Social Work License from Florida to Wisconsin: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Wisconsin accept a Florida social work license?
A social work license transfers from Florida to Wisconsin by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS), verify your Florida license, and meet Wisconsin's endorsement requirements. For reciprocity, DSPS compares your state's licensing standards with Wisconsin's; your ASWB score is accepted if ASWB sends it directly and it is for the same level you are applying for (Clinical). All applicants must ALSO pass the open-book Wisconsin Statutes and Rules exam, unless they took it within the last five years.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Only Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) by endorsement, with your Florida license verified and your ASWB score transferred.
What's different between Florida and Wisconsin
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Wisconsin. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Florida to Wisconsin (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Wisconsin to Florida (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Florida matter?
Coming from Florida matters here: only 18 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Wisconsin.
The others get: compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement (32).
- SW Compact membership
Wisconsin has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact; Florida has not.
- Application fee
Florida lists $180 for the reverse move; Wisconsin has no verified fee figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Processing time
Florida lists up to 6 weeks for the reverse move; Wisconsin has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Wisconsin and Florida carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Wisconsin (this move): For reciprocity, DSPS compares your state's licensing standards with Wisconsin's; your ASWB score is accepted if ASWB sends it directly and it is for the same level you are applying for (Clinical). All applicants must ALSO pass the open-book Wisconsin Statutes and Rules exam, unless they took it within the last five years.
- Florida (the reverse move): The national clinical exam is not retaken; have your ASWB Clinical exam score (or another state board's official score report) sent directly to the Board. Florida has no state law exam, but requires an 8-hour Florida Laws and Rules course from a board-approved provider plus 3-hour HIV/AIDS and 2-hour domestic violence courses.
What changes, Florida → Wisconsin
| Florida (current) | Wisconsin (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.) | DSPS says only 'pay appropriate fee(s) online via LicensE' and publishes renewal fees ($62 for the LCSW, per the RDAF chart rev. 08/07/2025), not the initial or reciprocal application fee. Not verified, so left null |
| Processing time | up to 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.) | DSPS publishes no processing time for LCSW reciprocity. A temporary license while an application is pending is possible for credentialed out-of-state health providers (information sheet 2021-A101) |
| Licensing authority | Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling | Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Wisconsin sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Wisconsin's current requirements on the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Apply online in LicensE for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential and pay the fee.
- Pass the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules (open-book) exam, unless taken within the last five years.
- Have every state or territory where you are or were credentialed (active or inactive) send verification.
- Submit Form 2252 (convictions and pending charges) if applicable.
- Keep your out-of-state license active until DSPS finishes its equivalency comparison.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. Wisconsin has enacted it and Florida has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) is the route.
Will Wisconsin 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. Wisconsin's rule, where the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) 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.
- Wisconsin DSPS — #2681 Credentialing Information for Licensed Clinical Social Worker Applicants (rev. 4/2022), incl. Reciprocal Applicants ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Social Worker, Licensed Clinical profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Reciprocity/Endorsement Not Available list ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Renewal Dates and Fees (RDAF, rev. 08/07/2025) ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com