Social Work License from Louisiana to Iowa: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) ↗
Both Louisiana and Iowa 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.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact enacted — endorsement for now
Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.
Louisiana and Iowa 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 Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Louisiana → Iowa
| Louisiana (current) | Iowa (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW 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.) | $120–$123 (Social work license fee under 481 IAC 507.19(1): $120, non-refundable. DIAL's social work page lists the application as a '$123 fee'; the $3 difference is unexplained on the page and may be a processing charge. Fingerprint and background check costs are extra.) |
| 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).) | No processing time is published on DIAL's social work licensure page. |
| Licensing authority | Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE) | Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Iowa sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Iowa's current requirements on the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a license in another jurisdiction with a substantially similar scope of practice, and apply by licensure by verification (481 IAC 501.1, Iowa Code 272C.12) or by standard application with license verification.
- Submit fingerprint cards and waivers for a national DCI and FBI criminal history check, at your cost.
- Have your most recent licensing jurisdiction send license verification (web verification accepted if it shows initial date, status and discipline).
- Disclose any public or pending complaints in any jurisdiction.
- Verification route: submit a written statement of your scope of practice and copies of the other state's scope-of-practice laws.
- Pay the fees ($120–$123 (Social work license fee under 481 IAC 507.19(1): $120, non-refundable. DIAL's social work page lists the application as a '$123 fee'; the $3 difference is unexplained on the page and may be a processing charge. Fingerprint and background check costs are extra.)) and allow No processing time is published on DIAL's social work licensure page..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Iowa accept a Louisiana social work license?
Both Louisiana and Iowa 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 Iowa?
The ASWB exam is not retaken. The independent (LISW) level requires the ASWB Clinical exam (481 IAC 880.3(3)); have ASWB send your passing score. Iowa has no separate jurisprudence exam. Applicants using licensure by verification under Iowa Code 272C.12 instead attest that their license meets that statute's requirements. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Louisiana-to-Iowa move cost and how long does it take?
$120–$123 (Social work license fee under 481 IAC 507.19(1): $120, non-refundable. DIAL's social work page lists the application as a '$123 fee'; the $3 difference is unexplained on the page and may be a processing charge. Fingerprint and background check costs are extra.) Processing: No processing time is published on DIAL's social work licensure page.
Louisiana and Iowa are both compact states. Can I practice in Iowa 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 Iowa. You need an Iowa license from the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure).
Will Iowa 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. Iowa's rule, where the Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing — social work licensure) 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.
- Iowa DIAL — Social Work Licensure ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 481 IAC Chapter 880 — Board of Behavioral Health Professionals (IAC 9/2/26; social work licensure 880.2(7), exams 880.3(3)) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 481 IAC Chapter 501 — Licensure by verification (Iowa Code 272C.12) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 481 IAC Chapter 507 — Professional licensing division fees (507.19 social work) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- ARC 9401C — consolidation of behavioral health licensing rules into 481 IAC 880 (effective 2025-08-13) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- LABSWE — Application Information (license types, endorsement applications, open-book exam, background check) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- LABSWE — How to complete the online application (application fees, processing) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- LABSWE — Endorsement Applications instructions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Louisiana Register Vol. 51 No. 10 (2025-10-20) — LAC 46:XXV rule changes incl. §313 Fees and §319 Reciprocity and Endorsement (posted by LABSWE) ↗ (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]