Social Work License from Ohio to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) ↗
A social work license transfers from Ohio to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW), verify your Ohio license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: the Board lists the ASWB Clinical exam for the LCSW and requires the score to be transferred via ASWB Score Transfer before the application is complete. Every applicant must ALSO pass the Oregon rules and laws exam (a downloadable open-book PDF; OAR 877-020-0008 sets a 90% pass mark)..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact question does not arise here. Ohio has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact and Oregon has not, but nothing is being issued in either, so the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW)'s endorsement process below is the whole route.
Ohio calls its clinical license the LISW. Oregon knows the same tier by its own title, so apply for the Oregon license that authorizes independent clinical practice rather than one whose initials happen to match.
What changes, Ohio → Oregon
| Ohio (current) | Oregon (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.) | $150 (LCSW application fee under OAR 877-001-0020(1)(d), non-refundable and due before approval. A separate $260 LCSW license issuance fee applies (OAR 877-001-0020(2)(d)). Fingerprinting vendor fees are extra. Active LCSW renewal is $343 per year.) |
| 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.) | The Board publishes no overall processing time. Background check and fingerprint results alone 'may take 2-6 weeks' to reach the Board. Review starts only when the application is complete. |
| Licensing authority | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT) | Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Upload an official license verification from every state where you hold or held a license.
- Have your ASWB Clinical exam score transferred to the Oregon BLSW.
- Take and pass the Oregon rules and laws exam and upload the signed answer sheet.
- Complete the fingerprint-based background check through Fieldprint (code FPORSocialWorkersDAS).
- Have your school send an official transcript.
- Submit the Experience Affidavit (licensed as an LCSW for more than one year) or the Previous Hours Form (less than one year).
- Pay the fees ($150 (LCSW application fee under OAR 877-001-0020(1)(d), non-refundable and due before approval. A separate $260 LCSW license issuance fee applies (OAR 877-001-0020(2)(d)). Fingerprinting vendor fees are extra. Active LCSW renewal is $343 per year.)) and allow The Board publishes no overall processing time. Background check and fingerprint results alone 'may take 2-6 weeks' to reach the Board. Review starts only when the application is complete..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Oregon accept an Ohio social work license?
A social work license transfers from Ohio to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW), verify your Ohio license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: the Board lists the ASWB Clinical exam for the LCSW and requires the score to be transferred via ASWB Score Transfer before the application is complete. Every applicant must ALSO pass the Oregon rules and laws exam (a downloadable open-book PDF; OAR 877-020-0008 sets a 90% pass mark)..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Ohio to Oregon?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: the Board lists the ASWB Clinical exam for the LCSW and requires the score to be transferred via ASWB Score Transfer before the application is complete. Every applicant must ALSO pass the Oregon rules and laws exam (a downloadable open-book PDF; OAR 877-020-0008 sets a 90% pass mark). ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Ohio-to-Oregon move cost and how long does it take?
$150 (LCSW application fee under OAR 877-001-0020(1)(d), non-refundable and due before approval. A separate $260 LCSW license issuance fee applies (OAR 877-001-0020(2)(d)). Fingerprinting vendor fees are extra. Active LCSW renewal is $343 per year.) Processing: The Board publishes no overall processing time. Background check and fingerprint results alone 'may take 2-6 weeks' to reach the Board. Review starts only when the application is complete.
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. Ohio has enacted it and Oregon has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) is the route.
Will Oregon 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. Oregon's rule, where the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) 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.
- Oregon BLSW — Apply for a License (licensure history, out-of-state hours, background check, rules and laws exam, ASWB exams) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OAR 877-001-0020 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OAR 877-020-0008 — Licensed Clinical Social Worker requirements ↗ (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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