Social Work License from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Wisconsin accept a Pennsylvania social work license?
A social work license transfers from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Wisconsin's endorsement requirements. For reciprocity, DSPS compares your state's licensing standards with Wisconsin's; your ASWB score is accepted if ASWB sends it directly and it is for the same level you are applying for (Clinical). All applicants must ALSO pass the open-book Wisconsin Statutes and Rules exam, unless they took it within the last five years.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact question does not arise here. Wisconsin has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact and Pennsylvania has not, but nothing is being issued in either, so the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS)'s endorsement process below is the whole route.
What's different between Pennsylvania and Wisconsin
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Wisconsin. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Pennsylvania to Wisconsin (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Wisconsin to Pennsylvania (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Pennsylvania matter?
Coming from Pennsylvania matters here: only 18 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Wisconsin.
The others get: compact enacted — not yet issuing; until it issues, licensure by endorsement (32).
- SW Compact membership
Wisconsin has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact; Pennsylvania has not.
- Application fee
Pennsylvania lists $90 for the reverse move; Wisconsin has no verified fee figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Wisconsin and Pennsylvania carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Wisconsin (this move): For reciprocity, DSPS compares your state's licensing standards with Wisconsin's; your ASWB score is accepted if ASWB sends it directly and it is for the same level you are applying for (Clinical). All applicants must ALSO pass the open-book Wisconsin Statutes and Rules exam, unless they took it within the last five years.
- Pennsylvania (the reverse move): The ASWB exam is not retaken: Pennsylvania requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical examination for the LCSW, and an endorsement applicant must meet the Board's examination requirement. Send the score through ASWB Score Transfer. No Pennsylvania jurisprudence exam, but 3 hours of Board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting training are required for initial licensure.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Wisconsin
| Pennsylvania (current) | Wisconsin (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $90 (49 Pa. Code 47.4 sets one fee for 'licensure and original license issuance as a licensed clinical social worker': $90. Biennial renewal is $95. Any criminal-history check costs are not stated on the LCSW snapshot.) | DSPS says only 'pay appropriate fee(s) online via LicensE' and publishes renewal fees ($62 for the LCSW, per the RDAF chart rev. 08/07/2025), not the initial or reciprocal application fee. Not verified, so left null |
| Processing time | Neither the Board's LCSW licensure snapshot nor 49 Pa. Code ch. 47 states an endorsement processing time | DSPS publishes no processing time for LCSW reciprocity. A temporary license while an application is pending is possible for credentialed out-of-state health providers (information sheet 2021-A101) |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors | Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Wisconsin sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Wisconsin's current requirements on the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Apply online in LicensE for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential and pay the fee.
- Pass the Wisconsin Statutes and Rules (open-book) exam, unless taken within the last five years.
- Have every state or territory where you are or were credentialed (active or inactive) send verification.
- Submit Form 2252 (convictions and pending charges) if applicable.
- Keep your out-of-state license active until DSPS finishes its equivalency comparison.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. Wisconsin has enacted it and Pennsylvania has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) is the route.
Will Wisconsin accept the supervised hours I completed in Pennsylvania?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Wisconsin's rule, where the Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) 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.
- Wisconsin DSPS — #2681 Credentialing Information for Licensed Clinical Social Worker Applicants (rev. 4/2022), incl. Reciprocal Applicants ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Social Worker, Licensed Clinical profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Reciprocity/Endorsement Not Available list ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Renewal Dates and Fees (RDAF, rev. 08/07/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- PA Department of State — Clinical Social Worker Licensure Requirements Snapshot (endorsement and Act 41) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 49 Pa. Code 47.4 — Licensure fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact map (PA bill pending) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com