Louisiana licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners. Louisiana has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what Louisiana asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Louisiana Social Work License Requirements
Louisiana licenses social workers at 4 levels: the RSW (Registered Social Worker), the CSW (Certified Social Worker), the LMSW (Licensed Master's Social Worker) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
LMSW: ASWB Masters.
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 96 hours of direct supervision.
Louisiana requires a state law or jurisprudence exam.
Licensed elsewhere: You can be credentialed by reciprocity or endorsement if your state's education, supervision and exam requirements are substantially equivalent to Louisiana's, you are in good standing, and you pass an open-book exam on the Louisiana Social Work Practice Act and board rules.
How Much Does a Louisiana Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Louisiana figure yet
We have not verified Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Louisiana 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 Louisiana Applications Get Delayed
The LCSW requires 3,000 hours over two to four years under a board-approved clinical supervisor (BACS), with 96 hours of face-to-face supervision (up to 48 in groups) and no more than 80 practice hours between supervisory meetings.
LMSWs may practice clinical social work only within an agency, under LCSW supervision.
The compact bill (HB 888, Act 791 of 2024) became law without the governor's signature; the enactedOn date is when it became Act 791.
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 Louisiana Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every year
CE Requirement
20 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Louisiana
Louisiana has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (June 25, 2024). When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is Louisiana 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 Louisiana license.
Keeping it current
Louisiana renews social work licenses every year, with 20 hours of continuing education per cycle. Every credential renews each year by August 31. The 20 hours must include 3 hours of ethics every two years, and LCSWs need at least 10 hours of clinical content, including diagnosis and treatment, each year. At most 10 hours may be asynchronous online learning, and up to 10 surplus hours can carry over. Anyone giving or receiving telesupervision needs a one-time 1.5-hour course (effective October 20, 2025). Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Louisiana Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Louisiana issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Louisiana?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Louisiana?
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How many supervised hours does Louisiana 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.
- board home page — checked 2026-10-08
- RSW, CSW, R-CSW, LMSW and LCSW requirements; ASWB Masters and Clinical exams; 3,000 hours and 96 hours of supervision — checked 2026-10-08
- 20 hours annually, LCSW clinical hours, carryover, telesupervision course — checked 2026-10-08
- annual renewal by August 31 — checked 2026-10-08
- LAC 46:XXV (October 2025): qualifications, CSW three-year limit, ASWB exams, reciprocity, supervision, CE — checked 2026-10-08
- Social Work Practice Act, R.S. 37:2706-2708, 2712 (open-book exam for reciprocity), 2714 (CE and annual renewal) — checked 2026-10-08
- HB 888 became Act 791 without the governor's signature (06/25/2024), effective 08/01/2024 — checked 2026-10-08
- compact status: enacted, HB 888 — 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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