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LicenseReciprocity

Social Work License from Minnesota to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners ↗

Both Minnesota and Arizona 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.

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Verdict

Compact enacted — endorsement for now

Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.

Minnesota and Arizona 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 Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.

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

What changes, Minnesota → Arizona

Side-by-side: Minnesota vs Arizona (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Minnesota (current)Arizona (destination)
SW Compact statusSW Compact enacted — not yet issuingSW Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Application fee$115 (Endorsement application fee $115, or $147 when paid together with the fingerprint criminal background check fee (Board application form, 2025 fee update; statutory maximum in Minn. Stat. 148E.180 subd. 1 is $115). After approval, the LICSW license fee is up to $335 (148E.180 subd. 2, prorated if the first term is not 24 months). All steps must be completed within one year of application.)$250 (Application for license by endorsement fee under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215(A)(2); non-refundable. The rule also lists a $40 criminal history background check charge. The Board site (azbbhe.us) blocked automated access on 2026-09-27, so the fee could not be re-checked there. A $100 issuance fee appears as struck in the codified rule text read.)
Processing timeNo processing time is published in the materials reviewed; the application closes if not completed within one year.R4-6-302 sets administrative completeness and substantive review time frames in a Table 1 that was not readable in the source consulted, and the Board's own site blocked automated access. Deficiency responses are due within 60 days.
Licensing authorityMinnesota Board of Social WorkArizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a current, good-standing clinical-level license in another state that the Board finds substantially equivalent, held for at least one year (A.R.S. 32-3274).
  5. Hold a master's or higher degree in social work from a regionally accredited college or university, shown by official transcript.
  6. Have every state that licensed you send verification of the license and any discipline.
  7. Complete the Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial and submit proof of completion.
  8. Meet the general licensure requirements of A.R.S. 32-3275, including age 21+ and no unresolved discipline.
  9. Pay the fees ($250 (Application for license by endorsement fee under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215(A)(2); non-refundable. The rule also lists a $40 criminal history background check charge. The Board site (azbbhe.us) blocked automated access on 2026-09-27, so the fee could not be re-checked there. A $100 issuance fee appears as struck in the codified rule text read.)) and allow R4-6-302 sets administrative completeness and substantive review time frames in a Table 1 that was not readable in the source consulted, and the Board's own site blocked automated access. Deficiency responses are due within 60 days..

Official links

Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Arizona → MinnesotaSocial Work in MinnesotaSocial Work in ArizonaAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Arizona accept a Minnesota social work license?

Both Minnesota and Arizona 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 Minnesota to Arizona?

The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send your score. For LCSW by endorsement, Arizona requires a passing score on the ASWB Clinical exam. The Advanced Generalist exam is accepted only if you were licensed as a clinical social worker before July 1, 2004, met the exam requirement of the state you are endorsing from, and have been continuously licensed at that level since (Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-402(G)). No exam on Arizona law, but you must complete the Board's Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the Minnesota-to-Arizona move cost and how long does it take?

$250 (Application for license by endorsement fee under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215(A)(2); non-refundable. The rule also lists a $40 criminal history background check charge. The Board site (azbbhe.us) blocked automated access on 2026-09-27, so the fee could not be re-checked there. A $100 issuance fee appears as struck in the codified rule text read.) Processing: R4-6-302 sets administrative completeness and substantive review time frames in a Table 1 that was not readable in the source consulted, and the Board's own site blocked automated access. Deficiency responses are due within 60 days.

Minnesota and Arizona are both compact states. Can I practice in Arizona on my Minnesota license?

No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Arizona. You need an Arizona license from the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.

Will Arizona accept the supervised hours I completed in Minnesota?

Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Arizona's rule, where the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners 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.

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

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]