Social Work License from North Dakota to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists ↗
Both North Dakota and Georgia have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply under the destination state's standard out-of-state process.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact enacted — endorsement for now
Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.
North Dakota and Georgia have both enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27. Shared enactment changes nothing about this move today: you apply to the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists through its full new-applicant process, because Georgia offers no endorsement route, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, North Dakota → Georgia
| North Dakota (current) | Georgia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $150 (LCSW reciprocity application fee per the Board's reciprocity page (archived 2026-05-16 copy; live site refused connections on 2026-09-27). Criminal history and child-abuse check costs are paid by the applicant (N.D.C.C. 43-41-04.2); the amount is not published on the page. NDAC 75.5-02-03-03 lists a $75 biennial renewal fee.) | $100 (The Board's fee schedule (04/18/2023) lists a $100 application fee for CSW applications, plus a $10 processing fee on mail-in applications. The Board no longer accepts paper applications, and GOALS shows the current fee schedule. The schedule's separate $350 licensure-by-endorsement fee is marked 'NOT APPLICABLE TO SOCIAL WORKERS'.) |
| Processing time | The Board publishes no processing time. A Board member reviews each file once all items are received, and the nationwide fingerprint check adds time. | ~4 weeks (The Board says applications are generally processed within 20 business days of receipt (about 4 weeks). The count restarts after a deficiency letter. Complete applications then go to the next Board meeting and must arrive at least 15 days before it.) |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners (NDBSWE) | Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Review Georgia's initial-licensure requirements on the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists website (linked below).
- Expect to meet Georgia'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 ($100 (The Board's fee schedule (04/18/2023) lists a $100 application fee for CSW applications, plus a $10 processing fee on mail-in applications. The Board no longer accepts paper applications, and GOALS shows the current fee schedule. The schedule's separate $350 licensure-by-endorsement fee is marked 'NOT APPLICABLE TO SOCIAL WORKERS'.)).
- Allow ~4 weeks (The Board says applications are generally processed within 20 business days of receipt (about 4 weeks). The count restarts after a deficiency letter. Complete applications then go to the next Board meeting and must arrive at least 15 days before it.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia accept a North Dakota social work license?
Both North Dakota and Georgia have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply under the destination state's standard out-of-state process.
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from North Dakota to Georgia?
The ASWB Clinical exam is not retaken: an out-of-state LCSW applies by 'Exam Waiver' and submits the national exam passing score report. No Georgia jurisprudence exam is listed. However, the Board does NOT offer clinical social work licensure by endorsement or reciprocity; you must otherwise meet all of Georgia's CSW requirements. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the North Dakota-to-Georgia move cost and how long does it take?
$100 (The Board's fee schedule (04/18/2023) lists a $100 application fee for CSW applications, plus a $10 processing fee on mail-in applications. The Board no longer accepts paper applications, and GOALS shows the current fee schedule. The schedule's separate $350 licensure-by-endorsement fee is marked 'NOT APPLICABLE TO SOCIAL WORKERS'.) Processing: ~4 weeks (The Board says applications are generally processed within 20 business days of receipt (about 4 weeks). The count restarts after a deficiency letter. Complete applications then go to the next Board meeting and must arrive at least 15 days before it.)
North Dakota and Georgia are both compact states. Can I practice in Georgia on my North Dakota license?
No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Georgia. You need a Georgia license from the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists.
Will Georgia accept the supervised hours I completed in North Dakota?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Georgia's rule, where the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage & Family Therapists 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.
- Georgia Secretary of State — How to Guide: Clinical Social Worker ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia Composite Board — Fee Schedule (04/18/2023) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 135-5-.04 — Clinical Social Workers (official rule text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 135-3-.04 — Licensure by Endorsement (PC and MFT only) (official rule text via Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia Composite Board — Clinical Social Worker Form N (verification of licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NDBSWE — Application for Licensed Clinical Social Worker Licensed by Reciprocity (Internet Archive copy of 2026-05-16; live site refused automated connections) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- N.D.C.C. chapter 43-41 (Social Workers), incl. 43-41-04 and 43-41-07 ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NDAC 75.5-02-05 — Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NDAC 75.5-02-03 — The Licensing Process (examination, fees) ↗ (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]