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LicenseReciprocity

Social Work License from California to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling ↗

A social work license transfers from California to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, verify your California license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. The national clinical exam is not retaken; have your ASWB Clinical exam score (or another state board's official score report) sent directly to the Board. Florida has no state law exam, but requires an 8-hour Florida Laws and Rules course from a board-approved provider plus 3-hour HIV/AIDS and 2-hour domestic violence courses..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Neither California nor Florida 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 Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling verifies your California license, accepts your ASWB score by transfer, and adds its own requirements.

What changes, California → Florida

Side-by-side: California vs Florida (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
California (current)Florida (destination)
SW Compact statusLicensure by endorsementLicensure 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.)$180 ($180 total: $100 non-refundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee. $80 is refunded if the application is denied or withdrawn. Livescan fingerprint fees are paid to the vendor. Florida may reduce fees for military members, veterans and their spouses.)
Processing timeNot 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.~6 weeks (The Board says to allow up to 30 business days for the initial review of new applications (about 6 weeks). Under Fla. Stat. 456.0145 the Board must issue the license within 7 days once all documentation, including background screening, is received.)
Licensing authorityCalifornia Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS)Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold an active, unencumbered clinical social work license in another state and have actively practised for at least two of the four years before applying (Fla. Stat. 456.0145).
  5. Have a passing score on a national licensure exam or a recognized national certification.
  6. Have no National Practitioner Data Bank reports and no disciplinary actions in the past five years.
  7. Complete the 8-hour Florida Laws and Rules course, the 3-hour HIV/AIDS course (or affidavit) and the 2-hour domestic violence course.
  8. Complete electronic fingerprinting through a Livescan service provider.
  9. Have every state that licensed you send verification directly to the Board.
  10. Pay the fees ($180 ($180 total: $100 non-refundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee. $80 is refunded if the application is denied or withdrawn. Livescan fingerprint fees are paid to the vendor. Florida may reduce fees for military members, veterans and their spouses.)) and allow ~6 weeks (The Board says to allow up to 30 business days for the initial review of new applications (about 6 weeks). Under Fla. Stat. 456.0145 the Board must issue the license within 7 days once all documentation, including background screening, is received.).

Official links

Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling ↗Florida application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Florida → CaliforniaSocial Work in CaliforniaSocial Work in FloridaAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Florida accept a California social work license?

A social work license transfers from California to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, verify your California license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. The national clinical exam is not retaken; have your ASWB Clinical exam score (or another state board's official score report) sent directly to the Board. Florida has no state law exam, but requires an 8-hour Florida Laws and Rules course from a board-approved provider plus 3-hour HIV/AIDS and 2-hour domestic violence courses..

Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from California to Florida?

The national clinical exam is not retaken; have your ASWB Clinical exam score (or another state board's official score report) sent directly to the Board. Florida has no state law exam, but requires an 8-hour Florida Laws and Rules course from a board-approved provider plus 3-hour HIV/AIDS and 2-hour domestic violence courses. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the California-to-Florida move cost and how long does it take?

$180 ($180 total: $100 non-refundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee. $80 is refunded if the application is denied or withdrawn. Livescan fingerprint fees are paid to the vendor. Florida may reduce fees for military members, veterans and their spouses.) Processing: ~6 weeks (The Board says to allow up to 30 business days for the initial review of new applications (about 6 weeks). Under Fla. Stat. 456.0145 the Board must issue the license within 7 days once all documentation, including background screening, is received.)

Will Florida 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. Florida's rule, where the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling 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]