Social Work License from Arizona to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) ↗
Both Arizona and Colorado 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.
Arizona and Colorado 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 Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Arizona → Colorado
| Arizona (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $250 (Application for license by endorsement fee under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215(A)(2); non-refundable. The rule also lists a $40 criminal history background check charge. The Board site (azbbhe.us) blocked automated access on 2026-09-27, so the fee could not be re-checked there. A $100 issuance fee appears as struck in the codified rule text read.) | The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. |
| Processing time | R4-6-302 sets administrative completeness and substantive review time frames in a Table 1 that was not readable in the source consulted, and the Board's own site blocked automated access. Deficiency responses are due within 60 days. | No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages. |
| Licensing authority | Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners | Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active LCSW (or equivalent) license in another state, verified by upload showing original issue date and any discipline.
- Pass the Colorado Mental Health Professions Jurisprudence Examination and upload the signed result.
- Attest that you completed the post-degree experience your original licensing state required.
- Hold a master's or doctoral degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program.
- Answer criminal-history screening questions and complete the Healthcare Professions Profile.
- Pay the fees (The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.) and allow No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Colorado accept an Arizona social work license?
Both Arizona and Colorado 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 Arizona to Colorado?
The ASWB exam is not retaken. For LCSW by endorsement you attest that you passed an exam covering the general areas of social work knowledge, or a written exam testing competence to practise independent social work, or (if no exam was required when you were first licensed) that you practised at the independent level for at least 5 of the last 10 years. Colorado also requires every LCSW applicant to pass the Colorado Mental Health Professions Jurisprudence Examination (open-book, online); results are valid for one year. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Arizona-to-Colorado move cost and how long does it take?
The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Processing: No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages.
Arizona and Colorado are both compact states. Can I practice in Colorado on my Arizona license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Colorado. You need a Colorado license from the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations).
Will Colorado accept the supervised hours I completed in Arizona?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Colorado's rule, where the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) 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.
- Colorado DPO — Social Work Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Colorado DPO — Licensed Clinical Social Worker initial application preview (linked from the Applications page) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Colorado DPO — Social Work Licensing Guide (linked from the Applications page) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-3274 — Licensure by endorsement (Arizona Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-3275 — Requirements for licensure (Arizona Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-4302 — Out-of-state applicants; residents (universal recognition) (Arizona Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-304 — Application for a License by Endorsement (official code text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-402 — Examination (social work) (official code text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215 — Fees and Charges (official code text via Cornell LII) ↗ (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]