Transfer Your Social Work License to Tennessee: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (Tennessee Department of Health) ↗

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.

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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

Out-of-state social work license transfer requirements for Tennessee, verified 2026-09-27
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.
Additional requirements	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
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 ($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.)) and allow The Board's page and rules publish no processing time..

Official links

Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (Tennessee Department of Health) ↗Tennessee application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Tennessee:

All 39 origin states

Missouri → Tennessee Nebraska → Tennessee New Hampshire → Tennessee New Jersey → Tennessee New York → Tennessee North Carolina → Tennessee North Dakota → Tennessee Ohio → Tennessee Oklahoma → Tennessee Pennsylvania → Tennessee Rhode Island → Tennessee South Dakota → Tennessee Texas → Tennessee Utah → Tennessee Vermont → Tennessee Virginia → Tennessee Washington → Tennessee West Virginia → Tennessee Wisconsin → Tennessee

Nearby states

Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Tennessee:

Tennessee for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my social work license transfer to Tennessee?

Do I have to retake the ASWB exam to get licensed in Tennessee?

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. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

How much does a Tennessee clinical social work license cost for an out-of-state applicant?

$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.)

How long does the Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure (Tennessee Department of Health) take?

The Board's page and rules publish no processing time.

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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

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