Social Work License from Florida to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) ↗
A social work license transfers from Florida to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your Florida license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: have ASWB send your passing score to the Board. The Board's out-of-state requirements accept the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam for the LISW (AP or CP). The LISW-CP requirements sheet names the Clinical exam for the CP tier. No South Carolina jurisprudence exam was found..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs entirely through the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation). Your Florida license is verified, your ASWB score is sent rather than retaken, and South Carolina's own checks follow; the Social Work Licensure Compact plays no part because neither state has enacted it.
What changes, Florida → South Carolina
| Florida (current) | South Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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 $80 is refunded if the application is denied or withdrawn.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.) | $45 (Initial application fee per the Board's fee page and its Out-of-State LISW requirements sheet (both viewed as Internet Archive copies; llr.sc.gov refused automated connections on 2026-09-27).) |
| 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. The Board holds regular meetings four times a year (S.C. Code 40-63-50), and files with 'yes' answers are reviewed case by case. |
| Licensing authority | Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling | South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply and pay the $45 non-refundable application fee.
- Send the Board's 'Verification of Social Work License' form to every state where you are or were licensed.
- Have your school send an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or doctorate.
- Have ASWB send your passing exam score to the Board.
- For the LISW-CP, show 45 academic contact hours each in psychopathology and psychodiagnostics.
- Explain any 'yes' answer (discipline, complaint, conviction) with documents; the Board may require an appearance.
- Pay the fees ($45 (Initial application fee per the Board's fee page and its Out-of-State LISW requirements sheet (both viewed as Internet Archive copies; llr.sc.gov refused automated connections on 2026-09-27).)) and allow No processing time is published. The Board holds regular meetings four times a year (S.C. Code 40-63-50), and files with 'yes' answers are reviewed case by case..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does South Carolina accept a Florida social work license?
A social work license transfers from Florida to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your Florida license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: have ASWB send your passing score to the Board. The Board's out-of-state requirements accept the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam for the LISW (AP or CP). The LISW-CP requirements sheet names the Clinical exam for the CP tier. No South Carolina jurisprudence exam was found..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Florida to South Carolina?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: have ASWB send your passing score to the Board. The Board's out-of-state requirements accept the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam for the LISW (AP or CP). The LISW-CP requirements sheet names the Clinical exam for the CP tier. No South Carolina jurisprudence exam was found. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Florida-to-South Carolina move cost and how long does it take?
$45 (Initial application fee per the Board's fee page and its Out-of-State LISW requirements sheet (both viewed as Internet Archive copies; llr.sc.gov refused automated connections on 2026-09-27).) Processing: No processing time is published. The Board holds regular meetings four times a year (S.C. Code 40-63-50), and files with 'yes' answers are reviewed case by case.
Will South Carolina 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. South Carolina's rule, where the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) 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.
- SC Board of Social Work Examiners — Requirements for Independent Level Licensure, Out of State Applicants (Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SC Board of Social Work Examiners — Requirements for LISW-CP (Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SC Board of Social Work Examiners — Licensure Fees (Internet Archive copy of 2025-12-01) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 63 (incl. 40-63-260 applicants licensed in another jurisdiction; Social Work Interstate Compact, Article 3) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions (SC not listed) ↗ (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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