Social Work License from Texas to West Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: West Virginia Board of Social Work ↗
A social work license transfers from Texas to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Social Work, verify your Texas license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: an out-of-state applicant must have passed the ASWB Clinical exam and have ASWB send the official score report. West Virginia's LICSW application requires no state jurisprudence exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Only West Virginia has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and since the compact is not issuing multistate licenses anywhere, that difference does not affect this move. You apply to the West Virginia Board of Social Work by endorsement, with your Texas license verified and your ASWB score transferred.
What changes, Texas → West Virginia
| Texas (current) | West Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $120 (LCSW application fee per 22 TAC 885.1: $111 base + $4 Texas.gov + $5 OPP/eStrategy = $120 total. Fingerprinting vendor fees and the NPDB self-query fee are extra.) | $90 (The Board's active fee rule (25CSR3, eff. 2022-07-01) sets $90 to issue a regular LICSW biennial license and lists no separate application fee; the LICSW application form states no fee. Renewal is $76 biennially. An amended fee rule is marked 'In Progress' at the Secretary of State.) |
| Processing time | 4–6 weeks (BHEC says most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process. Its FY2025 figures for LCSW applications were a median of 15 days, an average of 34 days, and a maximum of 428. Staff usually send a deficiency notice within a few business days.) | The Board publishes no processing time. |
| Licensing authority | Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) | West Virginia Board of Social Work |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — West Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia Board of Social Work website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia Board of Social Work (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Mail the paper LICSW application to the Board (applications may not be faxed or emailed).
- Have ASWB send your passing Clinical exam score report directly.
- Submit a copy of each other-state license with verification of standing (web verification accepted).
- Unless you have been licensed at the clinical level for 10 or more years, document 2 years and 3,000 hours of practice with 100 hours of face-to-face supervision (your prior board's supervision paperwork or a board letter is accepted).
- Send an official MSW transcript (CSWE-accredited) and a copy of your driver's license or photo ID.
- Pay the fees ($90 (The Board's active fee rule (25CSR3, eff. 2022-07-01) sets $90 to issue a regular LICSW biennial license and lists no separate application fee; the LICSW application form states no fee. Renewal is $76 biennially. An amended fee rule is marked 'In Progress' at the Secretary of State.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing time..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does West Virginia accept a Texas social work license?
A social work license transfers from Texas to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Social Work, verify your Texas license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken: an out-of-state applicant must have passed the ASWB Clinical exam and have ASWB send the official score report. West Virginia's LICSW application requires no state jurisprudence exam..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Texas to West Virginia?
The ASWB exam is not retaken: an out-of-state applicant must have passed the ASWB Clinical exam and have ASWB send the official score report. West Virginia's LICSW application requires 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 Texas-to-West Virginia move cost and how long does it take?
$90 (The Board's active fee rule (25CSR3, eff. 2022-07-01) sets $90 to issue a regular LICSW biennial license and lists no separate application fee; the LICSW application form states no fee. Renewal is $76 biennially. An amended fee rule is marked 'In Progress' at the Secretary of State.) Processing: The Board publishes no processing time.
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. West Virginia has enacted it and Texas has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the West Virginia Board of Social Work is the route.
Will West Virginia accept the supervised hours I completed in Texas?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. West Virginia's rule, where the West Virginia Board of 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.
- WV Board of Social Work — Level D LICSW (out-of-state applicants) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WV Board of Social Work — Application for Licensed Independent Clinical Social Work License (rev. April 2021) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WV Board of Social Work — Regular License levels ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WV 25CSR3 Fee Schedule, eff. 2022-07-01 (Secretary of State) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- BHEC — Requirements for holders of a non-Texas LCSW ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- BHEC — How to become an LCSW ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- BHEC — Consolidated Rulebook for Social Work (March 2026), 22 TAC 885.1 fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- BHEC — Current Application Processing Timelines ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact map ↗ (accessed 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]