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LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) ↗

A social work license transfers from Florida to Iowa by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure), verify your Florida license, and meet Iowa's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken. The independent (LISW) level requires the ASWB Clinical exam (481 IAC 880.3(3)); have ASWB send your passing score. Iowa has no separate jurisprudence exam. Applicants using licensure by verification under Iowa Code 272C.12 instead attest that their license meets that statute's requirements..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The compact question does not arise here. Iowa has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact and Florida has not, but nothing is being issued in either, so the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure)'s endorsement process below is the whole route.

What changes, Florida → Iowa

Side-by-side: Florida vs Iowa (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Florida (current)Iowa (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 $80 is refunded if the application is denied or withdrawn.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.)$120–$123 (Social work license fee under 481 IAC 507.19(1): $120, non-refundable. DIAL's social work page lists the application as a '$123 fee'; the $3 difference is unexplained on the page and may be a processing charge. Fingerprint and background check costs are extra.)
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.)No processing time is published on DIAL's social work licensure page.
Licensing authorityFlorida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health CounselingIowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure)

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Iowa's current requirements on the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a license in another jurisdiction with a substantially similar scope of practice, and apply by licensure by verification (481 IAC 501.1, Iowa Code 272C.12) or by standard application with license verification.
  5. Submit fingerprint cards and waivers for a national DCI and FBI criminal history check, at your cost.
  6. Have your most recent licensing jurisdiction send license verification (web verification accepted if it shows initial date, status and discipline).
  7. Disclose any public or pending complaints in any jurisdiction.
  8. Verification route: submit a written statement of your scope of practice and copies of the other state's scope-of-practice laws.
  9. Pay the fees ($120–$123 (Social work license fee under 481 IAC 507.19(1): $120, non-refundable. DIAL's social work page lists the application as a '$123 fee'; the $3 difference is unexplained on the page and may be a processing charge. Fingerprint and background check costs are extra.)) and allow No processing time is published on DIAL's social work licensure page..

Official links

Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) ↗Iowa application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Iowa → FloridaSocial Work in FloridaSocial Work in IowaAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Iowa accept a Florida social work license?

A social work license transfers from Florida to Iowa by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure), verify your Florida license, and meet Iowa's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken. The independent (LISW) level requires the ASWB Clinical exam (481 IAC 880.3(3)); have ASWB send your passing score. Iowa has no separate jurisprudence exam. Applicants using licensure by verification under Iowa Code 272C.12 instead attest that their license meets that statute's requirements..

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

The ASWB exam is not retaken. The independent (LISW) level requires the ASWB Clinical exam (481 IAC 880.3(3)); have ASWB send your passing score. Iowa has no separate jurisprudence exam. Applicants using licensure by verification under Iowa Code 272C.12 instead attest that their license meets that statute's requirements. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

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

$120–$123 (Social work license fee under 481 IAC 507.19(1): $120, non-refundable. DIAL's social work page lists the application as a '$123 fee'; the $3 difference is unexplained on the page and may be a processing charge. Fingerprint and background check costs are extra.) Processing: No processing time is published on DIAL's social work licensure page.

Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?

No. Iowa has enacted it and Florida has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) is the route.

Will Iowa 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. Iowa's rule, where the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) 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]