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LicenseReciprocity

Social Work License from Vermont to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Kentucky Board of Social Work ↗

Both Vermont and Kentucky 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.

Vermont and Kentucky 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 Kentucky Board of Social Work through its standard out-of-state process below, and your ASWB score is transferred, not retaken.

What changes, Vermont → Kentucky

Side-by-side: Vermont vs Kentucky (Social Work (LCSW / LICSW)), verified 2026-09-27
Vermont (current)Kentucky (destination)
SW Compact statusSW Compact enacted — not yet issuingSW Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Application fee$180 (Initial fee for the Clinical Social Worker license (OPR code 089) on OPR's fee chart (Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-14; outside.vermont.gov returned 403 to automated fetches). Biennial renewal is $120, due January 31 of even years.)$25 ($25 nonrefundable application fee paid online; after review the Board invoices the LCSW license fee of $200 (201 KAR 23:020 lists LCSW initial and renewal license fees of $200). No fingerprint/background-check fee is described on the Board's licensure page.)
Processing timeOPR publishes no processing time for social work applications. Under its 90-day policy, a license issued within 90 days of the renewal date runs through the next full two-year cycle.The Board's licensure page states no processing time. Out-of-state licensees who need to practise sooner can get a non-renewable 90-day temporary permit (201 KAR 23:160).
Licensing authorityVermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) — Social WorkersKentucky Board of Social Work

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Board of Social Work website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Kentucky Board of Social Work (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Apply online for the LCSW (Kentucky has no reciprocity with any state, so out-of-state licensees use the standard application).
  5. Have ASWB send an Official Transfer Score Report directly to the Board.
  6. Have your university send the official transcript conferring your social work degree directly to the Board.
  7. Have every state board where you hold a license send official license verification directly to the Board.
  8. Document two years plus 150 hours of supervision by an approved LCSW, or show clinical-level licensure elsewhere and/or five years of active clinical practice.
  9. Pay the fees ($25 ($25 nonrefundable application fee paid online; after review the Board invoices the LCSW license fee of $200 (201 KAR 23:020 lists LCSW initial and renewal license fees of $200). No fingerprint/background-check fee is described on the Board's licensure page.)) and allow The Board's licensure page states no processing time. Out-of-state licensees who need to practise sooner can get a non-renewable 90-day temporary permit (201 KAR 23:160)..

Official links

Kentucky Board of Social Work ↗Kentucky application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Kentucky → VermontSocial Work in VermontSocial Work in KentuckyAll social work statesThe SW Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Kentucky accept a Vermont social work license?

Both Vermont and Kentucky 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 Vermont to Kentucky?

The ASWB exam is not retaken; ask ASWB to send an 'Official Transfer Score Report' directly to the Board. Kentucky accepts the ASWB Bachelors, Masters and Clinical categories and does NOT accept the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam. The Board's licensure page names no separate Kentucky jurisprudence exam. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

What does the Vermont-to-Kentucky move cost and how long does it take?

$25 ($25 nonrefundable application fee paid online; after review the Board invoices the LCSW license fee of $200 (201 KAR 23:020 lists LCSW initial and renewal license fees of $200). No fingerprint/background-check fee is described on the Board's licensure page.) Processing: The Board's licensure page states no processing time. Out-of-state licensees who need to practise sooner can get a non-renewable 90-day temporary permit (201 KAR 23:160).

Vermont and Kentucky are both compact states. Can I practice in Kentucky on my Vermont license?

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

Will Kentucky accept the supervised hours I completed in Vermont?

Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Kentucky's rule, where the Kentucky 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.

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

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]