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LicenseReciprocity

Social Work License from Florida to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners ↗

A social work license transfers from Florida to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners, verify your Florida license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; order your score from ASWB (ASWB Score Transfer) and have it sent directly to the Board. Alabama's reciprocity instructions require that you passed the ASWB exam for the level requested (the Clinical exam for the LICSW); an applicant who never passed an ASWB exam cannot qualify by reciprocity. No Alabama jurisprudence exam is named in the reciprocity rule or instructions..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The compact question does not arise here. Alabama has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact and Florida has not, but nothing is being issued in either, so the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners's endorsement process below is the whole route.

What changes, Florida → Alabama

Side-by-side: Florida vs Alabama (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Florida (current)Alabama (destination)
SW Compact statusLicensure by endorsementSW Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Application fee$180 ($180 total: $100 non-refundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee. $80 is refunded if the application is denied or withdrawn. Livescan fingerprint fees are paid to the vendor. Florida may reduce fees for military members, veterans and their spouses.)$75 (Reciprocity application fee under Ala. Admin. Code 850-X-5-.02 (amended effective 2024-01-14); + $3.50 Alabama Interactive convenience fee when applying online. Fees are non-refundable. Private independent practice certification is a separate $75 application.)
Processing time~6 weeks (The Board says to allow up to 30 business days for the initial review of new applications (about 6 weeks). Under Fla. Stat. 456.0145 the Board must issue the license within 7 days once all documentation, including background screening, is received.)The Board publishes no processing time for reciprocity applications. Its FAQ says a license and letter are typically mailed 10-14 days after a passing exam grade is received, but that describes exam candidates, not reciprocity files.
Licensing authorityFlorida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health CounselingAlabama State Board of Social Work Examiners

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alabama sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold an active, good-standing clinical-level license in a state whose licensure standards the Board finds equivalent to Alabama's (Ala. Admin. Code 850-X-4-.02).
  5. Have each licensing board send the Verification of Licensure form, including exam proof, supervision verification and any disciplinary record.
  6. Have your CSWE-accredited school send an official transcript directly to the Board.
  7. Submit proof of your clinical supervision on your supervisor's forms (LICSW applicants only).
  8. Request an ASWB score transfer to the Board.
  9. Pay the fees ($75 (Reciprocity application fee under Ala. Admin. Code 850-X-5-.02 (amended effective 2024-01-14); + $3.50 Alabama Interactive convenience fee when applying online. Fees are non-refundable. Private independent practice certification is a separate $75 application.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing time for reciprocity applications. Its FAQ says a license and letter are typically mailed 10-14 days after a passing exam grade is received, but that describes exam candidates, not reciprocity files..

Official links

Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners ↗Alabama application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Alabama → FloridaSocial Work in FloridaSocial Work in AlabamaAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Alabama accept a Florida social work license?

A social work license transfers from Florida to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners, verify your Florida license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; order your score from ASWB (ASWB Score Transfer) and have it sent directly to the Board. Alabama's reciprocity instructions require that you passed the ASWB exam for the level requested (the Clinical exam for the LICSW); an applicant who never passed an ASWB exam cannot qualify by reciprocity. No Alabama jurisprudence exam is named in the reciprocity rule or instructions..

Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Florida to Alabama?

The ASWB exam is not retaken; order your score from ASWB (ASWB Score Transfer) and have it sent directly to the Board. Alabama's reciprocity instructions require that you passed the ASWB exam for the level requested (the Clinical exam for the LICSW); an applicant who never passed an ASWB exam cannot qualify by reciprocity. No Alabama jurisprudence exam is named in the reciprocity rule or instructions. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the Florida-to-Alabama move cost and how long does it take?

$75 (Reciprocity application fee under Ala. Admin. Code 850-X-5-.02 (amended effective 2024-01-14); + $3.50 Alabama Interactive convenience fee when applying online. Fees are non-refundable. Private independent practice certification is a separate $75 application.) Processing: The Board publishes no processing time for reciprocity applications. Its FAQ says a license and letter are typically mailed 10-14 days after a passing exam grade is received, but that describes exam candidates, not reciprocity files.

Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?

No. Alabama has enacted it and Florida has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners is the route.

Will Alabama accept the supervised hours I completed in Florida?

Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Alabama's rule, where the Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners 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.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]