Social Work License from North Carolina to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) ↗
A social work license transfers from North Carolina to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your North Carolina license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: have ASWB send your passing score to the Board. The Board's out-of-state requirements accept the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam for the LISW (AP or CP). The LISW-CP requirements sheet names the Clinical exam for the CP tier. No South Carolina jurisprudence exam was found..
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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 South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) by endorsement, with your North Carolina license verified and your ASWB score transferred.
What changes, North Carolina → South Carolina
| North Carolina (current) | South Carolina (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.) | $45 (Initial application fee per the Board's fee page and its Out-of-State LISW requirements sheet (both viewed as Internet Archive copies; llr.sc.gov refused automated connections on 2026-09-27).) |
| 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.) | No processing time is published. The Board holds regular meetings four times a year (S.C. Code 40-63-50), and files with 'yes' answers are reviewed case by case. |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board (NCSWCLB) | South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply and pay the $45 non-refundable application fee.
- Send the Board's 'Verification of Social Work License' form to every state where you are or were licensed.
- Have your school send an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or doctorate.
- Have ASWB send your passing exam score to the Board.
- For the LISW-CP, show 45 academic contact hours each in psychopathology and psychodiagnostics.
- Explain any 'yes' answer (discipline, complaint, conviction) with documents; the Board may require an appearance.
- Pay the fees ($45 (Initial application fee per the Board's fee page and its Out-of-State LISW requirements sheet (both viewed as Internet Archive copies; llr.sc.gov refused automated connections on 2026-09-27).)) and allow No processing time is published. The Board holds regular meetings four times a year (S.C. Code 40-63-50), and files with 'yes' answers are reviewed case by case..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does South Carolina accept a North Carolina social work license?
A social work license transfers from North Carolina to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your North Carolina license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: have ASWB send your passing score to the Board. The Board's out-of-state requirements accept the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam for the LISW (AP or CP). The LISW-CP requirements sheet names the Clinical exam for the CP tier. No South Carolina jurisprudence exam was found..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from North Carolina to South Carolina?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: have ASWB send your passing score to the Board. The Board's out-of-state requirements accept the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam for the LISW (AP or CP). The LISW-CP requirements sheet names the Clinical exam for the CP tier. No South Carolina jurisprudence exam was found. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the North Carolina-to-South Carolina move cost and how long does it take?
$45 (Initial application fee per the Board's fee page and its Out-of-State LISW requirements sheet (both viewed as Internet Archive copies; llr.sc.gov refused automated connections on 2026-09-27).) Processing: No processing time is published. The Board holds regular meetings four times a year (S.C. Code 40-63-50), and files with 'yes' answers are reviewed case by case.
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. North Carolina has enacted it and South Carolina has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) is the route.
Will South Carolina 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. South Carolina's rule, where the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) 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.
- SC Board of Social Work Examiners — Requirements for Independent Level Licensure, Out of State Applicants (Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SC Board of Social Work Examiners — Requirements for LISW-CP (Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SC Board of Social Work Examiners — Licensure Fees (Internet Archive copy of 2025-12-01) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 63 (incl. 40-63-260 applicants licensed in another jurisdiction; Social Work Interstate Compact, Article 3) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions (SC not listed) ↗ (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]