Hawaii licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (Social Worker Program). Hawaii is not a Social Work Licensure Compact member. Below: what Hawaii asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Hawaii Social Work License Requirements
Hawaii licenses social workers at 3 levels: the LBSW (Licensed Bachelor Social Worker), the LSW (Licensed Social Worker) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
LBSW: ASWB Bachelors.
LSW: ASWB Masters. The application accepts the ASWB intermediate (Masters), advanced or clinical exam.
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.
How Much Does a Hawaii Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Hawaii figure yet
We have not verified Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (Social Worker Program)'s current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Hawaii 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 Hawaii Applications Get Delayed
There is no board: the DCCA director regulates social workers through the Social Worker Program.
The LCSW's 3,000 hours must be done in an agency setting over 2 to 5 years, with at least 2,000 hours of assessment, diagnosis and psychotherapy and at least 100 hours of face-to-face supervision. A NASW QCSW or DCSW credential, or an ABE board-certified diplomate (BCD), can substitute for the supervised experience.
The state must approve your application before you can register for the ASWB exam.
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 Hawaii Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 3 years
CE Requirement
45 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Hawaii
Hawaii 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 Hawaii takes a Hawaii license, by endorsement where the state offers it or a full application where it does not.
Keeping it current
Hawaii renews social work licenses every 3 years, with 45 hours of continuing education per cycle. All licenses renew by June 30 every three years (2025, 2028, 2031), whatever the issue date. Active licensees need 45 hours, 3 of them in ethics, from NASW, an NASW chapter or ASWB-approved providers. First-time licensees are exempt at their first 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.
Hawaii Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Hawaii issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Hawaii?
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How many supervised hours does Hawaii 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.
- license types, regulator, triennial renewal dates, 45 CE hours with 3 in ethics — checked 2026-10-08
- application forms, exam approval process — checked 2026-10-08
- LBSW exam (ASWB basic or bachelors) — checked 2026-10-08
- LSW exam options — checked 2026-10-08
- LCSW clinical exam, 3,000 hours, 100 hours face-to-face supervision, credential substitutes — checked 2026-10-08
- HRS chapter 467E; the legislature site blocked this server and the fetch tool, so endorsement and jurisprudence provisions were not read — checked 2026-10-08
- compact status: No Active Legislation — checked 2026-10-08
- Hawaii 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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