Social Work License from Florida to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program ↗
A social work license transfers from Florida to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program, verify your Florida license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: the LICSW requires the ASWB Clinical exam, and the score must be sent directly by ASWB or verified by another state where you were credentialed. No Washington jurisprudence exam is listed..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Only Washington has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and since the compact is not issuing multistate licenses anywhere, that difference does not affect this move. You apply to the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program by endorsement, with your Florida license verified and your ASWB score transferred.
In Washington the clinical license is the LICSW. Apply for it under that name, whatever your Florida license is called; boards match by scope, meaning independent diagnosis and treatment, not by initials.
What changes, Florida → Washington
| Florida (current) | Washington (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 $80 is refunded if the application is denied or withdrawn.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.) | $170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.) |
| 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.) | DOH's social worker pages state no processing time. |
| Licensing authority | Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling | Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Have each jurisdiction where you are or were credentialed send the DOH verification form directly to the department.
- Have your school send an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or social work doctorate.
- Have ASWB send your Clinical exam score, or have another state verify it.
- Document supervised experience (3,000 hours over at least 2 years) unless you have been licensed in good standing, with no disqualifying criminal history, for over five years.
- Answer the personal data questions, with records for any professional liability claim.
- Pay the fees ($170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.)) and allow DOH's social worker pages state no processing time..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington accept a Florida social work license?
A social work license transfers from Florida to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program, verify your Florida license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: the LICSW requires the ASWB Clinical exam, and the score must be sent directly by ASWB or verified by another state where you were credentialed. No Washington jurisprudence exam is listed..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Florida to Washington?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: the LICSW requires the ASWB Clinical exam, and the score must be sent directly by ASWB or verified by another state where you were credentialed. No Washington jurisprudence exam is listed. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Florida-to-Washington move cost and how long does it take?
$170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.) Processing: DOH's social worker pages state no processing time.
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. Washington has enacted it and Florida has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program is the route.
Will Washington 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. Washington's rule, where the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program 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.
- Washington DOH — Social Worker Out-of-State Applicants (probationary license, substantial equivalency, universal licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — Social Worker Licensing Requirements (LICSW) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WAC 246-809-990 — Fees ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]