Skip to content
LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program ↗

Both Minnesota and Washington 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.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Compact enacted — endorsement for now

Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.

Minnesota and Washington 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 Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.

What changes, Minnesota → Washington

Side-by-side: Minnesota vs Washington (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Minnesota (current)Washington (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.)$170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.)
Processing timeNo processing time is published in the materials reviewed; the application closes if not completed within one year.DOH's social worker pages state no processing time.
Licensing authorityMinnesota Board of Social WorkWashington State Department of Health — Social Worker program

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Have each jurisdiction where you are or were credentialed send the DOH verification form directly to the department.
  5. Have your school send an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or social work doctorate.
  6. Have ASWB send your Clinical exam score, or have another state verify it.
  7. Document supervised experience (3,000 hours over at least 2 years) unless you have been licensed in good standing, with no disqualifying criminal history, for over five years.
  8. Answer the personal data questions, with records for any professional liability claim.
  9. Pay the fees ($170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.)) and allow DOH's social worker pages state no processing time..

Official links

Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program ↗Washington application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Washington → MinnesotaSocial Work in MinnesotaSocial Work in WashingtonAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Washington accept a Minnesota social work license?

Both Minnesota and Washington 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 Washington?

The ASWB exam is not retaken: the LICSW requires the ASWB Clinical exam, and the score must be sent directly by ASWB or verified by another state where you were credentialed. No Washington jurisprudence exam is listed. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

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

$170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.) Processing: DOH's social worker pages state no processing time.

Minnesota and Washington are both compact states. Can I practice in Washington 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 Washington. You need a Washington license from the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program.

Will Washington 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. Washington's rule, where the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program 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]