Tennessee licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure. Tennessee has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what Tennessee asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Tennessee Social Work License Requirements
Tennessee licenses social workers at 4 levels: the LBSW (Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker), the LMSW (Licensed Master's Social Worker), the LAPSW (Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
LBSW: ASWB Bachelors. A temporary license can be issued to new graduates awaiting the exam (Rule 1365-01-.04(6)).
LMSW: ASWB Masters. A temporary license can be issued to new graduates awaiting the exam (Rule 1365-01-.04(6)).
LAPSW: ASWB Advanced Generalist. Independent nonclinical license: after the LMSW, 3,000 hours of nonclinical advanced practice over at least two years plus 100 hours of supervision.
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 100 hours of direct supervision.
Licensed elsewhere: Licensure by reciprocity (Rule 1365-01-.04(5)) needs a letter of good standing from the other state, proof the applicant has not failed the board's required exam, a background check, and Tennessee residence or employment. Applicants who do not qualify apply by examination.
How Much Does a Tennessee Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Tennessee figure yet
We have not verified Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Tennessee 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 Tennessee Applications Get Delayed
Tennessee has a separate nonclinical independent license, the LAPSW, which uses the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam.
For the LCSW, the 100 supervision hours are in addition to the 3,000 clinical hours, at about one hour per 30 hours of practice, and at least 60 of the 100 must be individual. The hours must fall within two to eight years.
Reciprocity requires living or working in Tennessee, and an applicant who has ever failed the required exam cannot use it.
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 Tennessee Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
30 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Tennessee
Tennessee has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact. When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is Tennessee 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 Tennessee license.
Keeping it current
Tennessee renews social work licenses every 2 years, with 30 hours of continuing education per cycle. LCSW and LAPSW: 30 clock hours every two calendar years, including 6 in social work ethics and 1 on Tennessee social work law and rules. LMSW needs 24 and LBSW 18. All licensees complete a 2-hour board-approved suicide prevention course every four years (Rule 1365-01-.09). Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Tennessee Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Tennessee issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Tennessee?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Tennessee?
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How many supervised hours does Tennessee 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 page, four license applications, rules link; tn.gov blocks this server, so it was read through WebFetch (200, no redirect) — checked 2026-10-08
- Rule 1365-01 (Sept 2024 revision): license tiers and exams, reciprocity, temporary licenses, LCSW 3,000 hours plus 100 supervision, CE by tier, suicide prevention, biennial renewal; no jurisprudence exam — checked 2026-10-08
- Public Chapter 1041 (SB 2134, 2024) enacting the Social Work Licensure Compact, passed April 25, 2024, effective July 1, 2024; the governor's approval date on the scanned page is illegible — checked 2026-10-08
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