Skip to content
LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) ↗

Texas does not transfer your license as-is, but you do not start over: the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) grants its clinical-level social work license by endorsement, crediting your existing ASWB pass. 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.). Processing: 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.). Texas has not enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact.

Moving to Texas from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Texas has not enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, which matters less than it sounds: the compact is not issuing licenses anywhere yet, so every social worker moving to any state follows that state's own licensing process, here the one below.

Texas's clinical license is the LCSW. The other tiers are the LBSW and LMSW. Texas no longer grants the non-clinical LMSW-AP, but it does issue non-clinical Independent Practice Recognition. If you have held another jurisdiction's LCSW equivalent in good standing for at least one year immediately before applying, all experience requirements are deemed met. Otherwise your non-Texas board, or your supervisor on the Clinical Supervision Verification form, must verify 3,000 supervised hours over at least 24 months with 100 hours of supervision. Texas has NOT enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact.

Texas requirements at a glance

Out-of-state social work license transfer requirements for Texas, verified 2026-09-27
ExamThe ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application.
Additional requirements
  • Complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination no more than six months before applying
  • Submit a certified National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report
  • Complete the fingerprint-based criminal background check (instructions emailed after you submit)
  • Have every jurisdiction where you hold or held a social work license complete the Verification of Licensure form
  • Have your school email an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or doctorate
  • Provide proof of U.S. citizenship or eligibility (e.g. REAL ID-compliant license, birth certificate, passport)
Fees$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.)
Processing time4–6 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.)

Step by step

  1. Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination no more than six months before applying.
  5. Submit a certified National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report.
  6. Complete the fingerprint-based criminal background check (instructions emailed after you submit).
  7. Have every jurisdiction where you hold or held a social work license complete the Verification of Licensure form.
  8. Have your school email an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or doctorate.
  9. Provide proof of U.S. citizenship or eligibility (e.g. REAL ID-compliant license, birth certificate, passport).
  10. Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 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.).

Official links

Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) ↗Texas application ↗License verification ↗

Coming from a specific state?

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

Alabama → TexasAlaska → TexasArizona → TexasArkansas → TexasCalifornia → TexasColorado → TexasConnecticut → TexasDelaware → TexasDistrict of Columbia → TexasFlorida → TexasGeorgia → TexasHawaii → TexasIdaho → TexasIllinois → TexasIndiana → TexasIowa → TexasKansas → TexasKentucky → TexasLouisiana → TexasMaine → Texas
All 50 origin states
Maryland → TexasMassachusetts → TexasMichigan → TexasMinnesota → TexasMississippi → TexasMissouri → TexasMontana → TexasNebraska → TexasNevada → TexasNew Hampshire → TexasNew Jersey → TexasNew Mexico → TexasNew York → TexasNorth Carolina → TexasNorth Dakota → TexasOhio → TexasOklahoma → TexasOregon → TexasPennsylvania → TexasRhode Island → TexasSouth Carolina → TexasSouth Dakota → TexasTennessee → TexasUtah → TexasVermont → TexasVirginia → TexasWashington → TexasWest Virginia → TexasWisconsin → TexasWyoming → Texas

Nearby states

Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Texas:

Texas for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my social work license transfer to Texas?

Texas does not transfer your license as-is, but you do not start over: the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) grants its clinical-level social work license by endorsement, crediting your existing ASWB pass. 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.). Processing: 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.). Texas has not enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact.

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

The ASWB exam is not retaken: Texas requires a pass on the ASWB Clinical exam, sent by ASWB score transfer or verified by your current board on the Verification of Licensure form. You must ALSO complete the Texas Social Work Jurisprudence Examination (an online open-book module) within six months before BHEC receives your application. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

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

$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.)

How long does the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) take?

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.)

Is Texas in the Social Work Licensure Compact?

No. Texas had not enacted it as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) is the route in.

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]