Social Work License from North Carolina to Hawaii: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing, Social Worker Program ↗
No — Hawaii has no reciprocity or endorsement path for North Carolina social work license holders. You must apply to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing, Social Worker Program as a new applicant and meet Hawaii's full licensing requirements, including any exams it requires that you have not already passed.
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Verdict
Full re-application
Hawaii has no endorsement route for a clinical social worker licensed in North Carolina, so this is a full application to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing, Social Worker Program. Your ASWB score still stands, but expect the board to review your MSW and supervised experience against Hawaii's own standard as if you were applying for the first time. Leave extra time.
What changes, North Carolina → Hawaii
| North Carolina (current) | Hawaii (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Full re-application required |
| Application fee | $145 ($145 nonrefundable application fee per credential level, by certified check, money order or cashier's check (no personal checks). LCSW biennial renewal is $150. The Board may run a criminal or disciplinary history check; no separate fee is stated.) | $298–$478 (Paid with the application by applicants who already passed the exam, depending on the year of the triennium: $478 in year 1, $388 in year 2, $298 in year 3. Each total includes the $60 non-refundable application fee, the $195 license fee, a Compliance Resolution Fund charge and a pro-rated renewal (LCSW application form LSW-09 0925).) |
| Processing time | ~4 weeks (The Board says review and processing generally take at least 30 days once the application is complete and may be extended; no upper bound is published.) | The application form gives no processing time. |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB) | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing, Social Worker Program |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Hawaii sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Hawaii's initial-licensure requirements on the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing, Social Worker Program website (linked below).
- Expect to meet Hawaii's education/experience requirements and pass any required exams you have not already passed — a national exam you passed often still counts, as can prior out-of-state licensure toward experience.
- Submit the standard (new applicant) application with fees ($298–$478 (Paid with the application by applicants who already passed the exam, depending on the year of the triennium: $478 in year 1, $388 in year 2, $298 in year 3. Each total includes the $60 non-refundable application fee, the $195 license fee, a Compliance Resolution Fund charge and a pro-rated renewal (LCSW application form LSW-09 0925).)).
- Allow The application form gives no processing time..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Hawaii accept a North Carolina social work license?
No — Hawaii has no reciprocity or endorsement path for North Carolina social work license holders. You must apply to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing, Social Worker Program as a new applicant and meet Hawaii's full licensing requirements, including any exams it requires that you have not already passed.
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from North Carolina to Hawaii?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: applicants who already passed the ASWB Clinical exam (or level 'C' before 1990) have ASWB send official score verification through ASWB Score Transfer. No Hawaii jurisprudence exam is required. Hawaii has no separate endorsement route; out-of-state licensees use the standard LCSW application. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the North Carolina-to-Hawaii move cost and how long does it take?
$298–$478 (Paid with the application by applicants who already passed the exam, depending on the year of the triennium: $478 in year 1, $388 in year 2, $298 in year 3. Each total includes the $60 non-refundable application fee, the $195 license fee, a Compliance Resolution Fund charge and a pro-rated renewal (LCSW application form LSW-09 0925).) Processing: The application form gives no processing time.
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. North Carolina has enacted it and Hawaii has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. A full new-applicant application to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing, Social Worker Program is the route.
Will Hawaii accept the supervised hours I completed in North Carolina?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Hawaii's rule, where the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs — Professional and Vocational Licensing, Social Worker Program 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.
- Hawaii DCCA PVL — Requirements & Instructions, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Application (LSW-09 0925) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Hawaii DCCA PVL — Social Worker Program ↗ (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)
- NCSWCLB — Application for Certification/Licensure packet (v2026-05-26), incl. Certification/Licensure by Substantial Equivalency (Comity) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NCSWCLB — Levels and Eligibility Requirements (LCSW exam, experience, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NCSWCLB — Application FAQs (processing time) ↗ (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]