Vermont licenses independent clinical social workers as the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker), through the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (Secretary of State), Social Worker advisors. Vermont has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what Vermont asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Vermont Social Work License Requirements
Vermont licenses social workers at 2 levels: the LMSW (Licensed Master's Social Worker) and the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).
LMSW: ASWB Masters. A separate non-psychotherapy license, not a step toward the LICSW; an LMSW may not provide psychotherapy unless also on the Roster of Non-Licensed, Non-Certified Psychotherapists.
LICSW: ASWB Clinical.
Independent clinical practice requires the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).
3,000 hours of post-master's supervised experience for the clinical license, including 100 hours of direct supervision.
Vermont requires a state law or jurisprudence exam.
Licensed elsewhere: An active LMSW or LICSW license from a U.S. or Canadian jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements qualifies without the exam, plus the Vermont jurisprudence exam (26 V.S.A. 3209; Rules 2.3, 3.3). Licensees from non-equivalent jurisdictions can qualify after five years of practice at 1,200 hours a year, and OPR's Fast Track Endorsement covers people licensed to practice independently for three or more years.
How Much Does a Vermont Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Vermont figure yet
We have not verified Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (Secretary of State), Social Worker advisors's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
Board: Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (Secretary of State), Social Worker advisors
We handle the Vermont 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 Vermont Applications Get Delayed
Vermont has no bachelor's-level license. Anyone practicing psychotherapy toward the LICSW must first be on the Roster of Non-Licensed, Non-Certified Psychotherapists; hours earned off the Roster do not count.
All applicants, including by endorsement, take the Vermont jurisprudence exam, and the ASWB exam must have been passed within five years of applying.
Of the 3,000 supervised hours, 2,000 must be direct psychotherapy service; supervision is one hour per 30 hours of practice (100 hours over 3,000), at least half individual.
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 Vermont Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
20 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and Vermont
Vermont has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (April 23, 2024). When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is Vermont 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 Vermont license.
Keeping it current
Vermont renews social work licenses every 2 years, with 20 hours of continuing education per cycle. LICSW: 20 hours per two-year period; LMSW: 10 hours in a formal setting (Rule 6.2). From the January 2026 renewal, 1 hour must cover systematic oppression and anti-oppressive practice (Act 117 of 2022). Live virtual courses count as in-person. Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Vermont Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Vermont issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for Vermont?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Vermont?
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How many supervised hours does Vermont 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.
- OPR social worker page (redirect target, no trailing slash) — checked 2026-10-08
- LICSW and LMSW applications, Roster requirement, Fast Track Endorsement (three years), Act 91 (2024) compact membership, anti-oppression CE from January 2026 — checked 2026-10-08
- LMSW cannot practice psychotherapy and is not a step to LICSW; 2,000 of 3,000 hours direct — checked 2026-10-08
- 26 V.S.A. 3205, 3205a, 3208, 3209, 3214 (archive capture 2026-04-22; live site times out from this server); compact effective April 23, 2024 — checked 2026-10-08
- Administrative Rules for Social Workers (effective July 1, 2017; archive capture, live file returns 403): ASWB Masters/Clinical, jurisprudence exam, endorsement, five-year rule, supervision ratio, CE 20/10 hours — checked 2026-10-08
- H.543 (Act 91): governor approved April 23, 2024 (archive capture of legislature bill status page) — 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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