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LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) ↗

A social work license transfers from Ohio to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC), verify your Ohio license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application..

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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 Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) by endorsement, with your Ohio license verified and your ASWB score transferred.

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

What changes, Ohio → Texas

Side-by-side: Ohio vs Texas (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Ohio (current)Texas (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.)$120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.)
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.)4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.)
Licensing authorityOhio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT)Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC)

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination no more than six months before applying.
  5. Submit a certified National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report.
  6. Complete the fingerprint-based criminal background check (instructions emailed after you submit).
  7. Have every jurisdiction where you hold or held a social work license complete the Verification of Licensure form.
  8. Have your school email an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or doctorate.
  9. Provide proof of U.S. citizenship or eligibility (e.g. REAL ID-compliant license, birth certificate, passport).
  10. Pay the fees ($120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.)) and allow 4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.).

Official links

Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) ↗Texas application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Texas → OhioSocial Work in OhioSocial Work in TexasAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Texas accept an Ohio social work license?

A social work license transfers from Ohio to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC), verify your Ohio license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application..

Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Ohio to Texas?

The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

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

$120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.) Processing: 4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.)

Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?

No. Ohio has enacted it and Texas has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) is the route.

Will Texas 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. Texas's rule, where the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) 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]