Skip to content
LicenseReciprocity

Social Work License from Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Kansas 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..

Verify this exact pair in the checker

Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The compact question does not arise here. Kansas has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact and Michigan has not, but nothing is being issued in either, so the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing)'s endorsement process below is the whole route.

What changes, Kansas → Michigan

Side-by-side: Kansas vs Michigan (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Kansas (current)Michigan (destination)
SW Compact statusSW Compact enacted — not yet issuingLicensure by endorsement
Application fee$50 (LSCSW application fee under K.A.R. 102-2-3(a)(3); + $150 original LSCSW license fee (102-2-3(c)(3)); optional $100 expedited-application fee (102-2-3(b)). A temporary permit for out-of-state independent clinical social workers practising up to 30 days a year costs $200.)$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 timeNot verified. The BSRB website (ksbsrb.ks.gov) blocked automated access (HTTP 403) on 2026-09-27. BSRB testimony on HB 2340 (2023) says the bill required the Board to process applications within a set time; the figure was not confirmed.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 authorityKansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB)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 → KansasSocial Work in KansasSocial Work in MichiganAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Michigan accept a Kansas social work license?

A social work license transfers from Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Kansas-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.

Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?

No. Kansas has enacted it and Michigan has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) is the route.

Will Michigan accept the supervised hours I completed in Kansas?

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]