Social Work License from North Dakota to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Kentucky Board of Social Work ↗
Both North Dakota and Kentucky 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 for licensure by endorsement.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky Board of Social Work through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, North Dakota → Kentucky
| North Dakota (current) | Kentucky (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.) | $25 ($25 nonrefundable application fee paid online; after review the Board invoices the LCSW license fee of $200 (201 KAR 23:020 lists LCSW initial and renewal license fees of $200). No fingerprint/background-check fee is described on the Board's licensure page.) |
| 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. | The Board's licensure page states no processing time. Out-of-state licensees who need to practise sooner can get a non-renewable 90-day temporary permit (201 KAR 23:160). |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners (NDBSWE) | Kentucky Board of Social Work |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Board of Social Work website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Kentucky Board of Social Work (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply online for the LCSW (Kentucky has no reciprocity with any state, so out-of-state licensees use the standard application).
- Have ASWB send an Official Transfer Score Report directly to the Board.
- Have your university send the official transcript conferring your social work degree directly to the Board.
- Have every state board where you hold a license send official license verification directly to the Board.
- Document two years plus 150 hours of supervision by an approved LCSW, or show clinical-level licensure elsewhere and/or five years of active clinical practice.
- Pay the fees ($25 ($25 nonrefundable application fee paid online; after review the Board invoices the LCSW license fee of $200 (201 KAR 23:020 lists LCSW initial and renewal license fees of $200). No fingerprint/background-check fee is described on the Board's licensure page.)) and allow The Board's licensure page states no processing time. Out-of-state licensees who need to practise sooner can get a non-renewable 90-day temporary permit (201 KAR 23:160)..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kentucky accept a North Dakota social work license?
Both North Dakota and Kentucky 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 for licensure by endorsement.
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from North Dakota to Kentucky?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; ask ASWB to send an 'Official Transfer Score Report' directly to the Board. Kentucky accepts the ASWB Bachelors, Masters and Clinical categories and does NOT accept the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam. The Board's licensure page names no separate Kentucky jurisprudence exam. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the North Dakota-to-Kentucky move cost and how long does it take?
$25 ($25 nonrefundable application fee paid online; after review the Board invoices the LCSW license fee of $200 (201 KAR 23:020 lists LCSW initial and renewal license fees of $200). No fingerprint/background-check fee is described on the Board's licensure page.) Processing: The Board's licensure page states no processing time. Out-of-state licensees who need to practise sooner can get a non-renewable 90-day temporary permit (201 KAR 23:160).
North Dakota and Kentucky are both compact states. Can I practice in Kentucky 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 Kentucky. You need a Kentucky license from the Kentucky Board of Social Work.
Will Kentucky 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. Kentucky's rule, where the Kentucky Board of Social Work 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.
- Kentucky Board of Social Work — Licensure page, 'Out of State Licenses' section (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-06-15; bsw.ky.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 201 KAR 23:020 Fees (LII reproduction of the Kentucky Administrative Regulations; apps.legislature.ky.gov did not respond) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 201 KAR 23:060 LSW, CSW and LCSW license categories (LII reproduction of the Kentucky Administrative Regulations) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Kentucky Administrative Regulations Chapter 23 index incl. 201 KAR 23:012 Social Work Licensure Compact (LII reproduction) ↗ (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]