Social Work License from Arkansas to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions) ↗
Both Arkansas and Virginia 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.
Arkansas and Virginia 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 Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Arkansas → Virginia
| Arkansas (current) | Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $100 (Arkansas Rule VII sets the application filing fee at $100. Under Act 114 of 2023 the Department of Health cut it to $5 for 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 only; its 2025-05-16 letter says the cut 'may or may not apply in future years'. When checked on 2026-09-27 the Board had posted no reduction for the year starting 1 July 2026, so the rule's $100 applies. The application form (rev. 01/2024, posted January 2026) still prints the old $5, so confirm the amount with the Board before paying. Background check fees are extra.) | $165 (LCSW by Endorsement application fee per the Board's application instructions (rev. 09/2024), non-refundable and paid in the online portal. NPDB self-query costs are extra.) |
| Processing time | No processing time is published. Background check results must arrive before the Board reviews the application, and applications stay valid for six months. | The Board says complete, fully documented applications are reviewed within 30 days of receipt (about 4 weeks to first review). Incomplete applications stay open for one year. |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board (Arkansas Department of Health) | Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Virginia's current requirements on the Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active, unrestricted social work license comparable to Virginia's LCSW (18VAC140-20-45).
- Upload verification of every health or mental health license you hold or have held (online verification printouts accepted).
- Upload a National Practitioner Data Bank self-query report generated within 30 days of applying.
- Have ASWB transfer your Clinical exam score to Virginia.
- Explain any criminal conviction, past action or possible impairment with supporting documents (Guidance Document 140-2).
- Pay the fees ($165 (LCSW by Endorsement application fee per the Board's application instructions (rev. 09/2024), non-refundable and paid in the online portal. NPDB self-query costs are extra.)) and allow The Board says complete, fully documented applications are reviewed within 30 days of receipt (about 4 weeks to first review). Incomplete applications stay open for one year..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia accept an Arkansas social work license?
Both Arkansas and Virginia 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 Arkansas to Virginia?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: ask ASWB to transfer your passing ASWB Clinical exam score to Virginia before applying. If you were licensed at the clinical level without taking the ASWB exam, the Board may accept evidence that the other jurisdiction required no national exam at the time. No Virginia jurisprudence exam is listed. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Arkansas-to-Virginia move cost and how long does it take?
$165 (LCSW by Endorsement application fee per the Board's application instructions (rev. 09/2024), non-refundable and paid in the online portal. NPDB self-query costs are extra.) Processing: The Board says complete, fully documented applications are reviewed within 30 days of receipt (about 4 weeks to first review). Incomplete applications stay open for one year.
Arkansas and Virginia are both compact states. Can I practice in Virginia on my Arkansas license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Virginia. You need a Virginia license from the Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions).
Will Virginia accept the supervised hours I completed in Arkansas?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Virginia's rule, where the Virginia Board of Social Work (Department of Health Professions) 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.
- Virginia Board of Social Work — LCSW Endorsement (Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-14; dhp.virginia.gov failed DNS resolution from our fetcher on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Virginia Board of Social Work — LCSW by Endorsement Application Instructions, rev. 09/2024 (Internet Archive copy of 2026-05-10) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board — Rules (Rule V Endorsement, Rule VII Fees; 2022 revision) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board — Application for licensure (rev. 01/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Department of Health — Social Work Licensing Board FY26 fee reduction letter (2025-05-16) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board — Licensing Information & FAQs ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board — Board page ↗ (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]