Social Work License from Maine to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) ↗
Both Maine and Colorado 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.
Maine and Colorado 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 Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Maine → Colorado
| Maine (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $70 (The Board's licensing page lists $70 license fee plus $21 criminal history check for initial issuance; all fees nonrefundable. Renewal is $70 every 2 years.) | The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. |
| Processing time | The Board's pages state no processing time; applicants can check application status online. | No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages. |
| Licensing authority | Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) | Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active LCSW (or equivalent) license in another state, verified by upload showing original issue date and any discipline.
- Pass the Colorado Mental Health Professions Jurisprudence Examination and upload the signed result.
- Attest that you completed the post-degree experience your original licensing state required.
- Hold a master's or doctoral degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program.
- Answer criminal-history screening questions and complete the Healthcare Professions Profile.
- Pay the fees (The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.) and allow No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Colorado accept a Maine social work license?
Both Maine and Colorado 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 Maine to Colorado?
The ASWB exam is not retaken. For LCSW by endorsement you attest that you passed an exam covering the general areas of social work knowledge, or a written exam testing competence to practise independent social work, or (if no exam was required when you were first licensed) that you practised at the independent level for at least 5 of the last 10 years. Colorado also requires every LCSW applicant to pass the Colorado Mental Health Professions Jurisprudence Examination (open-book, online); results are valid for one year. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Maine-to-Colorado move cost and how long does it take?
The Colorado DPO social work pages and the online application preview do not state the LCSW application fee; the fee is shown only inside the DPO Online Services system. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Processing: No processing time is published on the Colorado social work application pages.
Maine and Colorado are both compact states. Can I practice in Colorado on my Maine license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Colorado. You need a Colorado license from the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations).
Will Colorado accept the supervised hours I completed in Maine?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Colorado's rule, where the Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) 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.
- Colorado DPO — Social Work Applications and Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Colorado DPO — Licensed Clinical Social Worker initial application preview (linked from the Applications page) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Colorado DPO — Social Work Licensing Guide (linked from the Applications page) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Maine Board of Social Worker Licensure — Licensing and Forms (LC license, Licensure by Endorsement, fees) (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-04-18; maine.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 02-416 CMR Chapter 12 — Licensure by Endorsement (Board rule, official DOCX) ↗ (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]