Social Work License from Georgia to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE) ↗
Both Georgia and Louisiana have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact enacted — endorsement for now
Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.
Georgia and Louisiana have both enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27. Shared enactment changes nothing about this move today: you apply to the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Georgia → Louisiana
| Georgia (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $100 (The Board's fee schedule (04/18/2023) lists a $100 application fee for CSW applications, plus a $10 processing fee on mail-in applications. The Board no longer accepts paper applications, and GOALS shows the current fee schedule. The schedule's separate $350 licensure-by-endorsement fee is marked 'NOT APPLICABLE TO SOCIAL WORKERS'.) | $103 (LCSW application fee shown at online payment as $103 (the $100 LCSW application fee in LAC 46:XXV.313 plus the $3 e-commerce fee). Fingerprinting is paid separately to IdentoGO (amount on the vendor's schedule, not stated by the Board). LCSW renewal fee is $100 per LAC 46:XXV.313 as amended October 2025.) |
| Processing time | ~4 weeks (The Board says applications are generally processed within 20 business days of receipt (about 4 weeks). The count restarts after a deficiency letter. Complete applications then go to the next Board meeting and must arrive at least 15 days before it.) | ~2 weeks (The Board says applications are processed within 10-15 business days of receipt and milestones take about 2 weeks to update; the Board then reviews complete files at its meetings (all requirements, including background-check results, are due 7 days before a meeting) and posts its decision 7-10 business days after the meeting. No overall end-to-end time is published. Applicants with complete endorsement files are eligible for a 90-day temporary practice permit issued within 21 calendar days (per the October 2025 LAC 46:XXV rule amendments).) |
| Licensing authority | Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists | Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply online via endorsement for the credential equivalent to the one you hold (the LCSW for a clinical-level license).
- Have each licensing board send LABSWE a verification of your credential; LCSW endorsements also need verification of supervision hours and your supervisor's license.
- Submit the licensing law from each state showing the qualifications you met for that credential.
- Complete the LSP/FBI fingerprint background check through IdentoGO (service code 27N463) after submitting the online application.
- Pass the Board's open-book exam on the Louisiana Social Work Practice Act and rules.
- Have an official transcript showing your social work degree sent directly to the Board.
- Pay the fees ($103 (LCSW application fee shown at online payment as $103 (the $100 LCSW application fee in LAC 46:XXV.313 plus the $3 e-commerce fee). Fingerprinting is paid separately to IdentoGO (amount on the vendor's schedule, not stated by the Board). LCSW renewal fee is $100 per LAC 46:XXV.313 as amended October 2025.)) and allow ~2 weeks (The Board says applications are processed within 10-15 business days of receipt and milestones take about 2 weeks to update; the Board then reviews complete files at its meetings (all requirements, including background-check results, are due 7 days before a meeting) and posts its decision 7-10 business days after the meeting. No overall end-to-end time is published. Applicants with complete endorsement files are eligible for a 90-day temporary practice permit issued within 21 calendar days (per the October 2025 LAC 46:XXV rule amendments).).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana accept a Georgia social work license?
Both Georgia and Louisiana have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Georgia to Louisiana?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; if an ASWB exam was passed for the current credential, have ASWB send LABSWE an official score transfer report. The Louisiana LCSW is issued on the ASWB Clinical exam, and endorsement requires substantially equivalent examination requirements. Endorsement applicants must ALSO pass LABSWE's open-book exam on the Louisiana Social Work Practice Act and rules (50 items, 70% to pass, 3-hour limit, retakes allowed). ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Georgia-to-Louisiana move cost and how long does it take?
$103 (LCSW application fee shown at online payment as $103 (the $100 LCSW application fee in LAC 46:XXV.313 plus the $3 e-commerce fee). Fingerprinting is paid separately to IdentoGO (amount on the vendor's schedule, not stated by the Board). LCSW renewal fee is $100 per LAC 46:XXV.313 as amended October 2025.) Processing: ~2 weeks (The Board says applications are processed within 10-15 business days of receipt and milestones take about 2 weeks to update; the Board then reviews complete files at its meetings (all requirements, including background-check results, are due 7 days before a meeting) and posts its decision 7-10 business days after the meeting. No overall end-to-end time is published. Applicants with complete endorsement files are eligible for a 90-day temporary practice permit issued within 21 calendar days (per the October 2025 LAC 46:XXV rule amendments).)
Georgia and Louisiana are both compact states. Can I practice in Louisiana on my Georgia license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Louisiana. You need a Louisiana license from the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE).
Will Louisiana accept the supervised hours I completed in Georgia?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Louisiana's rule, where the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE) 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.
- LABSWE — Application Information (license types, endorsement applications, open-book exam, background check) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- LABSWE — How to complete the online application (application fees, processing) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- LABSWE — Endorsement Applications instructions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana Register Vol. 51 No. 10 (2025-10-20) — LAC 46:XXV rule changes incl. §313 Fees and §319 Reciprocity and Endorsement (posted by LABSWE) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia Secretary of State — How to Guide: Clinical Social Worker ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia Composite Board — Fee Schedule (04/18/2023) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 135-5-.04 — Clinical Social Workers (official rule text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 135-3-.04 — Licensure by Endorsement (PC and MFT only) (official rule text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia Composite Board — Clinical Social Worker Form N (verification of licensure) ↗ (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]