Social Work License from New York to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Maryland accept a New York social work license?
A social work license transfers from New York to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners, verify your New York license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; request that ASWB send your Clinical Score Report to Maryland. Maryland's clinical license (LCSW-C) is based on the ASWB Clinical exam; Maryland no longer issues the LCSW (its Advanced Generalist-based license), so do not apply for it when seeking clinical endorsement. No Maryland jurisprudence exam is required.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Only Maryland 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 Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners by endorsement, with your New York license verified and your ASWB score transferred.
What's different between New York and Maryland
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Maryland. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
New York to Maryland (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Maryland 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 Maryland.
The others get: compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement (32).
- SW Compact membership
Maryland has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact; New York has not.
- Application fee
Maryland lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and New York lists $294 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Maryland lists up to 9 weeks; New York has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Maryland and New York carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Maryland (this move): The ASWB exam is not retaken; request that ASWB send your Clinical Score Report to Maryland. Maryland's clinical license (LCSW-C) is based on the ASWB Clinical exam; Maryland no longer issues the LCSW (its Advanced Generalist-based license), so do not apply for it when seeking clinical endorsement. No Maryland jurisprudence exam is required.
- 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 → Maryland
| New York (current) | Maryland (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.) | $100 ($100 application processing fee (COMAR 10.42.05.02; paid online by Visa or Mastercard only), then a $75 initial license fee once approved. CHRC fingerprinting: $51.25 at state-operated centers or $30 plus the provider's fee at private providers.) |
| Processing time | NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page | up to 9 weeks (The Board's July 2026 endorsement guide says it has 60 days to review a completed application after all documents arrive (about 8.6 weeks). Once approved and the $75 fee is paid, the license is usually issued within 7 business days.) |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) | Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Choose the correct LCSW-C by Endorsement application: over 5 years (5 of the past 10 years at 1,000+ practice hours per year under a clinical license) or under 5 years of clinical licensure.
- Complete a Maryland/FBI Criminal History Records Check (out-of-state applicants can request a fingerprint card).
- Request an ASWB Clinical score report and have your official master's transcript emailed to the Board.
- Under 5 years: document 12 academic credits of clinical coursework and 3,000 hours over 2-6 years of supervised clinical experience on Maryland's Supervision Verification Form.
- Over 5 years: mail Employment Certification Forms and a resume documenting post-licensure clinical practice.
- 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. Maryland 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 Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners is the route.
Will Maryland 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. Maryland's rule, where the Maryland Board of Social Work 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.
- Maryland BSWE — Guide Sheet: How to apply for LCSW-C by Endorsement, Over 5 Years Experience (July 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Maryland BSWE — Licensing and FAQ content (reciprocity, endorsement applications, CHRC, LCSW-C criteria) (read via the Board site's SharePoint list data) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Maryland BSWE — Fee Schedule (read via the Board site's SharePoint list data) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- COMAR 10.42 Board of Social Work Examiners (incl. 10.42.01.11 Licensure by Endorsement and 10.42.05.02 Fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Maryland BSWE — Criminal History Records Check instructions ↗ (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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