Licensure

Reinstatement

According to KRS 335.130(1), a licensee shall renew his or her license on a three (3) year basis in order to continue to practice social work in Kentucky.

• The three (3) year renewal cycle is based on the date that your initial license was issued by the board.
• A licensee must update their contact information with the board.
• Notify the board if your personal or employment information changes – update your information at the Self Service Portal.
• If your Kentucky social work license has expired, you must immediately CEASE & DESIST the practice of social work in Kentucky. You may not practice social work until your license is reinstated.

Two regulations apply to reinstatement. 201 KAR 23:051 ​Renewal, termination, reinstatement of license, and 201 KAR 23:075​ Continuing education for renewal, see Section 11.​​​

​​Expired 3 M​onths or LESS

1. Complete Licensure Renewal Form
   
2. Continuing Education
   • Include copies of CE certificates of completion; or
   • Write a request for six (6) month extension. The request will be reviewed and you will be contacted to let you know if it is approved or not
     
3. Employment
   • Write a letter explaining where you have been employed; and
   • Begin with where you worked on the date your license expired to the date reinstatement is filed
4. Fees
   • License renewal fees: LSW $75, CSW $125, LSCW $200
   • Late renewal penalty fee: $100
   • Fees may be included in one check made payable to "KY State Treasurer"
5. After your reinstatement packet is reviewed, you will receive an email notice from board staff either requesting additional information or approving reinstatement​
   
   

Expired 3 Months or More

1. Complete this Licensure Renewal ​Fo​rm as if you're applying for licensure all over again
   • You may have to resubmit official transcripts
   • You may have to resubmit ASWB Score Report for the exam
   • You will be required to obtain current official verification of any out-of-state license(s) and they must come directly from the state board(s) to us
     
2. Continuing Education
   • Include copies of CE certificates of completion; or
   • Write a request for six (6) month extension. The request will be reviewed and you will be contacted to let you know if it is approved or not
     
3. Employment
   • Write a letter explaining where you have been employed; and
   • Begin with where you worked on the date your license expired to the date reinstatement is filed
   • Include your job description and your resume
4. Fees
   • $25 nonrefundable application review fee made payable to "KY State Treasurer"
   • DO NOT include license renewal fees or late penalty fees at this point. After review you will be contacted about the fees that are left to pay
     
5. After your reinstatement packet is reviewed, you will receive an email notice from board staff requesting additional information or approving reinstatement and asking you to mail the required fees:
   • License renewal fees: LSW $75, CSW $125, LSCW $200
   • Late renewal penalty fee: $100​
     ​
     

Continuing Education

This step depends on whether you've completed the required CE hours in the three years preceding the date of your request for reinstatment. 15 hours are required for LSW; 30 hours are required for CSW & LCSW

• If you have completed the required CE programs, mail in copies of the CE certificates of attendance for the three (3) years preceding with your request for reinstatement; or
• If you have NOT completed the required CE credits, you can mail in a request for a six (6) month extension to take the required CE courses. It may or may not be approved, but you will be contacted to let you know if it is approved or not. 
  

Six (6) Month Extension

• If the six month extension is approved, you must submit all CE certificates by the extension due date. If you fail to send in the CE certificates on or before the six (6) month period ends, your license will expire back to it's original expiration date; you must cease and desist all social work duties and you may have a board inititated complaint filed against you.
• If the six month extension is approved for the current renewal period,  please note, you will still have to complete the required hours of continuing education for the next renewal period.​
  

Out of State Licenses​​

​If you are a social worker licensed by another state, click here to apply online.​ Kentucky does not have reciprocity with any other states at this time.

If you have taken the ASWB exam, Kentucky accepts the Bachelor, Masters and Clinical categories of the exam.​ Kentucky does not accept the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam category.

If you have taken the ASWB exam in another state, the required report is called an “Official Transfer Score Report.” You contact ASWB to have them send that directly to us. The website is aswb.org and their Customer Service telephone number is 888-579-3926. You must submit the Official Transcript from your university that confers or awards your degree in Social Work. You will need to contact your university to have them send that directly to us. You must get an Official Verification of License by contacting each board where you hold a license. You will need to contact each state board office and have them sent to us directly from the state board(s).

For LCSW applicants, Kentucky requires two (2) years plus 150 hours of supervision by an approved licensed clinical social worker (licensed a minimum of two years) - your supervisors will need to complete the ​Supervised Experience Documentation Form or d​ocuments that show you have been licensed in another state at the clinical level and/or your resume that shows you have been engaged in the ​active practice of clinical social work for five (5) years. Example: official job description(s) signed by the executive director, human resource director, or agency supervisor where the clinical social work services were provided. We will also accept letters of recommendation documen​ting the type of services you have provided in the clinical practice, and letters confirming that you are an approved provider for an insurance company or Medicaid.​​​

Temporary Licensure

• Prior to applying for the temporary permit license, you must submit an application for the LSW or CSW exam/license and have your official transcript sent directly to the board showing your degree awarded before you can submit the temp permit application. Once you receive an approved to take exam email from the board, you can then submit the temp permit application if needed. 
  
• Non-Clinical permits are for LSW or CSW who will not be performing clinical social work activities as part of their social work practice setting.
• Clinical Permits are for a CSW who will be performing clinical social work activities as part of their social work practice setting.
• Clinical Work Definition: 201 KAR 23:070 section 1 (2); practice of social work that focuses on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of an emotional disorder and mental illness as related to the total health of the individual and that meets the ​requirements of section 2 of the administrative regulation (Link to KAR).​
  
• A temporary permit holder practicing clinical social work under a temporary permit shall be under the supervision of a LCSW who qualifies to provide supervision (pre-approved supervisor).
  
• The temporary permit supervision contract is different than the CSW in supervision contract and any hours obtained under the temporary permit WILL NOT count toward your CSW in supervision toward your LCSW. 
  
• The temporary permit extends for 180 days and is renewable for another 180 days. Temporary permit holders who are practicing clinical social work will not have a gap between their temporary license and CSW license when they pass the ASWB exam.​​ But once the CSW license is issued, a CSW in a supervision contract must be submitted to the board for review prior to working in supervision toward your LCSW. Once it is approved, you will get an email from the board and then begin supervision to obtain hours toward your LCSW. 
  
• LCSW supervisors shall not serve as the supervisor for more than two persons holding a temporary permit at any one time and the two persons are included in the total of six supervisees allowed under 201 KAR 23:070.
  
• Temporary permits can be issued to out-of-state independently licensed persons for up to 90 calendar days. It cannot be renewed. If the out of state temporary permit holder needs to continue services over 90 days, then they will need to apply for a full LCSW KY license. There are certain documents that must be sent with the application. These are listed on the out of state temporary permit application. 
  
• See 201 KAR 23:160​
  

Visit our Forms page​ for required application documents.

Supervision

Click here to read the regulation: 201 KAR 23:070. NOTE: All LCSW supervisors are required to complete the 6 hour training.

Qualified supervisors must submit a request to the board for approval.

Requests can be conveniently submitted online here​.​

Supervision contracts may also be submitted by email or mail.​​ Visit our Forms page for the required documentation. There is no fee for supervision contracts.

For more detail about Supervision, please see our FAQ page and search Supervision.