Illinois licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation. Illinois is not a Social Work Licensure Compact member. Below: what Illinois asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Illinois Social Work License Requirements
Illinois licenses social workers at 2 levels: the LSW (Licensed Social Worker) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
LCSW: ASWB Clinical. Since January 1, 2024 (P.A. 103-433), an applicant who has attempted the clinical exam since 2019 can instead document 3,000 additional hours of supervised professional experience.
Independent clinical practice requires the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
3,000 hours of post-master's supervised experience for the clinical license.
Licensed elsewhere: Endorsement applicants provide certification of each license held elsewhere. If you have held an independent-level license for five consecutive years without discipline, you send license certifications for those years instead of proof of education and experience.
How Much Does an Illinois Social Work License Cost?
We have not published an Illinois figure yet
We have not verified Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
Board: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation
We handle the Illinois 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 Illinois Applications Get Delayed
The endorsement route expects 5 years of licensure elsewhere, counted at the level you are applying for.
Illinois dropped the exam for the LSW on January 1, 2022 (P.A. 102-0326).
The LCSW exam alternative (P.A. 103-433, effective 2024-01-01) requires at least one clinical exam attempt since 2019 plus 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience on top of the 3,000 clinical hours. Since January 1, 2026, you must hold an LSW or school social worker license while earning those hours.
Clinical experience is 3,000 post-MSW hours (2,000 for a DSW) supervised by an LCSW, averaging at least 4 hours of supervision a month rather than a fixed total. Since January 2025, applicants get exam approval when they apply.
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 Illinois Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
30 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Illinois
Illinois 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 Illinois takes an Illinois license, by endorsement where the state offers it or a full application where it does not.
Keeping it current
Illinois renews social work licenses every 2 years, with 30 hours of continuing education per cycle. All social work licenses expire November 30 of odd-numbered years; no CE is due for the first renewal. The 30 hours include 3 in ethics, 3 in cultural competence, 1 in sexual harassment prevention, 1 in implicit bias, 1 on dementia (every third renewal) and, for LCSWs at their second renewal, 6 in clinical supervision. Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Illinois Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Illinois issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Illinois?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Illinois?
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How many supervised hours does Illinois 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, notices, forms — checked 2026-10-08
- LSW requirements, no exam since 2022-01-01 (P.A. 102-0326), November 30 odd-year expiration — checked 2026-10-08
- LCSW hours, supervision average, ASWB Clinical, exam alternative, 5-year endorsement route — checked 2026-10-08
- P.A. 103-433 effective 2024-01-01 — checked 2026-10-08
- automatic exam approval (P.A. 103-708) — checked 2026-10-08
- 30 CE hours and required topics — checked 2026-10-08
- compact status: No Active Legislation (HB 2473 listed) — checked 2026-10-08
- Illinois 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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