Utah licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), with the Behavioral Health Board. Utah has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what Utah asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Utah Social Work License Requirements
Utah licenses social workers at 3 levels: the SSW (Social Service Worker), the CSW (Certified Social Worker) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
LCSW: ASWB Clinical. Since 2024-05-01 an applicant who has attempted the exam can instead use an alternate exam pathway: 500 more direct client care hours under one supervisor plus recommendation letters (R156-60e-303.1).
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: An LCSW licensed for at least one year in good standing in a state DOPL deems equivalent qualifies by endorsement (Utah Code 58-1-302). Otherwise an applicant with 4,000 hours of lawful practice, 1,000 of them in mental health therapy, can apply with license verification and an ASWB score.
How Much Does a Utah Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Utah figure yet
We have not verified Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), with the Behavioral Health Board's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the Utah 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 Utah Applications Get Delayed
The endorsement route expects 1 year of licensure elsewhere, counted at the level you are applying for.
Utah dropped the ASWB exam for its two non-clinical licenses: SSW (Bachelors exam) and CSW (Masters exam) under H.B. 250 of the 2023 session; DOPL now states there is no exam for either. Only the LCSW still requires ASWB Clinical.
LCSW hours for a CSW issued on or after 2024-05-01: 3,000 total, including 1,200 direct client care hours and 100 hours of direct clinical supervision, 25 of them directly observed. CSWs licensed before that date need 1,000 direct client care hours and 75 supervision hours.
Since 2026-01-01 social work rules sit in the combined Mental Health Professional Practice Act Rule, R156-60e, which replaced R156-60a.
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 Utah Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
40 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Utah
Utah has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (March 13, 2024). When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is Utah 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 Utah license.
Keeping it current
Utah renews social work licenses every 2 years, with 40 hours of continuing education per cycle. Licenses expire September 30 of even years. 40 hours for a master's-level license, including 6 in ethics, law or technology ethics and 2 in suicide prevention; up to 10 excess hours carry over (R156-60e-402.1, effective 2026). SSW (bachelor's) needs 20. DOPL's December 2025 page still listed 20 hours for CSWs, before the 2026 rule. Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Utah Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Utah issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Utah?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Utah?
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How many supervised hours does Utah 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.
- DOPL exam page (archive capture 2026-05-26; live site returns 403 to this server): no exam for SSW or CSW, ASWB Clinical for LCSW — checked 2026-10-08
- LCSW hours before and after 2024-05-01 (archive capture 2026-04-21) — checked 2026-10-08
- endorsement after one year licensed; 4,000-hour alternative (archive capture 2025-12-11) — checked 2026-10-08
- expiration September 30 of even years; LCSW 40 CE hours (archive capture 2025-12-14) — checked 2026-10-08
- R156-60e (amended 2026-05-26): LCSW must pass ASWB Clinical, alternate exam pathway for attempts after 2024-05-01, SSW 2,000 hours, CE by degree level; no law-and-rules exam — checked 2026-10-08
- Utah State Bulletin 2023-12-15: R156-60a amendment deleting the CSW (ASWB Masters) and SSW (ASWB Bachelors) exam rules to reflect H.B. 250 (2023) — checked 2026-10-08
- 58-60-205 version labeled effective 5/3/2023 (le.utah.gov times out from this server; label seen in search index only) — checked 2026-10-08
- H.B. 44 (2024) Social Work Licensure Compact, governor signed 2024-03-13 (archive capture of legislature bill page) — checked 2026-10-08
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