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LicenseReciprocity

Social Work License from Arizona to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) ↗

A social work license transfers from Arizona to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC), verify your Arizona license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Only Arizona has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and since the compact is not issuing multistate licenses anywhere, that difference does not affect this move. You apply to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) by endorsement, with your Arizona license verified and your ASWB score transferred.

What changes, Arizona → Texas

Side-by-side: Arizona vs Texas (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Arizona (current)Texas (destination)
SW Compact statusSW Compact enacted — not yet issuingLicensure by endorsement
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.)$120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.)
Processing timeR4-6-302 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.4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.)
Licensing authorityArizona Board of Behavioral Health ExaminersTexas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination no more than six months before applying.
  5. Submit a certified National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report.
  6. Complete the fingerprint-based criminal background check (instructions emailed after you submit).
  7. Have every jurisdiction where you hold or held a social work license complete the Verification of Licensure form.
  8. Have your school email an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or doctorate.
  9. Provide proof of U.S. citizenship or eligibility (e.g. REAL ID-compliant license, birth certificate, passport).
  10. Pay the fees ($120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.)) and allow 4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.).

Official links

Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) ↗Texas application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Texas → ArizonaSocial Work in ArizonaSocial Work in TexasAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Texas accept an Arizona social work license?

A social work license transfers from Arizona to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC), verify your Arizona license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application..

Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Arizona to Texas?

The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the Arizona-to-Texas move cost and how long does it take?

$120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.) Processing: 4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.)

Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?

No. Arizona has enacted it and Texas has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) is the route.

Will Texas 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. Texas's rule, where the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) 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.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]