West Virginia licenses independent clinical social workers as the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker), through the West Virginia Board of Social Work. West Virginia has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but no multistate licenses are being issued yet. Below: what West Virginia asks of a social worker already licensed in another state, and where those applications slow down.
West Virginia Social Work License Requirements
West Virginia licenses social workers at 4 levels: the LSW (Licensed Social Worker), the LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker), the LCSW (Licensed Certified Social Worker) and the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).
LSW: ASWB Bachelors. Level A. A Provisional License also lets someone with a related, non-social-work bachelor's practice under supervision for up to four years while completing social work courses; the board says a provisional social worker is not a licensed social worker.
LGSW: ASWB Masters. Level B. The board's page still calls it the "Intermediate" exam, ASWB's former name for the Masters exam; the board's 2022 manual says Masters. No experience requirement.
LCSW: ASWB Advanced Generalist. Level C, a non-clinical advanced license: MSW plus two years of post-master's practice. Despite the initials, it is not the clinical license.
LICSW: ASWB Clinical. Level D.
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.
Licensed elsewhere: Out-of-state social workers apply on the regular application with license verification from every state where they have held a license and an ASWB score at the matching level; an LICSW applicant must show completed supervised practice and a passed Clinical exam. The statutory endorsement section (W. Va. Code 30-30) could not be read from this server.
How Much Does a West Virginia Social Work License Cost?
We have not published a West Virginia figure yet
We have not verified West Virginia Board of Social Work's current schedule, and board fees change between legislative sessions
We handle the West 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 West Virginia Applications Get Delayed
In West Virginia "LCSW" means Licensed Certified Social Worker, a non-clinical advanced license (Advanced Generalist exam). The clinical license is the LICSW.
LICSW supervision must be under a board-approved contract before it starts: 100 face-to-face hours over at least two years of full-time work or 3,000 hours, at one hour per 30 hours of practice.
West Virginia enacted the compact with SB 703 in 2026 (passed March 11, sent to the governor March 13); the Compact Commission reports it enacted with a June 9 date, and the compact's own map data still listed it as pending.
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 West Virginia Social Work License
Renewal Cycle
Every 2 years
CE Requirement
30 CE hours per renewal cycle
The Social Work Compact and West Virginia
West Virginia has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact. When the Compact opens, a social worker whose home state is West 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 West Virginia license.
Keeping it current
West Virginia renews social work licenses every 2 years, with 30 hours of continuing education per cycle. Since July 1, 2022, all regular licensees (LSW, LGSW, LCSW, LICSW) need 30 board-approved hours per two-year period (down from 40), including at least 1 in social work ethics and 2 on mental health conditions of veterans and their families; at least 10 must be synchronous. Holding licenses in several states means several calendars and several sets of CE rules, which is most of what our annual compliance service tracks.
West Virginia Social Work License FAQ
What social work licenses does West Virginia issue?
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Can I use the Social Work Compact for West Virginia?
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I'm licensed in another state. How do I get licensed in West Virginia?
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How many supervised hours does West Virginia 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 name, license levels A-D, provisional license, temporary permit — checked 2026-10-08
- LGSW: MSW, "Intermediate" ASWB exam, no experience requirement — checked 2026-10-08
- LCSW (Licensed Certified): two years post-master's, Advanced Generalist exam — checked 2026-10-08
- LICSW: 3,000 hours, 100 hours supervision, Clinical exam, out-of-state applicants — checked 2026-10-08
- exam levels: Bachelors, Masters, Advanced Generalist, Clinical — checked 2026-10-08
- October 2022 manual: LGSW Masters exam, clinical supervision contract approval, 100 hours, 1 per 30 — checked 2026-10-08
- 30 hours per two years from July 1, 2022, veterans and ethics hours, synchronous minimum — checked 2026-10-08
- two-year licensing period — 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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