Maine licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure. Maine has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what Maine asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Maine Social Work License Requirements
Maine licenses social workers at 5 levels: the LSX (Licensed Social Worker - Conditional), the LSW (Licensed Social Worker), the LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker), the MC (Licensed Master Social Worker - Conditional Clinical) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
LSW: ASWB Bachelors. Non-clinical; no private practice. 96 hours of consultation during the first 3,200 hours of employment.
LMSW: ASWB Masters. Non-clinical; may practice privately in non-clinical work.
MC: ASWB Masters. Clinical practice under a consultation agreement; no private practice. It can be renewed indefinitely, and since March 23, 2026 it is no longer required before the LCSW.
LCSW: ASWB Clinical.
Independent clinical practice requires the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
3,200 hours of post-master's supervised experience for the clinical license, including 96 hours of direct supervision.
Licensed elsewhere: With an active license in a state whose requirements are substantially equivalent and good standing everywhere you have been licensed, you can get the matching Maine license by endorsement. A separate route licenses an out-of-state social worker who meets Maine's education and experience requirements without proof of passing the exam.
How Much Does a Maine Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Maine figure yet
We have not verified Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Maine 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 Maine Applications Get Delayed
At 3,200 hours, Maine asks for more supervised clinical experience than most states. Check whether your hours elsewhere will be credited before you plan a start date.
For the LCSW, an MSW with a clinical concentration needs 96 hours of consultation (72 individual) during 3,200 hours of clinical employment over at least two years. A non-clinical MSW needs twice that: 192 hours during 6,400 hours over at least four years. Private-practice hours do not count.
LD 2074, effective March 23, 2026, eased several requirements and directs a review of exam and consultation rules, due to the Legislature by February 15, 2027.
Maine calls clinical oversight "consultation," and your consultant can be an LCSW, LCPC, LMFT, psychologist or psychiatrist.
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 Maine Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
25 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Maine
Maine has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (April 11, 2024). When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is Maine 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 Maine license.
Keeping it current
Maine renews social work licenses every 2 years, with 25 hours of continuing education per cycle. Licenses renew every two years in the month first issued. The 25 hours include at least 4 hours of social work ethics; LSX holders need 6 ethics hours and 6 in psychosocial assessment. A one-time 12-hour course in family or intimate partner violence is also required. Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Maine Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Maine issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Maine?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Maine?
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How many supervised hours does Maine 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
- LSX, LS, LM, MC and LC requirements, ASWB exams, consultation hours, CE, endorsement — checked 2026-10-08
- Chapter 12: licensure by endorsement — checked 2026-10-08
- Chapter 13: license requirements, LCSW consultation and experience, licensure without examination — checked 2026-10-08
- Chapter 14: 25 contact hours, ethics and assessment hours — checked 2026-10-08
- LD 2074 (2026): LSX up to six years, MC not required for LCSW, biennial renewal, exam review — checked 2026-10-08
- LD 2074 effective March 23, 2026 — checked 2026-10-08
- 32 M.R.S. 7054-A: licensure without examination — 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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