Minnesota licenses independent clinical social workers as the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker), through the Minnesota Board of Social Work. Minnesota has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what Minnesota asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Minnesota Social Work License Requirements
Minnesota licenses social workers at 5 levels: the Provisional license (Provisional license (LSW, LGSW, LISW or LICSW level)), the LSW (Licensed Social Worker), the LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker), the LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker) and the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).
LSW: ASWB Bachelors. Exam not required on the provisional-license route since October 1, 2024.
LGSW: ASWB Masters. Exam not required on the provisional-license route since October 1, 2024.
LISW: ASWB Advanced Generalist. Independent nonclinical license. Exam not required on the provisional-license route since October 1, 2024.
LICSW: ASWB Clinical. Exam not required on the provisional-license route since October 1, 2024.
Independent clinical practice requires the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).
4,000 hours of post-master's supervised experience for the clinical license, including 200 hours of direct supervision.
Licensed elsewhere: Minnesota licenses by endorsement anyone holding an active social work license at the equivalent level in another jurisdiction, with no exam. LSW and LGSW applicants with 4,000 hours of practice in the prior four years skip Minnesota's post-license supervised practice requirement.
How Much Does a Minnesota Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Minnesota figure yet
We have not verified Minnesota Board of Social Work's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Minnesota 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 Minnesota Applications Get Delayed
At 4,000 hours, Minnesota asks for more supervised clinical experience than most states. Check whether your hours elsewhere will be credited before you plan a start date.
Since October 1, 2024, a provisional licensee who completes 2,000 hours of supervised practice and gets a final supervisor attestation can receive the standard license at any level without passing an ASWB exam.
The LICSW requires 4,000 to 8,000 hours of supervised postgraduate clinical practice, including 1,800 hours of direct client contact, with 200 hours of supervision (at least 100 one-on-one), plus 360 clock hours of clinical coursework.
There is no jurisprudence exam for initial licensure, but the Board's jurisprudence exam is required to reactivate a license from temporary leave or emeritus inactive status.
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 Minnesota Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
40 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Minnesota
Minnesota has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (May 24, 2024). When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is Minnesota 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 Minnesota license.
Keeping it current
Minnesota renews social work licenses every 2 years, with 40 hours of continuing education per cycle. 40 hours every two years, including 2 in social work ethics and 4 in cultural responsiveness; LICSWs need 12 in clinical content and licensing supervisors 6 in supervision. No more than half may be independent learning. Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Minnesota Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Minnesota issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Minnesota?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Minnesota?
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How many supervised hours does Minnesota 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 site and license types (later page fetches hit a bot challenge) — checked 2026-10-08
- license requirements, exams, endorsement, provisional completion routes — checked 2026-10-08
- provisional license terms and 2,000-hour completion — checked 2026-10-08
- provisional completion routes effective October 1, 2024 (art. 23); compact (art. 32) — checked 2026-10-08
- LICSW-track supervised practice: 4,000 hours, 1,800 direct contact, 200 hours supervision — checked 2026-10-08
- 40 CE hours per two-year term and content — checked 2026-10-08
- two-year renewal term (148E.070); jurisprudence exam on reactivation (148E.080); compact at 148E.40 et seq. — checked 2026-10-08
- Chapter 127 approved by the Governor 2024-05-24 — 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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