Social Work License from North Carolina to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) ↗
A social work license transfers from North Carolina to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), verify your North Carolina license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken. For endorsement you must have passed the approved ASWB exam for the license type (Clinical for the LCSW) or an equivalent, unless no exam was required when you were first licensed (IDAPA 24.14.01.100.04). The general approved-exam definition requires a pass within the previous seven years, but the endorsement rule does not repeat that limit. No Idaho jurisprudence exam is named in the rules..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Only North Carolina 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 Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) by endorsement, with your North Carolina license verified and your ASWB score transferred.
What changes, North Carolina → Idaho
| North Carolina (current) | Idaho (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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.) | $90 (Endorsement fee cap under IDAPA 24.14.01.400 (effective 2024-07-01), which lists maximum ('not to exceed') amounts: application $70, endorsement $90; the LCSW license fee is up to $70 and renewal up to $90. The DOPL site could not be reached on 2026-09-27 to confirm the amounts actually charged.) |
| 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.) | Not verified. The Idaho DOPL website and the Idaho administrative-rules and legislature sites refused connections on 2026-09-27. |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB) | Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Meet the endorsement requirements of Idaho Code 54-3208.
- Have passed the ASWB Clinical exam or an equivalent, unless no exam was required at your original licensure.
- Submit the notarized application and the endorsement fee to the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses.
- Pay the fees ($90 (Endorsement fee cap under IDAPA 24.14.01.400 (effective 2024-07-01), which lists maximum ('not to exceed') amounts: application $70, endorsement $90; the LCSW license fee is up to $70 and renewal up to $90. The DOPL site could not be reached on 2026-09-27 to confirm the amounts actually charged.)) and allow Not verified. The Idaho DOPL website and the Idaho administrative-rules and legislature sites refused connections on 2026-09-27..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho accept a North Carolina social work license?
A social work license transfers from North Carolina to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), verify your North Carolina license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken. For endorsement you must have passed the approved ASWB exam for the license type (Clinical for the LCSW) or an equivalent, unless no exam was required when you were first licensed (IDAPA 24.14.01.100.04). The general approved-exam definition requires a pass within the previous seven years, but the endorsement rule does not repeat that limit. No Idaho jurisprudence exam is named in the rules..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from North Carolina to Idaho?
The ASWB exam is not retaken. For endorsement you must have passed the approved ASWB exam for the license type (Clinical for the LCSW) or an equivalent, unless no exam was required when you were first licensed (IDAPA 24.14.01.100.04). The general approved-exam definition requires a pass within the previous seven years, but the endorsement rule does not repeat that limit. No Idaho jurisprudence exam is named in the rules. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the North Carolina-to-Idaho move cost and how long does it take?
$90 (Endorsement fee cap under IDAPA 24.14.01.400 (effective 2024-07-01), which lists maximum ('not to exceed') amounts: application $70, endorsement $90; the LCSW license fee is up to $70 and renewal up to $90. The DOPL site could not be reached on 2026-09-27 to confirm the amounts actually charged.) Processing: Not verified. The Idaho DOPL website and the Idaho administrative-rules and legislature sites refused connections on 2026-09-27.
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. North Carolina has enacted it and Idaho has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) is the route.
Will Idaho 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. Idaho's rule, where the Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) 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.
- IDAPA 24.14.01.100 — Licensure (Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners rules, official text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- IDAPA 24.14.01.400 — Fees (official 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)
- 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]