Social Work License from Massachusetts to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗

A social work license transfers from Massachusetts to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Massachusetts license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send official score reports directly to LARA. For the master's social work license (LMSW) Michigan accepts the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, and the exam passed goes with the designation you apply for. No Michigan jurisprudence exam is listed; one-time human-trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training are required instead..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

This move runs entirely through the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing). Your Massachusetts license is verified, your ASWB score is sent rather than retaken, and Michigan's own checks follow; the Social Work Licensure Compact plays no part because neither state has enacted it.

Massachusetts calls its clinical license the LICSW. Michigan knows the same tier by its own title, so apply for the Michigan license that authorizes independent clinical practice rather than one whose initials happen to match.

What changes, Massachusetts → Michigan

Side-by-side: Massachusetts vs Michigan (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
	Massachusetts (current)	Michigan (destination)
SW Compact status	Licensure by endorsement	Licensure by endorsement
Application fee	$162 (LICSW reciprocity application fee $162, per the Board's fee table (archived June 2026). The same table adds a $105 vendor fee (ASWB's Application Processing Unit) and an $82 LICSW license fee, a $349 subtotal. A payment processing fee may also apply. LICSW renewal is $82 every two years.)	$99 (Application fee plus 3-year license fee for a Master's Social Work License by Exam or Endorsement: $99.00 (Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024). Adding a second designation (specialty) is $16.50. Fingerprint/background-check vendor fee not stated in the guide.)
Processing time	No processing time is published on the pages reviewed.	No processing time is published. All requirements must be completed within 2 years of LARA's receipt of the application (MCL 333.16307(3)), or the application is void.
Licensing authority	Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers	Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing)

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

Step by step

Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Apply online through MiPLUS for the Master's Social Work License by endorsement.
If licensed under 10 years, have supervisors verify 4,000 hours of post-degree supervised work experience (licensed over 10 years: presumed to meet MCL 333.16186).
Have every licensing agency where you hold or held a license send verification showing no pending discipline.
Complete the criminal background check using the instructions emailed after you apply.
Complete one-time human-trafficking identification training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training within the prior 5 years.
Pay the fees ($99 (Application fee plus 3-year license fee for a Master's Social Work License by Exam or Endorsement: $99.00 (Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024). Adding a second designation (specialty) is $16.50. Fingerprint/background-check vendor fee not stated in the guide.)) and allow No processing time is published. All requirements must be completed within 2 years of LARA's receipt of the application (MCL 333.16307(3)), or the application is void..

Official links

Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗Michigan application ↗License verification ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does Michigan accept a Massachusetts social work license?

Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Massachusetts to Michigan?

The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send official score reports directly to LARA. For the master's social work license (LMSW) Michigan accepts the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, and the exam passed goes with the designation you apply for. No Michigan jurisprudence exam is listed; one-time human-trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training are required instead. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the Massachusetts-to-Michigan move cost and how long does it take?

$99 (Application fee plus 3-year license fee for a Master's Social Work License by Exam or Endorsement: $99.00 (Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024). Adding a second designation (specialty) is $16.50. Fingerprint/background-check vendor fee not stated in the guide.) Processing: No processing time is published. All requirements must be completed within 2 years of LARA's receipt of the application (MCL 333.16307(3)), or the application is void.

Will Michigan accept the supervised hours I completed in Massachusetts?

Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Michigan's rule, where the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) 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.

LARA — Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024 (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-04-22; michigan.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
LARA — Social Work FAQs rev. 9/19/2024 (accepted ASWB exams) (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-01-09) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
LARA — Social Worker profession page (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-06-11) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Mass.gov — Apply for a social worker license (Internet Archive copy of the official page, captured 2026-06-18) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
258 CMR 9.00 Licensure Requirements and Procedures incl. 9.03 LICSW and 9.07 Licensure by Reciprocity (Internet Archive copy of the Mass.gov PDF captured 2025-09-01) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Mass.gov — Board Policies and Guidelines (Social Workers), Policy 06-07 on exam requirements for reciprocity applicants (Internet Archive copy captured 2025-12-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Mass.gov — Fees and license renewal schedules for social workers (Internet Archive copy of the official page, captured 2026-06-12) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

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