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LicenseReciprocity

Social Work License from Ohio to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) ↗

Both Ohio and Maine 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.

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Verdict

Compact enacted — endorsement for now

Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.

Ohio and Maine 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 Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.

Ohio calls its clinical license the LISW. Maine knows the same tier by its own title, so apply for the Maine license that authorizes independent clinical practice rather than one whose initials happen to match.

What changes, Ohio → Maine

Side-by-side: Ohio vs Maine (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Ohio (current)Maine (destination)
SW Compact statusSW Compact enacted — not yet issuingSW Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Application fee$100 (LISW reciprocal application fee per the Board's Out of State Applicants page; + $3.50 eLicense processing fee; + BCI/FBI fingerprinting fees paid to the vendor (amount not published by the Board). LISW then renews every two years at $103.50 including the eLicense fee.)$70 (The Board's licensing page lists $70 license fee plus $21 criminal history check for initial issuance; all fees nonrefundable. Renewal is $70 every 2 years.)
Processing time2–6 weeks (The Board says to allow at least 10 business days for LISW application processing; out-of-state fingerprint checks can take 4-6 weeks, so applicants fingerprinted outside Ohio should expect the longer end. Files with a criminal history may need Board review, and the Board meets every 60 days.)The Board's pages state no processing time; applicants can check application status online.
Licensing authorityOhio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT)Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold an active LCSW-equivalent license from a U.S. jurisdiction whose pathway requires a social work master's, the ASWB Clinical exam and supervised clinical experience.
  5. Submit the Online Endorsement Application for Licensure.
  6. Have official verifications sent for every professional license you hold or have ever held, including expired ones.
  7. Be in good standing everywhere licensed: no pending complaints, restrictions, surrenders or revocations.
  8. Complete the criminal history record check required for initial licensure.
  9. Pay the fees ($70 (The Board's licensing page lists $70 license fee plus $21 criminal history check for initial issuance; all fees nonrefundable. Renewal is $70 every 2 years.)) and allow The Board's pages state no processing time; applicants can check application status online..

Official links

Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) ↗Maine application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Maine → OhioSocial Work in OhioSocial Work in MaineAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Maine accept an Ohio social work license?

Both Ohio and Maine 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 Ohio to Maine?

No exam is retaken and no score report is listed among the endorsement documents: Maine's Chapter 12 test is whether your licensing jurisdiction's pathway requires, at minimum, a social work master's, the ASWB Clinical exam and supervised clinical experience. Maine's own LC route requires the ASWB Clinical exam. No Maine jurisprudence exam is listed. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the Ohio-to-Maine move cost and how long does it take?

$70 (The Board's licensing page lists $70 license fee plus $21 criminal history check for initial issuance; all fees nonrefundable. Renewal is $70 every 2 years.) Processing: The Board's pages state no processing time; applicants can check application status online.

Ohio and Maine are both compact states. Can I practice in Maine on my Ohio license?

No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in Maine. You need a Maine license from the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation).

Will Maine accept the supervised hours I completed in Ohio?

Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Maine's rule, where the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure (Office of Professional and Occupational 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.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]