Social Work License from North Dakota to Utah: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Social Work Licensing Board ↗
Both North Dakota and Utah 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 Utah 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 Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Social Work Licensing Board through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.
What changes, North Dakota → Utah
| North Dakota (current) | Utah (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.) | $120 (Clinical Social Worker application fee on DOPL's FY July 2025-June 2026 fee schedule (Internet Archive copy), also stated on the LCSW application as a $120 non-refundable application-processing fee. The schedule adds $12 for the FBI and $20 for the BCI fingerprint file search. Renewal is $103. The FY2026-27 schedule could not be retrieved.) |
| 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. | DOPL's archived LCSW endorsement pages state no processing time. |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners (NDBSWE) | Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Social Work Licensing Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Utah sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Utah's current requirements on the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Social Work Licensing Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Social Work Licensing Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an LCSW (or DOPL-designated equivalent) in good standing for at least one year in a jurisdiction DOPL deems equivalent, or document 4,000 hours of lawful practice with at least 1,000 in mental health therapy.
- Submit official primary-source verification of each license used to qualify.
- Submit official verification of a passing ASWB exam (Clinical for dual-scope jurisdictions).
- Document 3 hours of professional ethics CE and 2 hours of suicide prevention CE completed within the last three years.
- Complete the FBI and BCI fingerprint file searches billed on the fee schedule.
- Pay the fees ($120 (Clinical Social Worker application fee on DOPL's FY July 2025-June 2026 fee schedule (Internet Archive copy), also stated on the LCSW application as a $120 non-refundable application-processing fee. The schedule adds $12 for the FBI and $20 for the BCI fingerprint file search. Renewal is $103. The FY2026-27 schedule could not be retrieved.)) and allow DOPL's archived LCSW endorsement pages state no processing time..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Utah accept a North Dakota social work license?
Both North Dakota and Utah 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 Utah?
The ASWB exam is not retaken. Utah requires the ASWB Clinical exam (or the California Clinical Social Workers Exam). Applicants from 'dual scope' jurisdictions whose single license covers generalist and clinical practice must document a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam to be deemed equivalent; Advanced Generalist holders are pointed to the Utah CSW instead. Scores may be on the license verification or sent by ASWB. No Utah law exam is listed, but endorsement applicants must document 3 hours of ethics CE and 2 hours of suicide-prevention CE from the last three years. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the North Dakota-to-Utah move cost and how long does it take?
$120 (Clinical Social Worker application fee on DOPL's FY July 2025-June 2026 fee schedule (Internet Archive copy), also stated on the LCSW application as a $120 non-refundable application-processing fee. The schedule adds $12 for the FBI and $20 for the BCI fingerprint file search. Renewal is $103. The FY2026-27 schedule could not be retrieved.) Processing: DOPL's archived LCSW endorsement pages state no processing time.
North Dakota and Utah are both compact states. Can I practice in Utah 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 Utah. You need an Utah license from the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Social Work Licensing Board.
Will Utah 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. Utah's rule, where the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Social Work Licensing Board 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.
- Utah DOPL — LCSW Out-of-State Applicants Applying by Endorsement (Internet Archive copy of 2025-07-10; dopl.utah.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Utah DOPL — Endorsement to Utah: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (equivalency map; Internet Archive copy of 2025-08-12) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Utah DOPL — Licensed Clinical Social Worker Application (v20230629; Internet Archive copy) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Utah DOPL — Fee Schedule FY July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026 (Internet Archive copy of 2026-01-07) ↗ (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]