Social Work License from Delaware to North Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB) ↗
Both Delaware and North Carolina have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact enacted — endorsement for now
Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.
Delaware and North Carolina have both enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27. Shared enactment changes nothing about this move today: you apply to the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Delaware → North Carolina
| Delaware (current) | North Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $205 (LCSW license application fee per the Division of Professional Regulation fee schedule; non-refundable, payable only by card through DELPROS. Background check fees are extra. Renewal fees are announced at renewal.) | $145 ($145 nonrefundable application fee per credential level, by certified check, money order or cashier's check (no personal checks). LCSW biennial renewal is $150. The Board may run a criminal or disciplinary history check; no separate fee is stated.) |
| Processing time | The Board publishes no processing time for reciprocity applications. | ~4 weeks (The Board says review and processing generally take at least 30 days once the application is complete and may be extended; no upper bound is published.) |
| Licensing authority | Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation) | North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm North Carolina's current requirements on the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply by substantial equivalency with the standard notarized Application for Certification/Licensure packet.
- Provide your state's law showing the qualifications in force when you were first licensed, or have your board complete a License Verification documenting them.
- Provide verification of your current active credential and certified proof of passing the ASWB Clinical exam.
- Submit three Professional Reference forms in sealed envelopes and an official sealed or electronic transcript.
- Complete and submit Form SSA-89 for Social Security number verification.
- Pay the fees ($145 ($145 nonrefundable application fee per credential level, by certified check, money order or cashier's check (no personal checks). LCSW biennial renewal is $150. The Board may run a criminal or disciplinary history check; no separate fee is stated.)) and allow ~4 weeks (The Board says review and processing generally take at least 30 days once the application is complete and may be extended; no upper bound is published.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does North Carolina accept a Delaware social work license?
Both Delaware and North Carolina have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Delaware to North Carolina?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; provide certified proof of passing the ASWB exam required for your level (the ASWB Clinical exam for the LCSW), sent directly by the jurisdiction's regulatory board or ASWB. Applicants licensed elsewhere by exam exemption must pass the ASWB exam before licensure. No North Carolina jurisprudence exam; applicants affirm they have reviewed G.S. 90B and 21 NCAC 63. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Delaware-to-North Carolina move cost and how long does it take?
$145 ($145 nonrefundable application fee per credential level, by certified check, money order or cashier's check (no personal checks). LCSW biennial renewal is $150. The Board may run a criminal or disciplinary history check; no separate fee is stated.) Processing: ~4 weeks (The Board says review and processing generally take at least 30 days once the application is complete and may be extended; no upper bound is published.)
Delaware and North Carolina are both compact states. Can I practice in North Carolina on my Delaware license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in North Carolina. You need a North Carolina license from the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB).
Will North Carolina accept the supervised hours I completed in Delaware?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. North Carolina's rule, where the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB) 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.
- NCSWCLB — Application for Certification/Licensure packet (v2026-05-26), incl. Certification/Licensure by Substantial Equivalency (Comity) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NCSWCLB — Levels and Eligibility Requirements (LCSW exam, experience, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NCSWCLB — Application FAQs (processing time) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners — Clinical Social Worker Licensure ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners — Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- ASWB — Sending your exam results to another state or province ↗ (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]