Virginia licenses independent clinical social workers as the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), through the Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions). Virginia has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what Virginia asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
Virginia Social Work License Requirements
Virginia licenses social workers at 3 levels: the LBSW (Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker), the LMSW (Licensed Master's Social Worker) and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
LBSW: ASWB Bachelors.
LMSW: ASWB Masters.
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 endorsement (18VAC140-20-45) needs an active, comparable license in good standing from another jurisdiction, a passing ASWB score at the matching level (the board may accept that none was required when first licensed), and an NPDB report. Applicants without the exam can be approved to sit for it.
How Much Does a Virginia Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a Virginia figure yet
We have not verified Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions)'s current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
Board: Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions)
We handle the Virginia 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 Virginia Applications Get Delayed
Supervised hours in Virginia count only after the board approves a supervision registration and contract; unapproved Virginia hours are not accepted (18VAC140-20-50).
The LCSW needs 3,000 post-master's hours over two to four consecutive years, with 1,380 hours of face-to-face client contact and 100 hours of supervision, no more than 50 of them in a group.
An LCSW candidate who does not pass the Clinical exam within two two-year approval windows must complete another year as a supervisee before a third approval (18VAC140-20-70).
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 Virginia Social Work License
The Social Work Compact and Virginia
Virginia has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (April 8, 2024). When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is Virginia 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 Virginia license.
Keeping it current
Virginia renews social work licenses on its own cycle. Licenses renew every year by June 30, but continuing education is reported at the even-year renewal: LCSW 30 hours (at least 6 in ethics, standards of practice or Virginia law), LBSW and LMSW 15 hours (3 in ethics). At least 20 LCSW hours must be formally organized activities (18VAC140-20-100, -105). Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
Virginia Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does Virginia issue?
+
Can I use the Social Work Compact for Virginia?
+
I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in Virginia?
+
How many supervised hours does Virginia 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, LBSW/LMSW/LCSW, compact page — checked 2026-10-08
- licensure by endorsement — checked 2026-10-08
- supervision registration, 3,000 hours, 100 supervision hours, 1,380 client contact, two to four years — checked 2026-10-08
- ASWB Bachelors, Masters and Clinical exams; two-year approval windows — checked 2026-10-08
- annual renewal by June 30 — checked 2026-10-08
- CE hours and ethics minimums — checked 2026-10-08
- chapter table of contents; no jurisprudence exam section — checked 2026-10-08
- HB 326 compact, approved by governor 2024-04-08 (Chapter 690); SB 239 approved the same day (Chapter 704) — 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.