Michigan licenses independent clinical social workers as the LMSW (clinical) (Licensed Master's Social Worker, clinical designation), through the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs). Michigan is not a Social Work Licensure Compact member. Below: what Michigan asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Michigan Social Work License Requirements
Michigan licenses social workers at 5 levels: the LLBSW (Limited Licensed Bachelor's Social Worker), the LBSW (Licensed Bachelor's Social Worker), the LLMSW (Limited Licensed Master's Social Worker), the LMSW (macro) (Licensed Master's Social Worker, macro designation) and the LMSW (clinical) (Licensed Master's Social Worker, clinical designation).
LBSW: ASWB Bachelors. Requires 4,000 hours of post-degree supervised experience over at least two years, earned while holding the limited license (R 338.2941).
LMSW (macro): ASWB Advanced Generalist. Requires 4,000 hours of supervised post-degree macro experience over at least two years (R 338.2951). Michigan does not use the ASWB Masters exam.
LMSW (clinical): ASWB Clinical. Requires 4,000 hours of supervised post-degree clinical experience over at least two years (R 338.2953).
Independent clinical practice requires the LMSW (clinical) (Licensed Master's Social Worker, clinical designation).
4,000 hours of post-master's supervised experience for the clinical license.
Licensed elsewhere: A master's-level social worker with an active license elsewhere and at least 10 years of master's-level practice is presumed to qualify and applies for the macro or clinical designation. Anyone with less must pass the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam and document 4,000 hours of supervised or work experience at that level (R 338.2957).
How Much Does a Michigan Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Michigan figure yet
We have not verified Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs)'s current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Michigan 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 Michigan Applications Get Delayed
At 4,000 hours, Michigan asks for more supervised clinical experience than most states. Check whether your hours elsewhere will be credited before you plan a start date.
Michigan has one master's license with two designations, macro and clinical, instead of separate titles. Adding a second designation takes 2,000 more hours over at least a year, with 50 hours of supervisory review, plus that designation's exam.
Supervised hours toward the LBSW or LMSW count only while you hold a Michigan limited license. Rules set supervision as at least 4 hours a month (2 of them individual) rather than a fixed total, and cap accrual at 2,080 hours in any 12 months.
Michigan also registers social service technicians, a credential below the bachelor's 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 Michigan Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 3 years
CE Requirement
45 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Michigan
Michigan 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 Michigan takes a Michigan license, by endorsement where the state offers it or a full application where it does not.
Keeping it current
Michigan renews social work licenses every 3 years, with 45 hours of continuing education per cycle. 45 CE contact hours every three years, including 5 in ethics, 2 in pain and symptom management and 2 in human trafficking. Implicit bias training is also required under R 338.7001 to 338.7005. Limited licenses renew yearly. Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Michigan Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Michigan issue?
+
Can I use the Social Work Compact for Michigan?
+
I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Michigan?
+
How many supervised hours does Michigan require for the clinical license?
+
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 name — checked 2026-10-08
- approved ASWB exams: Bachelors, Advanced Generalist, Clinical — checked 2026-10-08
- limited bachelor's license — checked 2026-10-08
- LBSW hours, exam, supervision rate — checked 2026-10-08
- limited master's license — checked 2026-10-08
- LMSW hours, supervision rate, second designation — checked 2026-10-08
- macro designation, Advanced Generalist exam — checked 2026-10-08
- clinical designation, Clinical exam, 4,000 hours — 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.
View PricingBook Online
Share your details and preferred availability.