Social Work License from Nebraska to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) ↗
Both Nebraska and New Hampshire 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.
Nebraska and New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, Nebraska → New Hampshire
| Nebraska (current) | New Hampshire (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $155–$205 (LIMHP license fee $155 (or $38.75 if applying March-August of an even year); adding the CMSW certificate costs $50 more ($205 total). Fingerprint processing is $55, paid to the Nebraska State Patrol. The initial license fee is waived for young workers (19-25), low-income applicants and military families.) | $325 (Clinical social worker (including conditional) application fee $325, which includes the mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; renewal $325 (active) or $105 (inactive). Criminal background check fees are paid separately (amount not stated on the pages reviewed).) |
| Processing time | ~6 weeks (DHHS says it will email or write within approximately 30 business days (about 6 weeks) to say the license was issued or the file is incomplete; incomplete applications close after 90 days. Criminal background checks are not expedited.) | No processing time is published. Under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license to an endorsement-qualified applicant while criminal-record results are pending. |
| Licensing authority | Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Board of Mental Health Practice | New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the OPLC Universal Application for Initial License by mail with the application fee.
- Provide verification of your active license in good standing in a qualifying jurisdiction (a screenshot or printout of the licensing board's portal is accepted under Plc 313.05(a)).
- Complete the FBI/New Hampshire criminal history records check required for clinical social workers.
- Pay the fees ($325 (Clinical social worker (including conditional) application fee $325, which includes the mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; renewal $325 (active) or $105 (inactive). Criminal background check fees are paid separately (amount not stated on the pages reviewed).)) and allow No processing time is published. Under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license to an endorsement-qualified applicant while criminal-record results are pending..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire accept a Nebraska social work license?
Both Nebraska and New Hampshire 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 Nebraska to New Hampshire?
On the HB 594 reciprocity route, applicants from qualifying jurisdictions no longer submit examination results, transcripts, experience or references. On the standard application the ASWB Clinical exam is required (have ASWB send your score if you tested out of state or more than two years ago). No New Hampshire 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 Nebraska-to-New Hampshire move cost and how long does it take?
$325 (Clinical social worker (including conditional) application fee $325, which includes the mandatory $28 Professional Health Program fee; renewal $325 (active) or $105 (inactive). Criminal background check fees are paid separately (amount not stated on the pages reviewed).) Processing: No processing time is published. Under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license to an endorsement-qualified applicant while criminal-record results are pending.
Nebraska and New Hampshire are both compact states. Can I practice in New Hampshire on my Nebraska license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in New Hampshire. You need a New Hampshire license from the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification).
Will New Hampshire accept the supervised hours I completed in Nebraska?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. New Hampshire's rule, where the New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) 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.
- NH OPLC — New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (HB 594 license types incl. Clinical Social Worker; application process) (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-08-21; oplc.nh.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NH OPLC — Board of Mental Health Practice License Fees (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-04-29) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NH OPLC — FAQs about new Reciprocity Rules (HB 594) (Internet Archive copy captured 2025-06-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NH OPLC — Instructions and Checklist, Licensure as an Independent Clinical Social Worker (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-05-18) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Nebraska DHHS — 5-year Reciprocity Application Information, LIMHP/LMHP/CMFT/CPC/CMSW (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-01-16; dhhs.ne.gov did not resolve on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Nebraska DHHS — Mental Health and Social Work Practice licensure page (application list) (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-09-10) ↗ (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]