Social Work License from Minnesota to Kansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) ↗
Both Minnesota and Kansas 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.
Minnesota and Kansas 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 Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
Minnesota calls its clinical license the LICSW. Kansas knows the same tier by its own title, so apply for the Kansas license that authorizes independent clinical practice rather than one whose initials happen to match.
What changes, Minnesota → Kansas
| Minnesota (current) | Kansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW 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.) | $50 (LSCSW application fee under K.A.R. 102-2-3(a)(3); + $150 original LSCSW license fee (102-2-3(c)(3)); optional $100 expedited-application fee (102-2-3(b)). A temporary permit for out-of-state independent clinical social workers practising up to 30 days a year costs $200.) |
| Processing time | No processing time is published in the materials reviewed; the application closes if not completed within one year. | Not verified. The BSRB website (ksbsrb.ks.gov) blocked automated access (HTTP 403) on 2026-09-27. BSRB testimony on HB 2340 (2023) says the bill required the Board to process applications within a set time; the figure was not confirmed. |
| Licensing authority | Minnesota Board of Social Work | Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kansas's current requirements on the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Request the LSCSW reciprocity application from the Board and pay the application fee.
- Have your current clinical-level licensing agency complete the Board's verification form, including license dates, renewal and lapse history and any serious discipline.
- Qualify on substantially equivalent standards, or otherwise document 5 continuous years of clinical-level licensure (10 years if you never passed a national clinical exam).
- Verify your master's or doctoral degree in social work from an accredited program.
- Pay the fees ($50 (LSCSW application fee under K.A.R. 102-2-3(a)(3); + $150 original LSCSW license fee (102-2-3(c)(3)); optional $100 expedited-application fee (102-2-3(b)). A temporary permit for out-of-state independent clinical social workers practising up to 30 days a year costs $200.)) and allow Not verified. The BSRB website (ksbsrb.ks.gov) blocked automated access (HTTP 403) on 2026-09-27. BSRB testimony on HB 2340 (2023) says the bill required the Board to process applications within a set time; the figure was not confirmed..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas accept a Minnesota social work license?
Both Minnesota and Kansas 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 Kansas?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: Kansas exempts applicants who passed an exam similar to the required one (K.S.A. 65-6309(a)); the LSCSW corresponds to the ASWB Clinical exam. An applicant who never passed a national clinical exam must document 10 continuous years of clinical-level licensure instead of 5 (K.A.R. 102-2-2b). No Kansas jurisprudence exam was identified. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Minnesota-to-Kansas move cost and how long does it take?
$50 (LSCSW application fee under K.A.R. 102-2-3(a)(3); + $150 original LSCSW license fee (102-2-3(c)(3)); optional $100 expedited-application fee (102-2-3(b)). A temporary permit for out-of-state independent clinical social workers practising up to 30 days a year costs $200.) Processing: Not verified. The BSRB website (ksbsrb.ks.gov) blocked automated access (HTTP 403) on 2026-09-27. BSRB testimony on HB 2340 (2023) says the bill required the Board to process applications within a set time; the figure was not confirmed.
Minnesota and Kansas are both compact states. Can I practice in Kansas 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 Kansas. You need a Kansas license from the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB).
Will Kansas 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. Kansas's rule, where the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) 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.
- K.A.R. 102-2-2b — Application for licensure based on reciprocity (LSCSW) (official text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- K.A.R. 102-2-3 — Fees (official text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- K.S.A. 65-6309 — Exemption from examination; temporary licensure (Kansas Revisor of Statutes) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- K.S.A. 65-6309a — Temporary permit for out-of-state clinical social workers (Kansas Revisor of Statutes) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Kansas BSRB — testimony on HB 2340 (2023), reciprocity practice period cut from 48 to 12 months ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- ASWB — Look up a license (board license-search directory) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota Statutes 148E.055 License requirements (subd. 5a LICSW by endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota Statutes 148E.180 Fee amounts ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota Board of Social Work — Standard License Application, Information and Instructions (2025 fees update) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota Board of Social Work — Requirements for Social Work Licensure in Minnesota (presentation, March 26, 2026) ↗ (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]