Social Work License from Missouri to Rhode Island: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) ↗
Both Missouri and Rhode Island 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.
Missouri and Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Missouri → Rhode Island
| Missouri (current) | Rhode Island (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $75 (Reciprocity application fee $75 (form MO 375-0901, rev. 8-2025), nonrefundable, payable by cashier's check, money order, personal check or bank draft. Fingerprinting is paid separately to IdentoGO/MACHS (amount not stated on the Committee's pages).) | $70 (Application fee per the Board's LCSW/LICSW application (rev. 12/19/2025). A framed license certificate is an optional $30. The application lists no background-check fee.) |
| Processing time | No processing time is published; fingerprint results are valid for one year. A temporary permit request form exists for reciprocity applicants. | RIDOH states no processing time and says it will not speed up any one applicant at others' expense. Applications stay valid for one year from receipt. |
| Licensing authority | Missouri State Committee for Social Workers (Division of Professional Registration) | Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Rhode Island sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Rhode Island's current requirements on the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Mail the paper application with the $70 non-refundable fee payable to the RI General Treasurer.
- Have each state where you hold or held a license send a verification directly (Interstate Verification Form), including your ASWB score.
- Have the school of social work send an official MSW or doctoral transcript directly to the Board.
- Submit the Supervised Practice Form, unless your endorsing state's verification confirms the supervised-practice prerequisite.
- Submit a valid photo ID and a certified birth record or naturalization or immigration papers.
- Pay the fees ($70 (Application fee per the Board's LCSW/LICSW application (rev. 12/19/2025). A framed license certificate is an optional $30. The application lists no background-check fee.)) and allow RIDOH states no processing time and says it will not speed up any one applicant at others' expense. Applications stay valid for one year from receipt..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Rhode Island accept a Missouri social work license?
Both Missouri and Rhode Island 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 Missouri to Rhode Island?
The ASWB exam is not retaken. For the LICSW, the ASWB score (the application names the Clinical exam) must come directly from ASWB or on the verification from your original licensing state. There is no separate Rhode Island law or ethics exam in the application instructions. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Missouri-to-Rhode Island move cost and how long does it take?
$70 (Application fee per the Board's LCSW/LICSW application (rev. 12/19/2025). A framed license certificate is an optional $30. The application lists no background-check fee.) Processing: RIDOH states no processing time and says it will not speed up any one applicant at others' expense. Applications stay valid for one year from receipt.
Missouri and Rhode Island are both compact states. Can I practice in Rhode Island on my Missouri license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Rhode Island. You need a Rhode Island license from the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health).
Will Rhode Island accept the supervised hours I completed in Missouri?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Rhode Island's rule, where the Rhode Island Board of Social Work Examiners (Rhode Island Department of Health) 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.
- RIDOH — Instructions and Application for License as LCSW / LICSW, rev. 12/19/2025 (Internet Archive copy of 2026-06-08; health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- RIDOH — Social Work licensing page (Internet Archive copy of 2026-06-10; June 2025 statute change, verification link) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Social Workers — Reciprocity page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Social Workers — Application for Licensure by Reciprocity (MO 375-0901, 8-2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Social Workers — Frequently Asked Questions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Committee for Social Workers — Criminal Background Checks / Fingerprinting instructions ↗ (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]