Social Work License from Alabama to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) ↗
Both Alabama and Maine have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact enacted — endorsement for now
Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.
Alabama and Maine have both enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27. Shared enactment changes nothing about this move today: you apply to the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Alabama → Maine
| Alabama (current) | Maine (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $75 (Reciprocity application fee under Ala. Admin. Code 850-X-5-.02 (amended effective 2024-01-14); + $3.50 Alabama Interactive convenience fee when applying online. Fees are non-refundable. Private independent practice certification is a separate $75 application.) | $70 (The Board's licensing page lists $70 license fee plus $21 criminal history check for initial issuance; all fees nonrefundable. Renewal is $70 every 2 years.) |
| Processing time | The Board publishes no processing time for reciprocity applications. Its FAQ says a license and letter are typically mailed 10-14 days after a passing exam grade is received, but that describes exam candidates, not reciprocity files. | The Board's pages state no processing time; applicants can check application status online. |
| Licensing authority | Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners | Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active LCSW-equivalent license from a U.S. jurisdiction whose pathway requires a social work master's, the ASWB Clinical exam and supervised clinical experience.
- Submit the Online Endorsement Application for Licensure.
- Have official verifications sent for every professional license you hold or have ever held, including expired ones.
- Be in good standing everywhere licensed: no pending complaints, restrictions, surrenders or revocations.
- Complete the criminal history record check required for initial licensure.
- Pay the fees ($70 (The Board's licensing page lists $70 license fee plus $21 criminal history check for initial issuance; all fees nonrefundable. Renewal is $70 every 2 years.)) and allow The Board's pages state no processing time; applicants can check application status online..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept an Alabama social work license?
Both Alabama and Maine have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Alabama to Maine?
No exam is retaken and no score report is listed among the endorsement documents: Maine's Chapter 12 test is whether your licensing jurisdiction's pathway requires, at minimum, a social work master's, the ASWB Clinical exam and supervised clinical experience. Maine's own LC route requires the ASWB Clinical exam. No Maine jurisprudence exam is listed. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Alabama-to-Maine move cost and how long does it take?
$70 (The Board's licensing page lists $70 license fee plus $21 criminal history check for initial issuance; all fees nonrefundable. Renewal is $70 every 2 years.) Processing: The Board's pages state no processing time; applicants can check application status online.
Alabama and Maine are both compact states. Can I practice in Maine on my Alabama license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Maine. You need a Maine license from the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation).
Will Maine accept the supervised hours I completed in Alabama?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Maine's rule, where the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) publishes one, is in the requirements on this page; confirm with the board if your hours were logged under a different structure.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Maine Board of Social Worker Licensure — Licensing and Forms (LC license, Licensure by Endorsement, fees) (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-04-18; maine.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 02-416 CMR Chapter 12 — Licensure by Endorsement (Board rule, official DOCX) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alabama Admin. Code 850-X-4-.02 — Reciprocity and Applications from Non-Residents (Alabama Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alabama Admin. Code 850-X-5-.02 — Processing Fees (Alabama Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners — Reciprocity requirements and application (PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners — Online Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners — Frequently Asked Questions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- ASWB — Sending your exam results to another state or province ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]