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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Social Work) ↗

Connecticut does not transfer your license as-is, but you do not start over: the Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Social Work) grants its clinical-level social work license by endorsement, crediting your existing ASWB pass. Fee: $0 (The Department's LCSW requirements page says 'There is no application fee', and its Social Work Licensure page lists the initial application as no fee. Renewal is $200.). Processing: No processing time is published on the Department's social work pages.. Connecticut 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 Connecticut 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

Connecticut's legislature has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and you may see Connecticut 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 Connecticut. 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.

Connecticut's clinical-level license is the LCSW, issued by the Department of Public Health; the other tier is the LMSW. Out-of-state licensees have two routes. (1) The standard LCSW application: three years of licensed clinical social work practice in another state substitutes for Connecticut's 3,000-hour supervised experience requirement, but you still show the ASWB Clinical exam and an accredited MSW. (2) The cross-profession route for anyone licensed in another US state for at least four years in good standing: no transcripts, training verification or exam, only licensure verifications. Neither is full reciprocity. The Department's pages checked name no criminal background check for social workers. Connecticut has ENACTED the Social Work Licensure Compact, but the compact is not issuing multistate licenses yet, so these routes are the only way in.

Connecticut requirements at a glance

Out-of-state social work license transfer requirements for Connecticut, verified 2026-09-27
Exam	On the standard route for applicants licensed elsewhere, the ASWB Clinical exam is required but not retaken; have ASWB send the passing score. On the route for applicants licensed at least 4 years in another US state, no exam, transcript or training verification is required. No Connecticut jurisprudence exam is required.
Additional requirements	Apply online through Connecticut eLicense with a photograph Have every state where you hold or have ever held a license send official verification directly to the Department Standard route: send an official transcript and the ASWB Clinical exam result Standard route: have your employer send a letter confirming three years of licensed clinical practice in another state, in place of the work-experience and supervision requirement 4-year route: hold a license in good standing for at least 4 years, with no discipline, pending complaints or surrender under investigation
Fees	$0 (The Department's LCSW requirements page says 'There is no application fee', and its Social Work Licensure page lists the initial application as no fee. Renewal is $200.)
Processing time	No processing time is published on the Department's social work pages.

Step by step

Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Social Work) website — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Social Work) (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Apply online through Connecticut eLicense with a photograph.
Have every state where you hold or have ever held a license send official verification directly to the Department.
Standard route: send an official transcript and the ASWB Clinical exam result.
Standard route: have your employer send a letter confirming three years of licensed clinical practice in another state, in place of the work-experience and supervision requirement.
4-year route: hold a license in good standing for at least 4 years, with no discipline, pending complaints or surrender under investigation.
Pay the fees ($0 (The Department's LCSW requirements page says 'There is no application fee', and its Social Work Licensure page lists the initial application as no fee. Renewal is $200.)) and allow No processing time is published on the Department's social work pages..

Official links

Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Social Work) ↗Connecticut application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

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

All 39 origin states

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

Nearby states

Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Connecticut:

Connecticut for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my social work license transfer to Connecticut?

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

On the standard route for applicants licensed elsewhere, the ASWB Clinical exam is required but not retaken; have ASWB send the passing score. On the route for applicants licensed at least 4 years in another US state, no exam, transcript or training verification is required. No Connecticut jurisprudence exam is required. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

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

$0 (The Department's LCSW requirements page says 'There is no application fee', and its Social Work Licensure page lists the initial application as no fee. Renewal is $200.)

How long does the Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Social Work) take?

No processing time is published on the Department's social work pages.

Is Connecticut in the Social Work Licensure Compact?

Connecticut has enacted it, but the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. No one can practice in Connecticut on a compact license yet; endorsement through the Connecticut Department of Public Health — Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Social Work) is the route.

Sources

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

Connecticut DPH — LCSW Licensing Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Connecticut DPH — Social Work Licensure (fees and pathways) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Connecticut DPH — Applicants Licensed in Another US State for at Least 4 Years ↗ (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]