Transfer Your Social Work License to Connecticut: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my social work license transfer to Connecticut?
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.
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
| 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. |
|---|---|
| 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 listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Connecticut:
Nearby states
Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Connecticut:
Connecticut for other professions
- Nursing in Connecticut
- Cosmetology / Barber in Connecticut
- Real Estate in Connecticut
- Contractor in Connecticut
- Teaching in Connecticut
- CPA / Accounting in Connecticut
- Electrician in Connecticut
- Plumber in Connecticut
- Engineering in Connecticut
- Pharmacy in Connecticut
- Physical Therapy in Connecticut
- Psychology in Connecticut
- Counseling in Connecticut
- Occupational Therapy in Connecticut
Frequently asked questions
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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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