Social Work License from District of Columbia to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) ↗
A social work license transfers from District of Columbia to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC), verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither District of Columbia nor Texas 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 Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) verifies your District of Columbia license, accepts your ASWB score by transfer, and adds its own requirements.
District of Columbia calls its clinical license the LICSW. Texas knows the same tier by its own title, so apply for the Texas license that authorizes independent clinical practice rather than one whose initials happen to match.
What changes, District of Columbia → Texas
| District of Columbia (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $230 ($230 combined application and license fee per the Board's endorsement checklist; + $50 criminal background check paid online. Social work licenses expire July 31 of odd years.) | $120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.) |
| Processing time | DC Health publishes no processing time for social work endorsement applications. | 4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.) |
| Licensing authority | DC Board of Social Work (DC Health) | Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination no more than six months before applying.
- Submit a certified National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report.
- Complete the fingerprint-based criminal background check (instructions emailed after you submit).
- Have every jurisdiction where you hold or held a social work license complete the Verification of Licensure form.
- Have your school email an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or doctorate.
- Provide proof of U.S. citizenship or eligibility (e.g. REAL ID-compliant license, birth certificate, passport).
- Pay the fees ($120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.)) and allow 4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas accept a District of Columbia social work license?
A social work license transfers from District of Columbia to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC), verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from District of Columbia to Texas?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the District of Columbia-to-Texas move cost and how long does it take?
$120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.) Processing: 4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.)
Will Texas accept the supervised hours I completed in District of Columbia?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Texas's rule, where the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) 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.
- BHEC — Requirements for holders of a non-Texas LCSW ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- BHEC — How to become an LCSW ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- BHEC — Consolidated Rulebook for Social Work (March 2026), 22 TAC 885.1 fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- BHEC — Current Application Processing Timelines ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact map ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- DC Health — Social Work Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- DC Board of Social Work — LGSW, LISW and LICSW New License Application Endorsement Checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- DC Municipal Regulations Chapter 17-70 (Social Work) — section list incl. 7007 License by Endorsement ↗ (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]