Transfer Your Social Work License to Colorado: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) ↗

Colorado does not transfer your license as-is, but you do not start over: the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) grants its clinical-level social work license by endorsement, crediting your existing ASWB pass. Fee: The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.. Processing: No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages.. Colorado has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so the compact does not change this application.

Moving to Colorado from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing

Colorado's legislature has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and you may see Colorado described as a compact state. In practice that means nothing yet. No multistate license has been issued anywhere, there is no application to file, and a license from another compact state gives you no right to practice in Colorado. Plan on the endorsement file below; the compact becomes relevant only once the commission launches, and its stated target for the data system that launch depends on is Spring 2027.

Colorado's clinical-level license is the LCSW. The other credentials are the LSW, the Clinical Social Worker Candidate (SWC) and the Provisional Social Worker. Endorsement is attestation-based: you attest that you completed the post-degree experience required by your original licensing state rather than re-documenting it. By-examination applicants, by contrast, need 3,000 hours and 96 hours of supervision over at least 24 months. Colorado also offers a telehealth-only LCSW license for applicants who will not live or practise physically in Colorado. The DPO licensing guide says the ASWB exam is no longer required for the LSW, but it is still required for the LCSW. Colorado has ENACTED the Social Work Licensure Compact, but the compact is not issuing multistate licenses yet, so endorsement is the only route in. The DPO guide's estimate that the compact would become active in late 2026 is superseded by the Commission's Spring 2027 data-system estimate.

Colorado requirements at a glance

Out-of-state social work license transfer requirements for Colorado, verified 2026-09-27
Exam	The ASWB exam is not retaken. For LCSW by endorsement you attest that you passed an exam covering the general areas of social work knowledge, or a written exam testing competence to practise independent social work, or (if no exam was required when you were first licensed) that you practised at the independent level for at least 5 of the last 10 years. Colorado also requires every LCSW applicant to pass the Colorado Mental Health Professions Jurisprudence Examination (open-book, online); results are valid for one year.
Additional requirements	Hold an active LCSW (or equivalent) license in another state, verified by upload showing original issue date and any discipline Pass the Colorado Mental Health Professions Jurisprudence Examination and upload the signed result Attest that you completed the post-degree experience your original licensing state required Hold a master's or doctoral degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program Answer criminal-history screening questions and complete the Healthcare Professions Profile
Fees	The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Processing time	No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages.

Step by step

Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) website — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Hold an active LCSW (or equivalent) license in another state, verified by upload showing original issue date and any discipline.
Pass the Colorado Mental Health Professions Jurisprudence Examination and upload the signed result.
Attest that you completed the post-degree experience your original licensing state required.
Hold a master's or doctoral degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program.
Answer criminal-history screening questions and complete the Healthcare Professions Profile.
Pay the fees (The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.) and allow No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages..

Official links

Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) ↗Colorado application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Colorado:

All 39 origin states

Nebraska → Colorado New Hampshire → Colorado New Jersey → Colorado New York → Colorado North Carolina → Colorado North Dakota → Colorado Ohio → Colorado Oklahoma → Colorado Pennsylvania → Colorado Rhode Island → Colorado South Dakota → Colorado Tennessee → Colorado Texas → Colorado Utah → Colorado Vermont → Colorado Virginia → Colorado Washington → Colorado West Virginia → Colorado Wisconsin → Colorado

Nearby states

Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Colorado:

Colorado for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my social work license transfer to Colorado?

Do I have to retake the ASWB exam to get licensed in Colorado?

The ASWB exam is not retaken. For LCSW by endorsement you attest that you passed an exam covering the general areas of social work knowledge, or a written exam testing competence to practise independent social work, or (if no exam was required when you were first licensed) that you practised at the independent level for at least 5 of the last 10 years. Colorado also requires every LCSW applicant to pass the Colorado Mental Health Professions Jurisprudence Examination (open-book, online); results are valid for one year. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

How much does a Colorado clinical social work license cost for an out-of-state applicant?

The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

How long does the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) take?

No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages.

Is Colorado in the Social Work Licensure Compact?

Colorado has enacted it, but the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. No one can practice in Colorado on a compact license yet; endorsement through the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) is the route.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.

Colorado DPO — Social Work Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Colorado DPO — Licensed Clinical Social Worker initial application preview (linked from the Applications page) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Colorado DPO — Social Work Licensing Guide (linked from the Applications page) ↗ (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]