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Social Work License from Tennessee to South Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners ↗

Both Tennessee and South Dakota have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.

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Verdict

Compact enacted — endorsement for now

Interim path until the compact activates: licensure by endorsement.

Tennessee and South Dakota have both enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27. Shared enactment changes nothing about this move today: you apply to the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.

What changes, Tennessee → South Dakota

Side-by-side: Tennessee vs South Dakota (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Tennessee (current)South Dakota (destination)
SW Compact statusSW Compact enacted — not yet issuingSW Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Application fee$100 (Clinical social worker application fee under Rule 1365-01-.05(3). The same rule requires a separate $125 license fee and a $10 state regulatory fee (biennial). The endorsement/verification fee is $0. Background-check vendor fees are extra. The only license fee refundable on written request is the $125.)$210 (Application fee for Certified Social Worker-Private Independent Practice per the Board's fee schedule (non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $105.)
Processing timeThe Board's page and rules publish no processing time.No processing time is published. A Board review officer approves applications.
Licensing authorityTennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (Tennessee Department of Health)South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a current CSW-PIP or equivalent independent license in another state.
  5. Submit the signed, notarized application and the application fee (check or money order).
  6. Have every state where you hold or held a license send official verification directly to the Board.
  7. Provide proof of supervision from your original licensing state; it must be substantially equivalent to South Dakota's (Verification of Out of State Experience form).
  8. Have your school send an official transcript for your highest degree.
  9. Have ASWB send a score report if your state's verification does not show the exam level and test passed.
  10. Pay the fees ($210 (Application fee for Certified Social Worker-Private Independent Practice per the Board's fee schedule (non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $105.)) and allow No processing time is published. A Board review officer approves applications..

Official links

South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners ↗South Dakota application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: South Dakota → TennesseeSocial Work in TennesseeSocial Work in South DakotaAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does South Dakota accept a Tennessee social work license?

Both Tennessee and South Dakota have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued (as of 2026-09-27). Until the compact activates, transfer your social work license the standard way: apply for licensure by endorsement.

Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Tennessee to South Dakota?

SDCL 36-26-18 exempts an out-of-state licensee from any exam if their state imposes substantially the same requirements and they passed a similar exam there. The Board accepts ASWB scores verified by another state; otherwise have ASWB send a score report directly. The Board's pages name no required ASWB category for the CSW-PIP and no state jurisprudence exam. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the Tennessee-to-South Dakota move cost and how long does it take?

$210 (Application fee for Certified Social Worker-Private Independent Practice per the Board's fee schedule (non-refundable). Biennial renewal is $105.) Processing: No processing time is published. A Board review officer approves applications.

Tennessee and South Dakota are both compact states. Can I practice in South Dakota on my Tennessee license?

No. The Social Work Licensure Compact was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so it authorizes no practice in South Dakota. You need a South Dakota license from the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners.

Will South Dakota accept the supervised hours I completed in Tennessee?

Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. South Dakota's rule, where the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners 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]