Social Work License from South Carolina to New York: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) ↗
A social work license transfers from South Carolina to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work), verify your South Carolina license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB must send the Clinical exam score directly to NYSED (scores from the candidate or other jurisdictions are not accepted). Endorsement requires that your initial clinical license was based on the ASWB clinical social work exam. No New York jurisprudence exam; New York-approved child-abuse identification and reporting coursework is required of all LCSW applicants..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither South Carolina nor New York has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and it is not issuing licenses anywhere in any case, so this is a plain endorsement move. The New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) verifies your South Carolina license, accepts your ASWB score by transfer, and adds its own requirements.
What changes, South Carolina → New York
| South Carolina (current) | New York (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application 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).) | $294 ($294 fee for licensure and first registration (same fee for endorsement and standard applicants). Partial refunds may be available on withdrawal.) |
| Processing time | 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. | NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page. |
| Licensing authority | South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New York sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New York's current requirements on the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- File Form 1 (Application for Licensure) with the $294 fee.
- Show at least 10 years of licensed clinical social work practice in the 15 years before applying (Forms 4E and 4F) to qualify for endorsement.
- Have your school verify your MSW with clinical content on Form 2.
- Have each jurisdiction where you are licensed verify your initial basis of licensure and good standing on Form 3.
- Have ASWB send your Clinical exam score directly to NYSED.
- Complete New York State-approved training in identifying and reporting child abuse.
- Pay the fees ($294 ($294 fee for licensure and first registration (same fee for endorsement and standard applicants). Partial refunds may be available on withdrawal.)) and allow NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New York accept a South Carolina social work license?
A social work license transfers from South Carolina to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work), verify your South Carolina license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB must send the Clinical exam score directly to NYSED (scores from the candidate or other jurisdictions are not accepted). Endorsement requires that your initial clinical license was based on the ASWB clinical social work exam. No New York jurisprudence exam; New York-approved child-abuse identification and reporting coursework is required of all LCSW applicants..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from South Carolina to New York?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; ASWB must send the Clinical exam score directly to NYSED (scores from the candidate or other jurisdictions are not accepted). Endorsement requires that your initial clinical license was based on the ASWB clinical social work exam. No New York jurisprudence exam; New York-approved child-abuse identification and reporting coursework is required of all LCSW applicants. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the South Carolina-to-New York move cost and how long does it take?
$294 ($294 fee for licensure and first registration (same fee for endorsement and standard applicants). Partial refunds may be available on withdrawal.) Processing: NYSED publishes no processing time on the LCSW requirements page.
Will New York accept the supervised hours I completed in South Carolina?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. New York's rule, where the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (State Board for Social Work) 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.
- NYSED Office of the Professions — LCSW License Requirements (incl. Applicants Licensed in Another State) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Licensed Clinical Social Worker profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SC Board of Social Work Examiners — Requirements for Independent Level Licensure, Out of State Applicants (Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SC Board of Social Work Examiners — Requirements for LISW-CP (Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SC Board of Social Work Examiners — Licensure Fees (Internet Archive copy of 2025-12-01) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 63 (incl. 40-63-260 applicants licensed in another jurisdiction; Social Work Interstate Compact, Article 3) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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