Social Work License from Florida to Rhode Island: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) ↗
A social work license transfers from Florida to Rhode Island by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health), verify your Florida license, and meet Rhode Island's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken. For the LICSW, the ASWB score (the application names the Clinical exam) must come directly from ASWB or on the verification from your original licensing state. There is no separate Rhode Island law or ethics exam in the application instructions..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact question does not arise here. Rhode Island has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact and Florida has not, but nothing is being issued in either, so the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health)'s endorsement process below is the whole route.
What changes, Florida → Rhode Island
| Florida (current) | Rhode Island (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | SW 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 $80 is refunded if the application is denied or withdrawn.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.) | $70 (Application fee per the Board's LCSW/LICSW application (rev. 12/19/2025). A framed license certificate is an optional $30. The application lists no background-check fee.) |
| 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.) | RIDOH states no processing time and says it will not speed up any one applicant at others' expense. Applications stay valid for one year from receipt. |
| Licensing authority | Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling | Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Rhode Island sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Rhode Island's current requirements on the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Mail the paper application with the $70 non-refundable fee payable to the RI General Treasurer.
- Have each state where you hold or held a license send a verification directly (Interstate Verification Form), including your ASWB score.
- Have the school of social work send an official MSW or doctoral transcript directly to the Board.
- Submit the Supervised Practice Form, unless your endorsing state's verification confirms the supervised-practice prerequisite.
- Submit a valid photo ID and a certified birth record or naturalization or immigration papers.
- Pay the fees ($70 (Application fee per the Board's LCSW/LICSW application (rev. 12/19/2025). A framed license certificate is an optional $30. The application lists no background-check fee.)) and allow RIDOH states no processing time and says it will not speed up any one applicant at others' expense. Applications stay valid for one year from receipt..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Rhode Island accept a Florida social work license?
A social work license transfers from Florida to Rhode Island by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health), verify your Florida license, and meet Rhode Island's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken. For the LICSW, the ASWB score (the application names the Clinical exam) must come directly from ASWB or on the verification from your original licensing state. There is no separate Rhode Island law or ethics exam in the application instructions..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Florida to Rhode Island?
The ASWB exam is not retaken. For the LICSW, the ASWB score (the application names the Clinical exam) must come directly from ASWB or on the verification from your original licensing state. There is no separate Rhode Island law or ethics exam in the application instructions. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Florida-to-Rhode Island move cost and how long does it take?
$70 (Application fee per the Board's LCSW/LICSW application (rev. 12/19/2025). A framed license certificate is an optional $30. The application lists no background-check fee.) Processing: RIDOH states no processing time and says it will not speed up any one applicant at others' expense. Applications stay valid for one year from receipt.
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. Rhode Island has enacted it and Florida has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) is the route.
Will Rhode Island 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. Rhode Island's rule, where the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) 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.
- RIDOH — Instructions and Application for License as LCSW / LICSW, rev. 12/19/2025 (Internet Archive copy of 2026-06-08; health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- RIDOH — Social Work licensing page (Internet Archive copy of 2026-06-10; June 2025 statute change, verification link) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Florida Board of CSW, MFT and MHC — Licensed Clinical Social Worker (endorsement requirements, fees, processing) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Florida Board of CSW, MFT and MHC — Application for Licensure by Endorsement (DH-MQA 5048, rev. 2/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Florida Statutes 491.006 — Licensure or certification by endorsement (Florida Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Florida Statutes 456.0145 — MOBILE Act licensure by endorsement (Florida Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Florida Department of Health — Background Screening ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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