Social Work License from Kentucky to New York: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) ↗
A social work license transfers from Kentucky to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work), verify your Kentucky license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB must send the Clinical exam score directly to NYSED (scores from the candidate or other jurisdictions are not accepted). Endorsement requires that your initial clinical license was based on the ASWB clinical social work exam. No New York jurisprudence exam; New York-approved child-abuse identification and reporting coursework is required of all LCSW applicants..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact question does not arise here. Kentucky has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact and New York has not, but nothing is being issued in either, so the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work)'s endorsement process below is the whole route.
What changes, Kentucky → New York
| Kentucky (current) | New York (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $25 ($25 nonrefundable application fee paid online; after review the Board invoices the LCSW license fee of $200 (201 KAR 23:020 lists LCSW initial and renewal license fees of $200). No fingerprint/background-check fee is described on the Board's licensure page.) | $294 ($294 fee for licensure and first registration (same fee for endorsement and standard applicants). Partial refunds may be available on withdrawal.) |
| Processing time | The Board's licensure page states no processing time. Out-of-state licensees who need to practise sooner can get a non-renewable 90-day temporary permit (201 KAR 23:160). | NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page. |
| Licensing authority | Kentucky Board of Social Work | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New York sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New York's current requirements on the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- File Form 1 (Application for Licensure) with the $294 fee.
- Show at least 10 years of licensed clinical social work practice in the 15 years before applying (Forms 4E and 4F) to qualify for endorsement.
- Have your school verify your MSW with clinical content on Form 2.
- Have each jurisdiction where you are licensed verify your initial basis of licensure and good standing on Form 3.
- Have ASWB send your Clinical exam score directly to NYSED.
- Complete New York State-approved training in identifying and reporting child abuse.
- Pay the fees ($294 ($294 fee for licensure and first registration (same fee for endorsement and standard applicants). Partial refunds may be available on withdrawal.)) and allow NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New York accept a Kentucky social work license?
A social work license transfers from Kentucky to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work), verify your Kentucky license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB must send the Clinical exam score directly to NYSED (scores from the candidate or other jurisdictions are not accepted). Endorsement requires that your initial clinical license was based on the ASWB clinical social work exam. No New York jurisprudence exam; New York-approved child-abuse identification and reporting coursework is required of all LCSW applicants..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Kentucky to New York?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB must send the Clinical exam score directly to NYSED (scores from the candidate or other jurisdictions are not accepted). Endorsement requires that your initial clinical license was based on the ASWB clinical social work exam. No New York jurisprudence exam; New York-approved child-abuse identification and reporting coursework is required of all LCSW applicants. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Kentucky-to-New York move cost and how long does it take?
$294 ($294 fee for licensure and first registration (same fee for endorsement and standard applicants). Partial refunds may be available on withdrawal.) Processing: NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page.
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. Kentucky has enacted it and New York has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) is the route.
Will New York accept the supervised hours I completed in Kentucky?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. New York's rule, where the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) 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.
- NYSED Office of the Professions — LCSW License Requirements (incl. Applicants Licensed in Another State) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Licensed Clinical Social Worker profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Kentucky Board of Social Work — Licensure page, 'Out of State Licenses' section (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-06-15; bsw.ky.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 201 KAR 23:020 Fees (LII reproduction of the Kentucky Administrative Regulations; apps.legislature.ky.gov did not respond) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 201 KAR 23:060 LSW, CSW and LCSW license categories (LII reproduction of the Kentucky Administrative Regulations) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Kentucky Administrative Regulations Chapter 23 index incl. 201 KAR 23:012 Social Work Licensure Compact (LII reproduction) ↗ (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]