Social Work License from Alabama to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Maryland accept an Alabama social work license?
Both Alabama and Maryland 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 — not yet issuing
Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.
Alabama and Maryland 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 Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What's different between Alabama and Maryland
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Maryland. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Alabama to Maryland (this page): Compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement.
Maryland to Alabama (the reverse move): Compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Alabama matter?
Alabama gets Maryland's most common result: 32 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (18).
- SW Compact membership
Alabama and Maryland have both enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, which is not issuing yet, so it does not cover this move today.
- Application fee
Maryland lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Alabama lists $75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Maryland lists up to 9 weeks; Alabama has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Maryland and Alabama carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Maryland (this move): The ASWB exam is not retaken; request that ASWB send your Clinical Score Report to Maryland. Maryland's clinical license (LCSW-C) is based on the ASWB Clinical exam; Maryland no longer issues the LCSW (its Advanced Generalist-based license), so do not apply for it when seeking clinical endorsement. No Maryland jurisprudence exam is required.
- Alabama (the reverse move): The ASWB exam is not retaken; order your score from ASWB (ASWB Score Transfer) and have it sent directly to the Board. Alabama's reciprocity instructions require that you passed the ASWB exam for the level requested (the Clinical exam for the LICSW); an applicant who never passed an ASWB exam cannot qualify by reciprocity. No Alabama jurisprudence exam is named in the reciprocity rule or instructions.
What changes, Alabama → Maryland
| Alabama (current) | Maryland (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.) | $100 ($100 application processing fee (COMAR 10.42.05.02; paid online by Visa or Mastercard only), then a $75 initial license fee once approved. CHRC fingerprinting: $51.25 at state-operated centers or $30 plus the provider's fee at private providers.) |
| 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 | up to 9 weeks (The Board's July 2026 endorsement guide says it has 60 days to review a completed application after all documents arrive (about 8.6 weeks). Once approved and the $75 fee is paid, the license is usually issued within 7 business days.) |
| Licensing authority | Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners | Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Choose the correct LCSW-C by Endorsement application: over 5 years (5 of the past 10 years at 1,000+ practice hours per year under a clinical license) or under 5 years of clinical licensure.
- Complete a Maryland/FBI Criminal History Records Check (out-of-state applicants can request a fingerprint card).
- Request an ASWB Clinical score report and have your official master's transcript emailed to the Board.
- Under 5 years: document 12 academic credits of clinical coursework and 3,000 hours over 2-6 years of supervised clinical experience on Maryland's Supervision Verification Form.
- Over 5 years: mail Employment Certification Forms and a resume documenting post-licensure clinical practice.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Alabama and Maryland are both compact states. Can I practice in Maryland 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 Maryland. You need a Maryland license from the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners.
Will Maryland 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. Maryland's rule, where the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners 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.
- Maryland BSWE — Guide Sheet: How to apply for LCSW-C by Endorsement, Over 5 Years Experience (July 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Maryland BSWE — Licensing and FAQ content (reciprocity, endorsement applications, CHRC, LCSW-C criteria) (read via the Board site's SharePoint list data) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Maryland BSWE — Fee Schedule (read via the Board site's SharePoint list data) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- COMAR 10.42 Board of Social Work Examiners (incl. 10.42.01.11 Licensure by Endorsement and 10.42.05.02 Fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Maryland BSWE — Criminal History Records Check instructions ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com