Social Work License from Ohio to New Mexico: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners (Regulation & Licensing Department) ↗
A social work license transfers from Ohio to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners (Regulation & Licensing Department), verify your Ohio license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken by out-of-state licensees on the reciprocity/expedited route (Clinical exam for the LCSW). All applicants, including reciprocity applicants, must pass New Mexico's online jurisprudence exam inside the application (70% to pass, 3 attempts)..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Only Ohio 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 New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners (Regulation & Licensing Department) by endorsement, with your Ohio license verified and your ASWB score transferred.
Ohio calls its clinical license the LISW. New Mexico knows the same tier by its own title, so apply for the New Mexico license that authorizes independent clinical practice rather than one whose initials happen to match.
What changes, Ohio → New Mexico
| Ohio (current) | New Mexico (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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.) | $125 (Clinical Social Worker application for licensure fee $125, nonrefundable (Board fee page). No separate fingerprint fee is stated on the fee page.) |
| Processing time | 2–6 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.) | No processing time is published; the Board says it will decide whether a file goes through Expedited Licensure or Reciprocity and emails status letters listing required documents. |
| Licensing authority | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT) | New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners (Regulation & Licensing Department) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Mexico sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Mexico's current requirements on the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners (Regulation & Licensing Department) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners (Regulation & Licensing Department) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply online for the LCSW, answering 'Yes' to holding a social work license outside New Mexico so the reciprocity section opens.
- Enter your out-of-state license number, issuing state and dates, and upload the documents the portal requests for reciprocity.
- Pass the New Mexico jurisprudence exam within the application.
- Verify that you meet New Mexico's cultural-awareness requirement (the Board offers a 6-hour NM culture course).
- Pay the fees ($125 (Clinical Social Worker application for licensure fee $125, nonrefundable (Board fee page). No separate fingerprint fee is stated on the fee page.)) and allow No processing time is published; the Board says it will decide whether a file goes through Expedited Licensure or Reciprocity and emails status letters listing required documents..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Mexico accept an Ohio social work license?
A social work license transfers from Ohio to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners (Regulation & Licensing Department), verify your Ohio license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken by out-of-state licensees on the reciprocity/expedited route (Clinical exam for the LCSW). All applicants, including reciprocity applicants, must pass New Mexico's online jurisprudence exam inside the application (70% to pass, 3 attempts)..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Ohio to New Mexico?
The ASWB exam is not retaken by out-of-state licensees on the reciprocity/expedited route (Clinical exam for the LCSW). All applicants, including reciprocity applicants, must pass New Mexico's online jurisprudence exam inside the application (70% to pass, 3 attempts). ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Ohio-to-New Mexico move cost and how long does it take?
$125 (Clinical Social Worker application for licensure fee $125, nonrefundable (Board fee page). No separate fingerprint fee is stated on the fee page.) Processing: No processing time is published; the Board says it will decide whether a file goes through Expedited Licensure or Reciprocity and emails status letters listing required documents.
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. Ohio has enacted it and New Mexico has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners (Regulation & Licensing Department) is the route.
Will New Mexico 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. New Mexico's rule, where the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners (Regulation & Licensing Department) 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.
- NM Board of Social Work Examiners — LCSW Application Manual (July 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NM Board of Social Work Examiners — FAQs (out-of-state licensees: expedited licensure or reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NM Board of Social Work Examiners — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NM Board of Social Work Examiners — Licensing, Registration, and Renewal ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board — Out-of-State Social Workers ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board — Out of State Applicants (reciprocity steps and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board — Social Workers (LISW exam change, July 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board — Licensed Independent Social Worker FAQs ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board — BCI and FBI background checks ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio CSWMFT Board — General Renewal Instructions (renewal fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- ASWB — Sending your exam results to another state or province ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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