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LicenseReciprocity

Transfer Your Social Work License to Kansas: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) ↗

Yes, by endorsement. The Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) issues Kansas's clinical-level social work license to social workers already licensed at the clinical level elsewhere, verifying your license and accepting your ASWB score rather than retesting you. 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.). Processing: Not 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.. Kansas is a Social Work Licensure Compact state on paper only: nothing was being issued as of 2026-09-27, and endorsement through the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) is the route in.

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Verdict

SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing

Being a compact state has not changed how Kansas licenses incoming social workers. The Social Work Licensure Compact is law here but was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) handles every out-of-state applicant through the steps below. If you expect to work across state lines later, a Kansas license will be a sensible base once the compact is running; the commission's stated target for its data system is Spring 2027.

Kansas's clinical-level license is the LSCSW (Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker); the LBSW and LMSW sit below it. Kansas has no reciprocity agreement with any particular state; reciprocity is credential-based. The reciprocity regulation K.A.R. 102-2-2b still cites 'paragraph (b)(2) of K.S.A. 65-6309', but the current 65-6309 (amended 2023, L. 2023 ch. 90) now covers only exam exemption and temporary licenses. BSRB testimony says HB 2340 (2023) cut the reciprocity practice period across BSRB professions from 48 of the last 54 months to 12 months. The current statutory home of the clinical social work reciprocity conditions could not be pinned down, so confirm the years-of-licensure test with the Board. The BSRB site blocked automated access on 2026-09-27, so its FAQ and application forms could not be read. Kansas has ENACTED the Social Work Licensure Compact (the seventh state, which activated it on 2024-04-12), but the compact is not issuing multistate licenses yet.

Kansas requirements at a glance

Out-of-state social work license transfer requirements for Kansas, verified 2026-09-27
ExamThe ASWB exam is not retaken: Kansas exempts applicants who passed an exam similar to the required one (K.S.A. 65-6309(a)); the LSCSW corresponds to the ASWB Clinical exam. An applicant who never passed a national clinical exam must document 10 continuous years of clinical-level licensure instead of 5 (K.A.R. 102-2-2b). No Kansas jurisprudence exam was identified.
Additional requirements
  • Request the LSCSW reciprocity application from the Board and pay the application fee
  • Have your current clinical-level licensing agency complete the Board's verification form, including license dates, renewal and lapse history and any serious discipline
  • Qualify on substantially equivalent standards, or otherwise document 5 continuous years of clinical-level licensure (10 years if you never passed a national clinical exam)
  • Verify your master's or doctoral degree in social work from an accredited program
Fees$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.)
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.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Request the LSCSW reciprocity application from the Board and pay the application fee.
  5. Have your current clinical-level licensing agency complete the Board's verification form, including license dates, renewal and lapse history and any serious discipline.
  6. Qualify on substantially equivalent standards, or otherwise document 5 continuous years of clinical-level licensure (10 years if you never passed a national clinical exam).
  7. Verify your master's or doctoral degree in social work from an accredited program.
  8. Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow Not 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..

Official links

Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Kansas:

Alabama → KansasAlaska → KansasArizona → KansasArkansas → KansasCalifornia → KansasColorado → KansasConnecticut → KansasDelaware → KansasFlorida → KansasGeorgia → KansasIllinois → KansasIowa → KansasKentucky → KansasLouisiana → KansasMaine → KansasMaryland → KansasMichigan → KansasMinnesota → KansasMississippi → KansasMissouri → Kansas
All 39 origin states
Nebraska → KansasNew Hampshire → KansasNew Jersey → KansasNew York → KansasNorth Carolina → KansasNorth Dakota → KansasOhio → KansasOklahoma → KansasPennsylvania → KansasRhode Island → KansasSouth Dakota → KansasTennessee → KansasTexas → KansasUtah → KansasVermont → KansasVirginia → KansasWashington → KansasWest Virginia → KansasWisconsin → Kansas

Nearby states

Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Kansas:

Kansas for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my social work license transfer to Kansas?

Yes, by endorsement. The Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) issues Kansas's clinical-level social work license to social workers already licensed at the clinical level elsewhere, verifying your license and accepting your ASWB score rather than retesting you. 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.). Processing: Not 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.. Kansas is a Social Work Licensure Compact state on paper only: nothing was being issued as of 2026-09-27, and endorsement through the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) is the route in.

Do I have to retake the ASWB exam to get licensed in Kansas?

The ASWB exam is not retaken: Kansas exempts applicants who passed an exam similar to the required one (K.S.A. 65-6309(a)); the LSCSW corresponds to the ASWB Clinical exam. An applicant who never passed a national clinical exam must document 10 continuous years of clinical-level licensure instead of 5 (K.A.R. 102-2-2b). No Kansas jurisprudence exam was identified. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

How much does a Kansas clinical social work license cost for an out-of-state applicant?

$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.)

How long does the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) take?

Not 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.

Is Kansas in the Social Work Licensure Compact?

Kansas has enacted it, but the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. No one can practice in Kansas on a compact license yet; endorsement through the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) is the route.

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]