Social Work License from Alabama to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) ↗
Both Alabama and New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Alabama → New Hampshire
| Alabama (current) | New Hampshire (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.) | $325 (Clinical social worker (including conditional) application fee $325, which includes the mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; renewal $325 (active) or $105 (inactive). Criminal background check fees are paid separately (amount not stated on the pages reviewed).) |
| 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. | No processing time is published. Under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license to an endorsement-qualified applicant while criminal-record results are pending. |
| Licensing authority | Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners | New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the OPLC Universal Application for Initial License by mail with the application fee.
- Provide verification of your active license in good standing in a qualifying jurisdiction (a screenshot or printout of the licensing board's portal is accepted under Plc 313.05(a)).
- Complete the FBI/New Hampshire criminal history records check required for clinical social workers.
- Pay the fees ($325 (Clinical social worker (including conditional) application fee $325, which includes the mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; renewal $325 (active) or $105 (inactive). Criminal background check fees are paid separately (amount not stated on the pages reviewed).)) and allow No processing time is published. Under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license to an endorsement-qualified applicant while criminal-record results are pending..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire accept an Alabama social work license?
Both Alabama and New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire?
On the HB 594 reciprocity route, applicants from qualifying jurisdictions no longer submit examination results, transcripts, experience or references. On the standard application the ASWB Clinical exam is required (have ASWB send your score if you tested out of state or more than two years ago). No New Hampshire 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-New Hampshire move cost and how long does it take?
$325 (Clinical social worker (including conditional) application fee $325, which includes the mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; renewal $325 (active) or $105 (inactive). Criminal background check fees are paid separately (amount not stated on the pages reviewed).) Processing: No processing time is published. Under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license to an endorsement-qualified applicant while criminal-record results are pending.
Alabama and New Hampshire are both compact states. Can I practice in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire. You need a New Hampshire license from the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification).
Will New Hampshire 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. New Hampshire's rule, where the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) 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.
- NH OPLC — New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (HB 594 license types incl. Clinical Social Worker; application process) (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-08-21; oplc.nh.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NH OPLC — Board of Mental Health Practice License Fees (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-04-29) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NH OPLC — FAQs about new Reciprocity Rules (HB 594) (Internet Archive copy captured 2025-06-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NH OPLC — Instructions and Checklist, Licensure as an Independent Clinical Social Worker (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-05-18) ↗ (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]