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LicenseReciprocity

Social Work License from Indiana to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗

A social work license transfers from Indiana to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Indiana license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send official score reports directly to LARA. For the master's social work license (LMSW) Michigan accepts the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, and the exam passed goes with the designation you apply for. No Michigan jurisprudence exam is listed; one-time human-trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training are required instead..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

This move runs entirely through the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing). Your Indiana license is verified, your ASWB score is sent rather than retaken, and Michigan's own checks follow; the Social Work Licensure Compact plays no part because neither state has enacted it.

What changes, Indiana → Michigan

Side-by-side: Indiana vs Michigan (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Indiana (current)Michigan (destination)
SW Compact statusLicensure by endorsementLicensure by endorsement
Application fee$50 ($50 nonrefundable application/issuance fee for a clinical social worker license (839 IAC 1-2-5(b), readopted 2024; the Board's July 2026 LCSW reciprocity checklist also lists $50). Fingerprint background-check vendor fees are extra and not stated by the Board. Renewal is $50 every two years; licenses expire April 1 of even years.)$99 (Application fee plus 3-year license fee for a Master's Social Work License by Exam or Endorsement: $99.00 (Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024). Adding a second designation (specialty) is $16.50. Fingerprint/background-check vendor fee not stated in the guide.)
Processing timeNo processing time is published for LCSW reciprocity. The Board says only that it takes 7-10 business days to process exam results once received. Applications are abandoned if not completed within one year.No processing time is published. All requirements must be completed within 2 years of LARA's receipt of the application (MCL 333.16307(3)), or the application is void.
Licensing authorityIndiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board (Professional Licensing Agency)Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Apply online through MiPLUS for the Master's Social Work License by endorsement.
  5. If licensed under 10 years, have supervisors verify 4,000 hours of post-degree supervised work experience (licensed over 10 years: presumed to meet MCL 333.16186).
  6. Have every licensing agency where you hold or held a license send verification showing no pending discipline.
  7. Complete the criminal background check using the instructions emailed after you apply.
  8. Complete one-time human-trafficking identification training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training within the prior 5 years.
  9. Pay the fees ($99 (Application fee plus 3-year license fee for a Master's Social Work License by Exam or Endorsement: $99.00 (Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024). Adding a second designation (specialty) is $16.50. Fingerprint/background-check vendor fee not stated in the guide.)) and allow No processing time is published. All requirements must be completed within 2 years of LARA's receipt of the application (MCL 333.16307(3)), or the application is void..

Official links

Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗Michigan application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Michigan → IndianaSocial Work in IndianaSocial Work in MichiganAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Michigan accept an Indiana social work license?

A social work license transfers from Indiana to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Indiana license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send official score reports directly to LARA. For the master's social work license (LMSW) Michigan accepts the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, and the exam passed goes with the designation you apply for. No Michigan jurisprudence exam is listed; one-time human-trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training are required instead..

Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Indiana to Michigan?

The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send official score reports directly to LARA. For the master's social work license (LMSW) Michigan accepts the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, and the exam passed goes with the designation you apply for. No Michigan jurisprudence exam is listed; one-time human-trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training are required instead. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the Indiana-to-Michigan move cost and how long does it take?

$99 (Application fee plus 3-year license fee for a Master's Social Work License by Exam or Endorsement: $99.00 (Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024). Adding a second designation (specialty) is $16.50. Fingerprint/background-check vendor fee not stated in the guide.) Processing: No processing time is published. All requirements must be completed within 2 years of LARA's receipt of the application (MCL 333.16307(3)), or the application is void.

Will Michigan accept the supervised hours I completed in Indiana?

Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Michigan's rule, where the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) 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.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]