Social Work License from Alaska to Nebraska: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Board of Mental Health Practice ↗
Both Alaska and Nebraska 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.
Alaska and Nebraska 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 Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Board of Mental Health Practice through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Alaska → Nebraska
| Alaska (current) | Nebraska (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $425 (Paid together with the application: $100 non-refundable application fee + $325 initial license fee (form 08-4871, rev. 04/21/2026). Alaska offers no temporary clinical license. Licenses expire June 30 of even-numbered years.) | $155–$205 (LIMHP license fee $155 (or $38.75 if applying March-August of an even year); adding the CMSW certificate costs $50 more ($205 total). Fingerprint processing is $55, paid to the Nebraska State Patrol. The initial license fee is waived for young workers (19-25), low-income applicants and military families.) |
| Processing time | The Division says only that average processing time varies by program; once the file is complete and fees are paid, it goes to the Board for approval. Applications are reviewed in the order received. | ~6 weeks (DHHS says it will email or write within approximately 30 business days (about 6 weeks) to say the license was issued or the file is incomplete; incomplete applications close after 90 days. Criminal background checks are not expedited.) |
| Licensing authority | Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) | Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Board of Mental Health Practice |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Nebraska sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Nebraska's current requirements on the Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Board of Mental Health Practice website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Board of Mental Health Practice (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a license in another state of the same or similar type that allows you to diagnose major mental illnesses or disorders, and have practised under it for at least 5 years.
- Pass the Nebraska mental health practice jurisprudence exam online.
- Complete a fingerprint-based FBI/Nebraska State Patrol criminal background check (required for the LIMHP).
- Also apply for the Certified Master Social Worker (CMSW) certificate if you want to use the title social worker.
- Submit the application and fee by mail or hand delivery to the DHHS Licensure Unit.
- Pay the fees ($155–$205 (LIMHP license fee $155 (or $38.75 if applying March-August of an even year); adding the CMSW certificate costs $50 more ($205 total). Fingerprint processing is $55, paid to the Nebraska State Patrol. The initial license fee is waived for young workers (19-25), low-income applicants and military families.)) and allow ~6 weeks (DHHS says it will email or write within approximately 30 business days (about 6 weeks) to say the license was issued or the file is incomplete; incomplete applications close after 90 days. Criminal background checks are not expedited.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Nebraska accept an Alaska social work license?
Both Alaska and Nebraska 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 Alaska to Nebraska?
On the 5-year reciprocity route no national exam is retaken or re-verified. Applicants must pass Nebraska's online mental health practice jurisprudence exam (or the social work jurisprudence exam if applying for a CMSW certificate only). ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Alaska-to-Nebraska move cost and how long does it take?
$155–$205 (LIMHP license fee $155 (or $38.75 if applying March-August of an even year); adding the CMSW certificate costs $50 more ($205 total). Fingerprint processing is $55, paid to the Nebraska State Patrol. The initial license fee is waived for young workers (19-25), low-income applicants and military families.) Processing: ~6 weeks (DHHS says it will email or write within approximately 30 business days (about 6 weeks) to say the license was issued or the file is incomplete; incomplete applications close after 90 days. Criminal background checks are not expedited.)
Alaska and Nebraska are both compact states. Can I practice in Nebraska on my Alaska license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Nebraska. You need a Nebraska license from the Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Board of Mental Health Practice.
Will Nebraska accept the supervised hours I completed in Alaska?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Nebraska's rule, where the Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Board of Mental Health Practice 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.
- Nebraska DHHS — 5-year Reciprocity Application Information, LIMHP/LMHP/CMFT/CPC/CMSW (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-01-16; dhhs.ne.gov did not resolve on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Nebraska DHHS — Mental Health and Social Work Practice licensure page (application list) (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-09-10) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners — Clinical Social Worker License by Credentials application and instructions (form 08-4871, rev. 04/21/2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners — Applications & Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- ASWB — Look up a license (board license-search directory) ↗ (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]