Social Work License from New Jersey to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation) ↗
Both New Jersey and Delaware 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.
New Jersey and Delaware 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 Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, New Jersey → Delaware
| New Jersey (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $75–$150 (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-14.1 (revision date 4/15/2024) lists a $75 application fee and a separate $75 endorsement fee. The endorsement rule (13:44G-4.5(b)(2)) names only the application fee, and whether the $75 endorsement fee is also charged could not be confirmed, hence the $75-$150 range. Initial clinical license fee is $160 (first year of the biennial cycle) or $80 (second year). Criminal history background check $18.75.) | $205 (LCSW license application fee per the Division of Professional Regulation fee schedule; non-refundable, payable only by card through DELPROS. Background check fees are extra. Renewal fees are announced at renewal.) |
| Processing time | No processing time was found in the materials that could be retrieved. | The Board publishes no processing time for reciprocity applications. |
| Licensing authority | New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs) | Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current clinical social work license in another state, US territory or DC.
- If your state's standards are not substantially similar to Delaware's, show at least five years of practice in the past seven.
- Complete a State of Delaware and FBI criminal background check through the Division's process.
- Have every jurisdiction where you hold or have held a social work license send verification directly to the Board.
- Submit the Child Protection Registry Consent Form.
- Apply online through DELPROS within six months of starting the application.
- Pay the fees ($205 (LCSW license application fee per the Division of Professional Regulation fee schedule; non-refundable, payable only by card through DELPROS. Background check fees are extra. Renewal fees are announced at renewal.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing time for reciprocity applications..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Delaware accept a New Jersey social work license?
Both New Jersey and Delaware 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 New Jersey to Delaware?
The ASWB exam is not retaken, but you must already have passed the national ASWB licensing exam and have ASWB send an official score verification directly to the Board through ASWB Score Transfer. No Delaware jurisprudence exam is required. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the New Jersey-to-Delaware move cost and how long does it take?
$205 (LCSW license application fee per the Division of Professional Regulation fee schedule; non-refundable, payable only by card through DELPROS. Background check fees are extra. Renewal fees are announced at renewal.) Processing: The Board publishes no processing time for reciprocity applications.
New Jersey and Delaware are both compact states. Can I practice in Delaware on my New Jersey license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Delaware. You need a Delaware license from the Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation).
Will Delaware accept the supervised hours I completed in New Jersey?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Delaware's rule, where the Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation) 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.
- Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners — Clinical Social Worker Licensure ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners — Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- ASWB — Sending your exam results to another state or province ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- N.J.A.C. 13:44G State Board of Social Work Examiners, last revision 4/15/2024 (4.1 LCSW eligibility, 4.5 Endorsement, 14.1 Fees) (Internet Archive copy captured 2025-05-16; njconsumeraffairs.gov is behind an Incapsula bot-block) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NJ Board of Social Work Examiners — Application for Licensure as an LCSW (Internet Archive copy captured 2024-02-03) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NJ Board of Social Work Examiners — home page (license levels) (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-09-05) ↗ (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]