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LicenseReciprocity

Social Work License from Louisiana to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners ↗

Both Louisiana and Arizona have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.

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Verdict

Compact enacted — endorsement for now

Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.

Louisiana and Arizona have both enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27. Shared enactment changes nothing about this move today: you apply to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.

What changes, Louisiana → Arizona

Side-by-side: Louisiana vs Arizona (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Louisiana (current)Arizona (destination)
SW Compact statusSW Compact enacted — not yet issuingSW Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Application fee$103 (LCSW application fee shown at online payment as $103 (the $100 LCSW application fee in LAC 46:XXV.313 plus the $3 e-commerce fee). Fingerprinting is paid separately to IdentoGO (amount on the vendor's schedule, not stated by the Board). LCSW renewal fee is $100 per LAC 46:XXV.313 as amended October 2025.)$250 (Application for license by endorsement fee under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215(A)(2); non-refundable. The rule also lists a $40 criminal history background check charge. The Board site (azbbhe.us) blocked automated access on 2026-09-27, so the fee could not be re-checked there. A $100 issuance fee appears as struck in the codified rule text read.)
Processing time~2 weeks (The Board says applications are processed within 10-15 business days of receipt and milestones take about 2 weeks to update; the Board then reviews complete files at its meetings (all requirements, including background-check results, are due 7 days before a meeting) and posts its decision 7-10 business days after the meeting. No overall end-to-end time is published. Applicants with complete endorsement files are eligible for a 90-day temporary practice permit issued within 21 calendar days (per the October 2025 LAC 46:XXV rule amendments).)R4-6-302 sets administrative completeness and substantive review time frames in a Table 1 that was not readable in the source consulted, and the Board's own site blocked automated access. Deficiency responses are due within 60 days.
Licensing authorityLouisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE)Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a current, good-standing clinical-level license in another state that the Board finds substantially equivalent, held for at least one year (A.R.S. 32-3274).
  5. Hold a master's or higher degree in social work from a regionally accredited college or university, shown by official transcript.
  6. Have every state that licensed you send verification of the license and any discipline.
  7. Complete the Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial and submit proof of completion.
  8. Meet the general licensure requirements of A.R.S. 32-3275, including age 21+ and no unresolved discipline.
  9. Pay the fees ($250 (Application for license by endorsement fee under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215(A)(2); non-refundable. The rule also lists a $40 criminal history background check charge. The Board site (azbbhe.us) blocked automated access on 2026-09-27, so the fee could not be re-checked there. A $100 issuance fee appears as struck in the codified rule text read.)) and allow R4-6-302 sets administrative completeness and substantive review time frames in a Table 1 that was not readable in the source consulted, and the Board's own site blocked automated access. Deficiency responses are due within 60 days..

Official links

Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Arizona → LouisianaSocial Work in LouisianaSocial Work in ArizonaAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Arizona accept a Louisiana social work license?

Both Louisiana and Arizona have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.

Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Louisiana to Arizona?

The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send your score. For LCSW by endorsement, Arizona requires a passing score on the ASWB Clinical exam. The Advanced Generalist exam is accepted only if you were licensed as a clinical social worker before July 1, 2004, met the exam requirement of the state you are endorsing from, and have been continuously licensed at that level since (Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-402(G)). No exam on Arizona law, but you must complete the Board's Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the Louisiana-to-Arizona move cost and how long does it take?

$250 (Application for license by endorsement fee under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215(A)(2); non-refundable. The rule also lists a $40 criminal history background check charge. The Board site (azbbhe.us) blocked automated access on 2026-09-27, so the fee could not be re-checked there. A $100 issuance fee appears as struck in the codified rule text read.) Processing: R4-6-302 sets administrative completeness and substantive review time frames in a Table 1 that was not readable in the source consulted, and the Board's own site blocked automated access. Deficiency responses are due within 60 days.

Louisiana and Arizona are both compact states. Can I practice in Arizona on my Louisiana license?

No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Arizona. You need an Arizona license from the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.

Will Arizona accept the supervised hours I completed in Louisiana?

Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Arizona's rule, where the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners 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]