Social Work License from California to District of Columbia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: DC Board of Social Work (DC Health) ↗
A social work license transfers from California to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the DC Board of Social Work (DC Health), verify your California license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB transfer your score electronically to the Board. Under 17 DCMR 7007 your initial US licence must have been obtained by an exam equivalent to the level you apply for, which is the Clinical exam for the LICSW. No DC jurisprudence exam is listed on the endorsement checklist..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither California nor District of Columbia has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and it is not issuing licenses anywhere in any case, so this is a plain endorsement move. The DC Board of Social Work (DC Health) verifies your California license, accepts your ASWB score by transfer, and adds its own requirements.
In District of Columbia the clinical license is the LICSW. Apply for it under that name, whatever your California license is called; boards match by scope, meaning independent diagnosis and treatment, not by initials. DC's LISW is a different, non-clinical license, so do not apply for that one.
What changes, California → District of Columbia
| California (current) | District of Columbia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $250 (Statutory LCSW application fee under Bus. & Prof. Code 4996.3(a)(3) ($250; the Board may raise it by regulation up to $500). Also: $150 California Law and Ethics exam fee, $200 initial license fee, and fingerprint processing fees. The BBS website refused connections on 2026-09-27, so the current regulatory fee schedule could not be confirmed there.) | $230 ($230 combined application and license fee per the Board's endorsement checklist; + $50 criminal background check paid online. Social work licenses expire July 31 of odd years.) |
| Processing time | Not verified. The Board of Behavioral Sciences website (bbs.ca.gov) refused connections throughout 2026-09-27, so its published processing times could not be read. | DC Health publishes no processing time for social work endorsement applications. |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) | DC Board of Social Work (DC Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — District of Columbia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements on the DC Board of Social Work (DC Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the DC Board of Social Work (DC Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, good-standing social work license obtained by an exam equivalent to the LICSW level under requirements the Board finds substantially equivalent (17 DCMR 7007).
- Have every jurisdiction where you have ever held a professional license send official verification (primary-source website verification may be accepted).
- Have your school send an official MSW transcript directly to the Board.
- Complete a DC criminal background check with the online application ($50).
- Submit three character references (two from professional social workers) and a work experience form.
- Pay the fees ($230 ($230 combined application and license fee per the Board's endorsement checklist; + $50 criminal background check paid online. Social work licenses expire July 31 of odd years.)) and allow DC Health publishes no processing time for social work endorsement applications..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does District of Columbia accept a California social work license?
A social work license transfers from California to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the DC Board of Social Work (DC Health), verify your California license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB transfer your score electronically to the Board. Under 17 DCMR 7007 your initial US licence must have been obtained by an exam equivalent to the level you apply for, which is the Clinical exam for the LICSW. No DC jurisprudence exam is listed on the endorsement checklist..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from California to District of Columbia?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB transfer your score electronically to the Board. Under 17 DCMR 7007 your initial US licence must have been obtained by an exam equivalent to the level you apply for, which is the Clinical exam for the LICSW. No DC jurisprudence exam is listed on the endorsement checklist. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the California-to-District of Columbia move cost and how long does it take?
$230 ($230 combined application and license fee per the Board's endorsement checklist; + $50 criminal background check paid online. Social work licenses expire July 31 of odd years.) Processing: DC Health publishes no processing time for social work endorsement applications.
Will District of Columbia accept the supervised hours I completed in California?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. District of Columbia's rule, where the DC Board of Social Work (DC Health) 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.
- DC Health — Social Work Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- DC Board of Social Work — LGSW, LISW and LICSW New License Application Endorsement Checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- DC Municipal Regulations Chapter 17-70 (Social Work) — section list incl. 7007 License by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- California Business and Professions Code 4996.17.1 — Licensure of out-of-state clinical social workers (California Legislative Information) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- California Business and Professions Code 4996.17.2 — Out-of-state education or experience (California Legislative Information) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- California Business and Professions Code 4996.3 — LCSW fees (California Legislative Information) ↗ (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]