Transfer Your Social Work License to Arizona: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners ↗
Yes, by endorsement. The Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners issues Arizona's clinical-level social work license to social workers already licensed at the clinical level elsewhere, verifying your license and accepting your ASWB score rather than retesting you. 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.). Processing: 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.. Arizona is a Social Work Licensure Compact state on paper only: nothing was being issued as of 2026-09-27, and endorsement through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners is the route in.
Moving to Arizona from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Being a compact state has not changed how Arizona licenses incoming social workers. The Social Work Licensure Compact is law here but was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners handles every out-of-state applicant through the steps below. If you expect to work across state lines later, a Arizona license will be a sensible base once the compact is running; the commission's stated target for its data system is Spring 2027.
Arizona's clinical-level license is the LCSW. The other tiers are the LBSW and LMSW. Years licensed: the governing statute, A.R.S. 32-3274(A)(2), requires at least one year of licensure in another state. The older Board rule R4-6-304(1), last amended in 2021, still says 'at least three years', but the statute controls; confirm with the Board if in doubt. Arizona's universal recognition statute (A.R.S. 32-4302) also licenses people who establish Arizona residence and have held an equivalent license for at least one year. It is still an application with checks, so it does not make this full reciprocity. Arizona has ENACTED the Social Work Licensure Compact, but the compact is not issuing multistate licenses yet, so endorsement or universal recognition is the only route in. The Board's own site (azbbhe.us) returned a bot challenge (HTTP 403) on 2026-09-27, so its pages and application forms could not be read. The rules and statutes above were read from the Arizona Legislature and codified-rule copies instead.
Arizona requirements at a glance
| Exam | The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send your score. For LCSW by endorsement, Arizona requires a passing score on the ASWB Clinical exam. The Advanced Generalist exam is accepted only if you were licensed as a clinical social worker before July 1, 2004, met the exam requirement of the state you are endorsing from, and have been continuously licensed at that level since (Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-402(G)). No exam on Arizona law, but you must complete the Board's Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial. |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $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.) |
| 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. |
Step by step
- Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, good-standing clinical-level license in another state that the Board finds substantially equivalent, held for at least one year (A.R.S. 32-3274).
- Hold a master's or higher degree in social work from a regionally accredited college or university, shown by official transcript.
- Have every state that licensed you send verification of the license and any discipline.
- Complete the Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial and submit proof of completion.
- Meet the general licensure requirements of A.R.S. 32-3275, including age 21+ and no unresolved discipline.
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 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..
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Arizona:
All 39 origin states
Nearby states
Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Arizona:
Arizona for other professions
- Nursing in Arizona
- Cosmetology / Barber in Arizona
- Real Estate in Arizona
- Contractor in Arizona
- Teaching in Arizona
- CPA / Accounting in Arizona
- Electrician in Arizona
- Plumber in Arizona
- Engineering in Arizona
- Pharmacy in Arizona
- Physical Therapy in Arizona
- Psychology in Arizona
- Counseling in Arizona
- Occupational Therapy in Arizona
Frequently asked questions
Does my social work license transfer to Arizona?
Yes, by endorsement. The Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners issues Arizona's clinical-level social work license to social workers already licensed at the clinical level elsewhere, verifying your license and accepting your ASWB score rather than retesting you. 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.). Processing: 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.. Arizona is a Social Work Licensure Compact state on paper only: nothing was being issued as of 2026-09-27, and endorsement through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners is the route in.
Do I have to retake the ASWB exam to get licensed in Arizona?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send your score. For LCSW by endorsement, Arizona requires a passing score on the ASWB Clinical exam. The Advanced Generalist exam is accepted only if you were licensed as a clinical social worker before July 1, 2004, met the exam requirement of the state you are endorsing from, and have been continuously licensed at that level since (Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-402(G)). No exam on Arizona law, but you must complete the Board's Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
How much does an Arizona clinical social work license cost for an out-of-state applicant?
$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.)
How long does the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners take?
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.
Is Arizona in the Social Work Licensure Compact?
Arizona has enacted it, but the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. No one can practice in Arizona on a compact license yet; endorsement through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners is the route.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (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]