Social Work License from New York to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Arizona accept a New York social work license?
A social work license transfers from New York to Arizona by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, verify your New York license, and meet Arizona's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send your score. For LCSW by endorsement, Arizona requires a passing score on the ASWB Clinical exam. The Advanced Generalist exam is accepted only if you were licensed as a clinical social worker before July 1, 2004, met the exam requirement of the state you are endorsing from, and have been continuously licensed at that level since (Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-402(G)). No exam on Arizona law, but you must complete the Board's Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Only Arizona has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and since the compact is not issuing multistate licenses anywhere, that difference does not affect this move. You apply to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners by endorsement, with your New York license verified and your ASWB score transferred.
What's different between New York and Arizona
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arizona. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New York to Arizona (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Arizona to New York (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from New York matter?
Coming from New York matters here: only 18 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Arizona.
The others get: compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement (32).
- SW Compact membership
Arizona has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact; New York has not.
- Application fee
Arizona lists $250 for an out-of-state applicant and New York lists $294 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Arizona and New York carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Arizona (this move): The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send your score. For LCSW by endorsement, Arizona requires a passing score on the ASWB Clinical exam. The Advanced Generalist exam is accepted only if you were licensed as a clinical social worker before July 1, 2004, met the exam requirement of the state you are endorsing from, and have been continuously licensed at that level since (Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-402(G)). No exam on Arizona law, but you must complete the Board's Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial.
- New York (the reverse move): The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB must send the Clinical exam score directly to NYSED (scores from the candidate or other jurisdictions are not accepted). Endorsement requires that your initial clinical license was based on the ASWB clinical social work exam. No New York jurisprudence exam; New York-approved child-abuse identification and reporting coursework is required of all LCSW applicants.
What changes, New York → Arizona
| New York (current) | Arizona (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $294 ($294 fee for licensure and first registration (same fee for endorsement and standard applicants). Partial refunds may be available on withdrawal.) | $250 (Application for license by endorsement fee under Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215(A)(2); non-refundable. The rule also lists a $40 criminal history background check charge. The Board site (azbbhe.us) blocked automated access on 2026-09-27, so the fee could not be re-checked there. A $100 issuance fee appears as struck in the codified rule text read.) |
| Processing time | NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page | R4-6-302 sets administrative completeness and substantive review time frames in a Table 1 that was not readable in the source consulted, and the Board's own site blocked automated access. Deficiency responses are due within 60 days |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) | Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arizona sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, good-standing clinical-level license in another state that the Board finds substantially equivalent, held for at least one year (A.R.S. 32-3274).
- Hold a master's or higher degree in social work from a regionally accredited college or university, shown by official transcript.
- Have every state that licensed you send verification of the license and any discipline.
- Complete the Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial and submit proof of completion.
- Meet the general licensure requirements of A.R.S. 32-3275, including age 21+ and no unresolved discipline.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. Arizona has enacted it and New York has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners is the route.
Will Arizona accept the supervised hours I completed in New York?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Arizona's rule, where the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners 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.
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-3274 — Licensure by endorsement (Arizona Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-3275 — Requirements for licensure (Arizona Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arizona Revised Statutes 32-4302 — Out-of-state applicants; residents (universal recognition) (Arizona Legislature) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-304 — Application for a License by Endorsement (official code text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-402 — Examination (social work) (official code text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-6-215 — Fees and Charges (official code text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- ASWB — Look up a license (board license-search directory) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — LCSW License Requirements (incl. Applicants Licensed in Another State) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Licensed Clinical Social Worker profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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