Social Work License from Massachusetts to New York: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does New York accept a Massachusetts social work license?
A social work license transfers from Massachusetts to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work), verify your Massachusetts license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB must send the Clinical exam score directly to NYSED (scores from the candidate or other jurisdictions are not accepted). Endorsement requires that your initial clinical license was based on the ASWB clinical social work exam. No New York jurisprudence exam; New York-approved child-abuse identification and reporting coursework is required of all LCSW applicants.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs entirely through the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work). Your Massachusetts license is verified, your ASWB score is sent rather than retaken, and New York'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. New York knows the same tier by its own title, so apply for the New York license that authorizes independent clinical practice rather than one whose initials happen to match.
What's different between Massachusetts and New York
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into New York. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Massachusetts to New York (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
New York to Massachusetts (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Massachusetts matter?
Coming from Massachusetts does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into New York.
- SW Compact membership
Neither Massachusetts nor New York has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact.
- Application fee
New York lists $294 for an out-of-state applicant and Massachusetts lists $162 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
New York and Massachusetts carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- New York (this move): The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB must send the Clinical exam score directly to NYSED (scores from the candidate or other jurisdictions are not accepted). Endorsement requires that your initial clinical license was based on the ASWB clinical social work exam. No New York jurisprudence exam; New York-approved child-abuse identification and reporting coursework is required of all LCSW applicants.
- Massachusetts (the reverse move): No new exam if you were licensed in an ASWB member jurisdiction by passing the ASWB exam required for the level sought (258 CMR 9.07); for the LICSW that is the ASWB Clinical exam. If your state did not require an ASWB exam, the Board's Policy 06-07 requires you to take and pass the appropriate ASWB exam as a condition of reciprocity. No Massachusetts jurisprudence exam is required.
What changes, Massachusetts → New York
| Massachusetts (current) | New York (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.) | $294 ($294 fee for licensure and first registration (same fee for endorsement and standard applicants). Partial refunds may be available on withdrawal.) |
| Processing time | No processing time is published on the pages reviewed | NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page |
| Licensing authority | Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New York sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New York's current requirements on the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- File Form 1 (Application for Licensure) with the $294 fee.
- Show at least 10 years of licensed clinical social work practice in the 15 years before applying (Forms 4E and 4F) to qualify for endorsement.
- Have your school verify your MSW with clinical content on Form 2.
- Have each jurisdiction where you are licensed verify your initial basis of licensure and good standing on Form 3.
- Have ASWB send your Clinical exam score directly to NYSED.
- Complete New York State-approved training in identifying and reporting child abuse.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Will New York 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. New York's rule, where the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) 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.
- NYSED Office of the Professions — LCSW License Requirements (incl. Applicants Licensed in Another State) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Licensed Clinical Social Worker profession page ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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