Transfer Your Social Work License to Kentucky: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Kentucky Board of Social Work ↗
Kentucky does not transfer your license as-is, but you do not start over: the Kentucky Board of Social Work grants its clinical-level social work license by endorsement, crediting your existing ASWB pass. 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.). Processing: 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).. Kentucky has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so the compact does not change this application.
Moving to Kentucky from a specific state?
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Verdict
SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Kentucky's legislature has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and you may see Kentucky described as a compact state. In practice that means nothing yet. No multistate license has been issued anywhere, there is no application to file, and a license from another compact state gives you no right to practice in Kentucky. Plan on the endorsement file below; the compact becomes relevant only once the commission launches, and its stated target for the data system that launch depends on is Spring 2027.
Kentucky's clinical-level license is the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker); the lower tiers are the LSW (bachelor's) and CSW (Certified Social Worker, master's). The Board states plainly that 'Kentucky does not have reciprocity with any other states at this time', so an out-of-state clinical social worker applies through the standard LCSW application, but the Board credits the existing ASWB score, degree, out-of-state licensure and documented clinical experience rather than requiring the exam or supervision to be repeated; that is recorded here as endorsement_available true. The ASWB Advanced Generalist exam is not accepted. Kentucky has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact (the Board adopted the Compact's rules in 201 KAR 23:012), but the compact is not yet issuing multistate licenses, so the state application is the only route in. The live Board site blocked automated fetches on 2026-09-27; the requirements above come from a June 2026 archived copy of the Board's own page.
Kentucky requirements at a glance
| Exam | The ASWB exam is not retaken; ask ASWB to send an 'Official Transfer Score Report' directly to the Board. Kentucky accepts the ASWB Bachelors, Masters and Clinical categories and does NOT accept the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam. The Board's licensure page names no separate Kentucky jurisprudence exam. |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $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.) |
| 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). |
Step by step
- Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Board of Social Work website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kentucky Board of Social Work (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply online for the LCSW (Kentucky has no reciprocity with any state, so out-of-state licensees use the standard application).
- Have ASWB send an Official Transfer Score Report directly to the Board.
- Have your university send the official transcript conferring your social work degree directly to the Board.
- Have every state board where you hold a license send official license verification directly to the Board.
- Document two years plus 150 hours of supervision by an approved LCSW, or show clinical-level licensure elsewhere and/or five years of active clinical practice.
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 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)..
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Kentucky:
All 39 origin states
Nearby states
Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Kentucky:
Kentucky for other professions
- Nursing in Kentucky
- Cosmetology / Barber in Kentucky
- Real Estate in Kentucky
- Contractor in Kentucky
- Teaching in Kentucky
- CPA / Accounting in Kentucky
- Electrician in Kentucky
- Plumber in Kentucky
- Engineering in Kentucky
- Pharmacy in Kentucky
- Physical Therapy in Kentucky
- Psychology in Kentucky
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Frequently asked questions
Does my social work license transfer to Kentucky?
Kentucky does not transfer your license as-is, but you do not start over: the Kentucky Board of Social Work grants its clinical-level social work license by endorsement, crediting your existing ASWB pass. 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.). Processing: 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).. Kentucky has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so the compact does not change this application.
Do I have to retake the ASWB exam to get licensed in Kentucky?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; ask ASWB to send an 'Official Transfer Score Report' directly to the Board. Kentucky accepts the ASWB Bachelors, Masters and Clinical categories and does NOT accept the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam. The Board's licensure page names no separate Kentucky jurisprudence exam. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
How much does a Kentucky clinical social work license cost for an out-of-state applicant?
$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.)
How long does the Kentucky Board of Social Work take?
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).
Is Kentucky in the Social Work Licensure Compact?
Kentucky has enacted it, but the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. No one can practice in Kentucky on a compact license yet; endorsement through the Kentucky Board of Social Work is the route.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (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]