Social Work License from Arizona to Kansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) ↗
Both Arizona and Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Arizona → Kansas
| Arizona (current) | Kansas (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.) | $50 (LSCSW application fee under K.A.R. 102-2-3(a)(3); + $150 original LSCSW license fee (102-2-3(c)(3)); optional $100 expedited-application fee (102-2-3(b)). A temporary permit for out-of-state independent clinical social workers practising up to 30 days a year costs $200.) |
| 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. | Not verified. The BSRB website (ksbsrb.ks.gov) blocked automated access (HTTP 403) on 2026-09-27. BSRB testimony on HB 2340 (2023) says the bill required the Board to process applications within a set time; the figure was not confirmed. |
| Licensing authority | Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners | Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Request the LSCSW reciprocity application from the Board and pay the application fee.
- Have your current clinical-level licensing agency complete the Board's verification form, including license dates, renewal and lapse history and any serious discipline.
- Qualify on substantially equivalent standards, or otherwise document 5 continuous years of clinical-level licensure (10 years if you never passed a national clinical exam).
- Verify your master's or doctoral degree in social work from an accredited program.
- Pay the fees ($50 (LSCSW application fee under K.A.R. 102-2-3(a)(3); + $150 original LSCSW license fee (102-2-3(c)(3)); optional $100 expedited-application fee (102-2-3(b)). A temporary permit for out-of-state independent clinical social workers practising up to 30 days a year costs $200.)) and allow Not verified. The BSRB website (ksbsrb.ks.gov) blocked automated access (HTTP 403) on 2026-09-27. BSRB testimony on HB 2340 (2023) says the bill required the Board to process applications within a set time; the figure was not confirmed..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas accept an Arizona social work license?
Both Arizona and Kansas 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 Kansas?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: Kansas exempts applicants who passed an exam similar to the required one (K.S.A. 65-6309(a)); the LSCSW corresponds to the ASWB Clinical exam. An applicant who never passed a national clinical exam must document 10 continuous years of clinical-level licensure instead of 5 (K.A.R. 102-2-2b). No Kansas jurisprudence exam was identified. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Arizona-to-Kansas move cost and how long does it take?
$50 (LSCSW application fee under K.A.R. 102-2-3(a)(3); + $150 original LSCSW license fee (102-2-3(c)(3)); optional $100 expedited-application fee (102-2-3(b)). A temporary permit for out-of-state independent clinical social workers practising up to 30 days a year costs $200.) Processing: Not verified. The BSRB website (ksbsrb.ks.gov) blocked automated access (HTTP 403) on 2026-09-27. BSRB testimony on HB 2340 (2023) says the bill required the Board to process applications within a set time; the figure was not confirmed.
Arizona and Kansas are both compact states. Can I practice in Kansas 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 Kansas. You need a Kansas license from the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB).
Will Kansas 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. Kansas's rule, where the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) 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.
- K.A.R. 102-2-2b — Application for licensure based on reciprocity (LSCSW) (official text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- K.A.R. 102-2-3 — Fees (official text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- K.S.A. 65-6309 — Exemption from examination; temporary licensure (Kansas Revisor of Statutes) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- K.S.A. 65-6309a — Temporary permit for out-of-state clinical social workers (Kansas Revisor of Statutes) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Kansas BSRB — testimony on HB 2340 (2023), reciprocity practice period cut from 48 to 12 months ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- ASWB — Look up a license (board license-search directory) ↗ (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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]