Social Work License from New York to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor & Industry) ↗
A social work license transfers from New York to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor & Industry), verify your New York license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB sends proof of passage directly to the department. Montana's approved LCSW exam is the ASWB Clinical exam (ARM 24.219.502; a pending 2026 rule proposal keeps the Clinical exam for LCSW). Out-of-state licensees must have passed that exam. No Montana jurisprudence exam is listed..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This move runs entirely through the Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor & Industry). Your New York license is verified, your ASWB score is sent rather than retaken, and Montana's own checks follow; the Social Work Licensure Compact plays no part because neither state has enacted it.
What changes, New York → Montana
| New York (current) | Montana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $294 ($294 fee for licensure and first registration (same fee for endorsement and standard applicants). Partial refunds may be available on withdrawal.) | $200 ($200 application fee per the Board's LCSW checklist (updated 02/16/23). The current fee rule itself could not be retrieved on 2026-09-27, so recheck on the online application. Fingerprint check fees are paid separately (amount not stated).) |
| Processing time | NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page. | No processing time is published in the materials reviewed. |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) | Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor & Industry) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Montana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Montana's current requirements on the Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor & Industry) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor & Industry) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, active LCSW in good standing from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent licensing requirements.
- Show supervised post-degree work meeting ARM 24.219.504 (3,000 hours over at least 24 months); your state's documentation of those hours is accepted.
- Have ASWB send proof of passing the ASWB Clinical exam directly to the department.
- Submit fingerprints to the Montana Department of Justice for a fingerprint and background check.
- Have every state where you hold or held any professional license send official verification.
- Pay the fees ($200 ($200 application fee per the Board's LCSW checklist (updated 02/16/23). The current fee rule itself could not be retrieved on 2026-09-27, so recheck on the online application. Fingerprint check fees are paid separately (amount not stated).)) and allow No processing time is published in the materials reviewed..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Montana accept a New York social work license?
A social work license transfers from New York to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor & Industry), verify your New York license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB sends proof of passage directly to the department. Montana's approved LCSW exam is the ASWB Clinical exam (ARM 24.219.502; a pending 2026 rule proposal keeps the Clinical exam for LCSW). Out-of-state licensees must have passed that exam. No Montana jurisprudence exam is listed..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from New York to Montana?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB sends proof of passage directly to the department. Montana's approved LCSW exam is the ASWB Clinical exam (ARM 24.219.502; a pending 2026 rule proposal keeps the Clinical exam for LCSW). Out-of-state licensees must have passed that exam. No Montana 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 New York-to-Montana move cost and how long does it take?
$200 ($200 application fee per the Board's LCSW checklist (updated 02/16/23). The current fee rule itself could not be retrieved on 2026-09-27, so recheck on the online application. Fingerprint check fees are paid separately (amount not stated).) Processing: No processing time is published in the materials reviewed.
Will Montana 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. Montana's rule, where the Montana Board of Behavioral Health (Department of Labor & Industry) 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.
- Montana Board of Behavioral Health — LCSW Licensing Requirements and Application Checklist (updated 02/16/23) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Montana Board of Behavioral Health — Licensure Checklist (last updated 7/17/2025), LCSW options 1-4 ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Montana Board of Behavioral Health — board home page (licensee lookup, apply links) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Montana Administrative Register Notice 2026-512.1 (June 19, 2026) — proposed Board of Behavioral Health rule changes ↗ (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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]