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LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) ↗

A social work license transfers from Ohio to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your Ohio license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: have ASWB send your passing score to the Board. The Board's out-of-state requirements accept the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam for the LISW (AP or CP). The LISW-CP requirements sheet names the Clinical exam for the CP tier. No South Carolina jurisprudence exam was found..

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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 South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) by endorsement, with your Ohio license verified and your ASWB score transferred.

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

What changes, Ohio → South Carolina

Side-by-side: Ohio vs South Carolina (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Ohio (current)South Carolina (destination)
SW Compact statusSW Compact enacted — not yet issuingLicensure 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.)$45 (Initial application fee per the Board's fee page and its Out-of-State LISW requirements sheet (both viewed as Internet Archive copies; llr.sc.gov refused automated connections on 2026-09-27).)
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.)No processing time is published. The Board holds regular meetings four times a year (S.C. Code 40-63-50), and files with 'yes' answers are reviewed case by case.
Licensing authorityOhio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT)South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation)

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Apply and pay the $45 non-refundable application fee.
  5. Send the Board's 'Verification of Social Work License' form to every state where you are or were licensed.
  6. Have your school send an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or doctorate.
  7. Have ASWB send your passing exam score to the Board.
  8. For the LISW-CP, show 45 academic contact hours each in psychopathology and psychodiagnostics.
  9. Explain any 'yes' answer (discipline, complaint, conviction) with documents; the Board may require an appearance.
  10. Pay the fees ($45 (Initial application fee per the Board's fee page and its Out-of-State LISW requirements sheet (both viewed as Internet Archive copies; llr.sc.gov refused automated connections on 2026-09-27).)) and allow No processing time is published. The Board holds regular meetings four times a year (S.C. Code 40-63-50), and files with 'yes' answers are reviewed case by case..

Official links

South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) ↗South Carolina application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: South Carolina → OhioSocial Work in OhioSocial Work in South CarolinaAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does South Carolina accept an Ohio social work license?

A social work license transfers from Ohio to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your Ohio license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: have ASWB send your passing score to the Board. The Board's out-of-state requirements accept the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam for the LISW (AP or CP). The LISW-CP requirements sheet names the Clinical exam for the CP tier. No South Carolina jurisprudence exam was found..

Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Ohio to South Carolina?

The ASWB exam is not retaken: have ASWB send your passing score to the Board. The Board's out-of-state requirements accept the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam for the LISW (AP or CP). The LISW-CP requirements sheet names the Clinical exam for the CP tier. No South Carolina jurisprudence exam was found. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

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

$45 (Initial application fee per the Board's fee page and its Out-of-State LISW requirements sheet (both viewed as Internet Archive copies; llr.sc.gov refused automated connections on 2026-09-27).) Processing: No processing time is published. The Board holds regular meetings four times a year (S.C. Code 40-63-50), and files with 'yes' answers are reviewed case by case.

Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?

No. Ohio has enacted it and South Carolina has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) is the route.

Will South Carolina 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. South Carolina's rule, where the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and 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]