New Jersey licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners, Division of Consumer Affairs. New Jersey has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what New Jersey asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
New Jersey Social Work License Requirements
New Jersey licenses social workers at 3 levels: the CSW (Certified Social Worker), the LSW (Licensed Social Worker) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
LSW: ASWB Masters. MSW-level license; may provide clinical services only under LCSW supervision and not through a private practice the LSW owns (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1).
LCSW: ASWB Clinical. Requires 12 graduate credits of clinical coursework and 3,000 supervised hours earned as an LSW (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.1).
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: An applicant licensed in another jurisdiction with substantially the same education and experience requirements who passed a similar exam can be exempted from New Jersey's exam requirement (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.5). The education and experience documentation is still required.
How Much Does a New Jersey Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a New Jersey figure yet
We have not verified New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners, Division of Consumer Affairs's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
Board: New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners, Division of Consumer Affairs
We handle the New Jersey 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 New Jersey Applications Get Delayed
The 3,000 LCSW hours take 2 to 4 years and must include 1,920 face-to-face client hours, half of them psychotherapy; experience must be within the 5 years before applying (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.1).
Clinical supervision is at least 1 hour per week from an LCSW licensed 3 or more years with 20 CE credits in supervision; video supervision may cover no more than half of it (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-8.1).
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 New Jersey Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
40 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and New Jersey
New Jersey has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (May 8, 2025). When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is New Jersey 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 New Jersey license.
Keeping it current
New Jersey renews social work licenses every 2 years, with 40 hours of continuing education per cycle. LCSW: 40 credits per biennial period, 20 in clinical practice, 5 in ethics and 3 in social and cultural competence, plus 1 hour on prescription opioids; up to 8 surplus credits carry over. LSW 30 credits; CSW 20 (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.2). Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
New Jersey Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does New Jersey issue?
+
Can I use the Social Work Compact for New Jersey?
+
I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in New Jersey?
+
How many supervised hours does New Jersey 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 and CSW/LSW/LCSW levels; the live page served a bot challenge, so content was read from a web.archive.org capture of 2026-09-05 — checked 2026-10-08
- LCSW: 3,000 hours, 1,920 face-to-face, ASWB clinical exam — checked 2026-10-08
- LSW: ASWB master's exam — checked 2026-10-08
- CSW: no exam — checked 2026-10-08
- endorsement — checked 2026-10-08
- CE credits and topics — checked 2026-10-08
- biennial renewal — checked 2026-10-08
- clinical supervision standards — 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.