
LCSW: ASWB Clinical. Since January 1, 2023, exam approval requires at least 18 months of post-master's clinical experience.
Independent clinical practice requires the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
1,500 hours of post-master's supervised experience for the clinical license, including 100 hours of direct supervision.
Licensed elsewhere: MOBILE endorsement (F.S. 456.0145) requires an active, unencumbered license from another state with a similar scope, a passed national exam, and at least two years of active practice in the four years before you apply, with no recent discipline. You still complete Florida's required laws-and-rules, HIV/AIDS and domestic violence courses.
How Much Does a Florida Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Florida figure yet
We have not verified Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (Florida Department of Health)'s current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Florida 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 Florida Applications Get Delayed
The endorsement route expects 2 years of licensure elsewhere, counted at the level you are applying for.
The LCSW needs two years of post-master's experience under an LCSW: 1,500 hours of face-to-face psychotherapy and at least 100 hours of supervision spread over at least 100 weeks, with one hour of supervision every two weeks.
Every applicant completes an 8-hour Florida laws and rules course, a 3-hour HIV/AIDS course and a 2-hour domestic violence course. Florida uses courses, not a jurisprudence exam.
Florida does not license bachelor's-level social workers. Applicants who have two years of post-master's experience but are missing coursework, CE or the exam can get a 24-month, nonrenewable provisional license.
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 Florida Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
30 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Florida
Florida is not a Social Work Licensure Compact member, so a multistate license will not cover practice here even once the Compact opens. Seeing clients located in Florida takes a Florida license, by endorsement where the state offers it or a full application where it does not.
Keeping it current
Florida renews social work licenses every 2 years, with 30 hours of continuing education per cycle. Current LCSW licenses expire March 31, 2027. No CE is due at the first renewal; after that, 30 hours per period: 25 general, 2 on preventing medical errors and 3 on ethics and boundaries or telehealth (alternating). Laws and rules (3 hours) and domestic violence (2 hours) come every third renewal. Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Florida Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Florida issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Florida?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Florida?
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How many supervised hours does Florida 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.
- LCSW requirements, supervised hours, ASWB clinical exam, 18-month exam rule, required courses, MOBILE endorsement, provisional license — checked 2026-10-08
- expiration date, CE hours and topics, first-renewal exemption — checked 2026-10-08
- CMSW experience and ASWB Advanced Generalist exam — checked 2026-10-08
- CMSW certification, no clinical practice — checked 2026-10-08
- intern registration, 5-year validity — checked 2026-10-08
- biennial renewal; CMSW and intern renewals listed — checked 2026-10-08
- compact status: No Active Legislation — checked 2026-10-08
- Florida not a compact jurisdiction — 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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