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LicenseReciprocity

Transfer Your Social Work License to Michigan: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

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

Yes, by endorsement. The Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) issues Michigan's clinical-level social work license to social workers already licensed at the clinical level elsewhere, verifying your license and accepting your ASWB score rather than retesting you. Fee: $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.. Michigan has not enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Michigan has not enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, which matters less than it sounds: the compact is not issuing licenses anywhere yet, so every social worker moving to any state follows that state's own licensing process, here the one below.

Michigan has no separately titled 'LCSW'. Its independent practice license is the LMSW (licensed master's social worker), issued with a practice designation; the clinical designation is the clinical-level credential (the other designation is macro). The Board's guide refers to the licensee's 'designation' and requires 'the appropriate Advanced Generalist or Clinical Examination' for a second designation. The exact wording 'clinical designation' could not be confirmed on a page loaded on 2026-09-27 (michigan.gov and legislature.mi.gov both returned 403). Michigan also issues bachelor's, limited and social service technician credentials. Michigan has NOT enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and the compact is not issuing multistate licenses anywhere yet. A newer LMSW guide (file LMSW-Licensing-Guide-FAQ-12626.pdf) is linked from search results but could not be retrieved live or from the archive; values here come from the archived 10/7/2024 guide and should be rechecked against the current guide.

Michigan requirements at a glance

Out-of-state social work license transfer requirements for Michigan, verified 2026-09-27
ExamThe 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.
Additional requirements
  • 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
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.)
Processing timeNo 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.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Apply online through MiPLUS for the Master's Social Work License by endorsement.
  5. 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).
  6. Have every licensing agency where you hold or held a license send verification showing no pending discipline.
  7. Complete the criminal background check using the instructions emailed after you apply.
  8. Complete one-time human-trafficking identification training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training within the prior 5 years.
  9. 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 ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Michigan:

Alabama → MichiganAlaska → MichiganArizona → MichiganArkansas → MichiganCalifornia → MichiganColorado → MichiganConnecticut → MichiganDelaware → MichiganDistrict of Columbia → MichiganFlorida → MichiganGeorgia → MichiganHawaii → MichiganIdaho → MichiganIllinois → MichiganIndiana → MichiganIowa → MichiganKansas → MichiganKentucky → MichiganLouisiana → MichiganMaine → Michigan
All 50 origin states
Maryland → MichiganMassachusetts → MichiganMinnesota → MichiganMississippi → MichiganMissouri → MichiganMontana → MichiganNebraska → MichiganNevada → MichiganNew Hampshire → MichiganNew Jersey → MichiganNew Mexico → MichiganNew York → MichiganNorth Carolina → MichiganNorth Dakota → MichiganOhio → MichiganOklahoma → MichiganOregon → MichiganPennsylvania → MichiganRhode Island → MichiganSouth Carolina → MichiganSouth Dakota → MichiganTennessee → MichiganTexas → MichiganUtah → MichiganVermont → MichiganVirginia → MichiganWashington → MichiganWest Virginia → MichiganWisconsin → MichiganWyoming → Michigan

Nearby states

Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Michigan:

Michigan for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my social work license transfer to Michigan?

Yes, by endorsement. The Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) issues Michigan's clinical-level social work license to social workers already licensed at the clinical level elsewhere, verifying your license and accepting your ASWB score rather than retesting you. Fee: $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.. Michigan has not enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact.

Do I have to retake the ASWB exam to get licensed in 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.

How much does a Michigan clinical social work license cost for an out-of-state applicant?

$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.)

How long does the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) take?

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.

Is Michigan in the Social Work Licensure Compact?

No. Michigan had not enacted it as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) is the route in.

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]