Social Work License from Minnesota to West Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: West Virginia Board of Social Work ↗
Both Minnesota and West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia Board of Social Work through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
Minnesota calls its clinical license the LICSW. West Virginia knows the same tier by its own title, so apply for the West Virginia license that authorizes independent clinical practice rather than one whose initials happen to match.
What changes, Minnesota → West Virginia
| Minnesota (current) | West Virginia (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.) | $90 (The Board's active fee rule (25CSR3, eff. 2022-07-01) sets $90 to issue a regular LICSW biennial license and lists no separate application fee; the LICSW application form states no fee. Renewal is $76 biennially. An amended fee rule is marked 'In Progress' at the Secretary of State.) |
| Processing time | No processing time is published in the materials reviewed; the application closes if not completed within one year. | The Board publishes no processing time. |
| Licensing authority | Minnesota Board of Social Work | West Virginia Board of Social Work |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — West Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia Board of Social Work website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia Board of Social Work (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Mail the paper LICSW application to the Board (applications may not be faxed or emailed).
- Have ASWB send your passing Clinical exam score report directly.
- Submit a copy of each other-state license with verification of standing (web verification accepted).
- Unless you have been licensed at the clinical level for 10 or more years, document 2 years and 3,000 hours of practice with 100 hours of face-to-face supervision (your prior board's supervision paperwork or a board letter is accepted).
- Send an official MSW transcript (CSWE-accredited) and a copy of your driver's license or photo ID.
- Pay the fees ($90 (The Board's active fee rule (25CSR3, eff. 2022-07-01) sets $90 to issue a regular LICSW biennial license and lists no separate application fee; the LICSW application form states no fee. Renewal is $76 biennially. An amended fee rule is marked 'In Progress' at the Secretary of State.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing time..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does West Virginia accept a Minnesota social work license?
Both Minnesota and West Virginia 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 West Virginia?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: an out-of-state applicant must have passed the ASWB Clinical exam and have ASWB send the official score report. West Virginia's LICSW application requires no state jurisprudence exam. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Minnesota-to-West Virginia move cost and how long does it take?
$90 (The Board's active fee rule (25CSR3, eff. 2022-07-01) sets $90 to issue a regular LICSW biennial license and lists no separate application fee; the LICSW application form states no fee. Renewal is $76 biennially. An amended fee rule is marked 'In Progress' at the Secretary of State.) Processing: The Board publishes no processing time.
Minnesota and West Virginia are both compact states. Can I practice in West Virginia 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 West Virginia. You need a West Virginia license from the West Virginia Board of Social Work.
Will West Virginia 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. West Virginia's rule, where the West Virginia Board of 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.
- WV Board of Social Work — Level D LICSW (out-of-state applicants) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WV Board of Social Work — Application for Licensed Independent Clinical Social Work License (rev. April 2021) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WV Board of Social Work — Regular License levels ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WV 25CSR3 Fee Schedule, eff. 2022-07-01 (Secretary of State) ↗ (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]