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Transfer Your Social Work License to New Jersey: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs) ↗

Yes, by endorsement. The New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs) issues New Jersey's clinical-level social work license to social workers already licensed at the clinical level elsewhere, verifying your license and accepting your ASWB score rather than retesting you. 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.). Processing: No processing time was found in the materials that could be retrieved.. New Jersey has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so the compact does not change this application.

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Verdict

SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing

New Jersey's legislature has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and you may see New Jersey described as a compact state. In practice that means nothing yet. No multistate license has been issued anywhere, there is no application to file, and a license from another compact state gives you no right to practice in New Jersey. Plan on the endorsement file below; the compact becomes relevant only once the commission launches, and its stated target for the data system that launch depends on is Spring 2027.

New Jersey's clinical-level license is the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker); the other levels are the LSW (master's, clinical work only under LCSW supervision) and the CSW (certified, bachelor's). Endorsement (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.5) waives only the exam; the applicant must still meet or document the LCSW education and experience rules in 13:44G-4.1, with the experience judged 'substantially the same'. New Jersey has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it is not yet issuing multistate licenses, so endorsement is the only route in. Every New Jersey page was blocked on 2026-09-27; the values come from archived official copies (rules revised 4/15/2024; LCSW application archived 2024-02) and should be rechecked live. No license-lookup URL was confirmed on a page actually read.

New Jersey requirements at a glance

Out-of-state social work license transfer requirements for New Jersey, verified 2026-09-27
ExamThe exam is not retaken: N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.5 exempts an out-of-state licensee from the exam if they passed an exam similar to the Board-required one (for the LCSW, the ASWB Clinical exam); submit your exam results (an ASWB score report or the score on your out-of-state license verification). No New Jersey jurisprudence exam is required.
Additional requirements
  • Hold a license in a U.S. jurisdiction whose education and experience requirements are substantially the same as New Jersey's
  • Document the LCSW education and experience: CSWE MSW, 12 semester hours of clinical coursework, and 3,000 supervised post-MSW clinical hours over 2-4 years
  • Submit the application with exam results and an official license verification for any out-of-state social work credential
  • Sign the consent for a criminal history background check (fingerprinting unless already fingerprinted for a NJ Division of Consumer Affairs board since November 2003)
Fees$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.)
Processing timeNo processing time was found in the materials that could be retrieved.

Step by step

  1. Confirm New Jersey's current requirements on the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a license in a U.S. jurisdiction whose education and experience requirements are substantially the same as New Jersey's.
  5. Document the LCSW education and experience: CSWE MSW, 12 semester hours of clinical coursework, and 3,000 supervised post-MSW clinical hours over 2-4 years.
  6. Submit the application with exam results and an official license verification for any out-of-state social work credential.
  7. Sign the consent for a criminal history background check (fingerprinting unless already fingerprinted for a NJ Division of Consumer Affairs board since November 2003).
  8. Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow No processing time was found in the materials that could be retrieved..

Official links

New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs) ↗New Jersey application ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into New Jersey:

Alabama → New JerseyAlaska → New JerseyArizona → New JerseyArkansas → New JerseyCalifornia → New JerseyColorado → New JerseyConnecticut → New JerseyDelaware → New JerseyFlorida → New JerseyGeorgia → New JerseyIllinois → New JerseyIowa → New JerseyKansas → New JerseyKentucky → New JerseyLouisiana → New JerseyMaine → New JerseyMaryland → New JerseyMichigan → New JerseyMinnesota → New JerseyMississippi → New Jersey
All 39 origin states
Missouri → New JerseyNebraska → New JerseyNew Hampshire → New JerseyNew York → New JerseyNorth Carolina → New JerseyNorth Dakota → New JerseyOhio → New JerseyOklahoma → New JerseyPennsylvania → New JerseyRhode Island → New JerseySouth Dakota → New JerseyTennessee → New JerseyTexas → New JerseyUtah → New JerseyVermont → New JerseyVirginia → New JerseyWashington → New JerseyWest Virginia → New JerseyWisconsin → New Jersey

Nearby states

Social Work license transfer into the states bordering New Jersey:

New Jersey for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my social work license transfer to New Jersey?

Yes, by endorsement. The New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs) issues New Jersey's clinical-level social work license to social workers already licensed at the clinical level elsewhere, verifying your license and accepting your ASWB score rather than retesting you. 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.). Processing: No processing time was found in the materials that could be retrieved.. New Jersey has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so the compact does not change this application.

Do I have to retake the ASWB exam to get licensed in New Jersey?

The exam is not retaken: N.J.A.C. 13:44G-4.5 exempts an out-of-state licensee from the exam if they passed an exam similar to the Board-required one (for the LCSW, the ASWB Clinical exam); submit your exam results (an ASWB score report or the score on your out-of-state license verification). No New Jersey jurisprudence exam is required. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

How much does a New Jersey clinical social work license cost for an out-of-state applicant?

$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.)

How long does the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs) take?

No processing time was found in the materials that could be retrieved.

Is New Jersey in the Social Work Licensure Compact?

New Jersey has enacted it, but the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. No one can practice in New Jersey on a compact license yet; endorsement through the New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs) is the route.

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]