Transfer Your Social Work License to Tennessee: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my social work license transfer to Tennessee?
Tennessee does not transfer your license as-is, but you do not start over: the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (Tennessee Department of Health) grants its clinical-level social work license by endorsement, crediting your existing ASWB pass. 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.). Processing: The Board's page and rules publish no processing time. Tennessee has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but it was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so the compact does not change this application.
Moving to Tennessee from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Tennessee's legislature has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and you may see Tennessee described as a compact state. In practice that means nothing yet. No multistate license has been issued anywhere, there is no application to file, and a license from another compact state gives you no right to practice in Tennessee. Plan on the endorsement file below; the compact becomes relevant only once the commission launches, and its stated target for the data system that launch depends on is Spring 2027.
Tennessee's clinical license is the LCSW. The other tiers are the LBSW, LMSW and LAPSW (advanced practice, non-clinical). Reciprocity is open only to applicants who live or work in Tennessee. An applicant who does not qualify must apply by examination, and documented supervision meeting Rule 1365-01-.04(4) lets them sit for the exam without first holding a Tennessee LMSW. By-exam LCSWs need at least 3,000 clinical hours plus 100 supervision hours over 2 to 8 years. The rules version read (September 2024) is the current one on the Secretary of State's site. Tennessee has ENACTED the Social Work Licensure Compact, but the compact is not issuing multistate licenses yet.
Tennessee requirements at a glance
| Exam | The ASWB exam is not retaken. By-exam LCSW applicants need the ASWB clinical exam (Rule 1365-01-.04(4)). The reciprocity rule (1365-01-.04(5)) names no ASWB category but requires proof that you have NOT previously failed the Board's required exam. No Tennessee jurisprudence exam is required. |
|---|---|
| Fees | $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.) |
| Processing time | The Board's page and rules publish no processing time |
Step by step
- Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (Tennessee Department of Health) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (Tennessee Department of Health) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Reside or be employed in Tennessee (a condition of licensure by reciprocity).
- Have the Board's vendor send your criminal background check results directly to the Board.
- Submit a letter of good standing from another state's licensing board.
- Prove that you have not previously failed the Board's required exam.
- Submit a photocopy of your original license and your current renewal certificate, plus a passport-style photo taken within the last 12 months.
- Disclose any criminal convictions, licensure discipline, and civil judgments or settlements.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Tennessee:
Nearby states
Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Tennessee:
Tennessee for other professions
- Nursing in Tennessee
- Cosmetology / Barber in Tennessee
- Real Estate in Tennessee
- Contractor in Tennessee
- Teaching in Tennessee
- CPA / Accounting in Tennessee
- Electrician in Tennessee
- Plumber in Tennessee
- Engineering in Tennessee
- Pharmacy in Tennessee
- Physical Therapy in Tennessee
- Psychology in Tennessee
- Counseling in Tennessee
- Occupational Therapy in Tennessee
Frequently asked questions
Is Tennessee in the Social Work Licensure Compact?
Tennessee has enacted it, but the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. No one can practice in Tennessee on a compact license yet; endorsement through the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (Tennessee Department of Health) is the route.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 1365-01 (rev. Sept. 2024), incl. 1365-01-.04(5) Licensure by Reciprocity and 1365-01-.05 Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Department of Health — Board of Social Workers ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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