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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program ↗

Yes, by endorsement. The Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program issues Washington's clinical license (the LICSW) to social workers already licensed at the clinical level elsewhere, verifying your license and accepting your ASWB score rather than retesting you. Fee: $170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.). Processing: DOH's social worker pages state no processing time.. Washington is a Social Work Licensure Compact state on paper only: nothing was being issued as of 2026-09-27, and endorsement through the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program is the route in.

Moving to Washington from a specific state?

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Verdict

SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing

Being a compact state has not changed how Washington licenses incoming social workers. The Social Work Licensure Compact is law here but was not issuing multistate licenses as of 2026-09-27, so the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program handles every out-of-state applicant through the steps below. If you expect to work across state lines later, a Washington license will be a sensible base once the compact is running; the commission's stated target for its data system is Spring 2027.

Washington's clinical license is the LICSW. Apply for it by that name; the board matches your current license by what it authorizes, independent diagnosis and treatment, not by its initials.

Washington's clinical license is the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker), confirmed on DOH's pages. The LASW (Licensed Advanced Social Worker) is the non-clinical independent tier, and associate licenses exist for both. Washington has two out-of-state routes. (1) Substantial equivalency (RCW 18.130.077, since 2023-07-23): you must have held a license for at least two years in an equivalent state with no discipline, and your ORIGINAL license must come from an equivalent state. DOH lists Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Utah and Virginia as universal-licensure states whose licenses may not qualify. (2) The SB 5054 reciprocity program: a one-year probationary LICSW, renewable once, for licensees from scope-equivalent states (49 states; Nevada is excluded), with no discipline or disqualifying criminal history, while the applicant closes any gaps. DOH says reciprocity-only applicants should apply for both the probationary and the full LICSW. Washington has ENACTED the Social Work Licensure Compact, but the compact is not issuing multistate licenses yet.

Washington requirements at a glance

Out-of-state social work license transfer requirements for Washington, verified 2026-09-27
Exam	The ASWB exam is not retaken: the LICSW requires the ASWB Clinical exam, and the score must be sent directly by ASWB or verified by another state where you were credentialed. No Washington jurisprudence exam is listed.
Additional requirements	Have each jurisdiction where you are or were credentialed send the DOH verification form directly to the department Have your school send an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or social work doctorate Have ASWB send your Clinical exam score, or have another state verify it Document supervised experience (3,000 hours over at least 2 years) unless you have been licensed in good standing, with no disqualifying criminal history, for over five years Answer the personal data questions, with records for any professional liability claim
Fees	$170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.)
Processing time	DOH's social worker pages state no processing time.

Step by step

Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program website — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Have each jurisdiction where you are or were credentialed send the DOH verification form directly to the department.
Have your school send an official transcript showing a CSWE-accredited MSW or social work doctorate.
Have ASWB send your Clinical exam score, or have another state verify it.
Document supervised experience (3,000 hours over at least 2 years) unless you have been licensed in good standing, with no disqualifying criminal history, for over five years.
Answer the personal data questions, with records for any professional liability claim.
Pay the fees ($170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.)) and allow DOH's social worker pages state no processing time..

Official links

Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program ↗Washington application ↗License verification ↗Social Work Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

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

All 39 origin states

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

Nearby states

Social Work license transfer into the states bordering Washington:

Washington for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my social work license transfer to Washington?

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

The ASWB exam is not retaken: the LICSW requires the ASWB Clinical exam, and the score must be sent directly by ASWB or verified by another state where you were credentialed. No Washington jurisprudence exam is listed. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.

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

$170 (LICSW original application and initial license fee under WAC 246-809-990, plus a $16 UW online access (HEAL-WA) fee. The WAC 246-809-990(4) probationary-license fee schedule is separate (the LICSW row was not captured cleanly). Renewal is $70 plus $16 HEAL-WA.)

How long does the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program take?

DOH's social worker pages state no processing time.

Is Washington in the Social Work Licensure Compact?

Washington has enacted it, but the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. No one can practice in Washington on a compact license yet; endorsement through the Washington State Department of Health — Social Worker program is the route.

What is the clinical social work license called in Washington?

The LICSW. It is Washington's equivalent of the LCSW, the license for independent diagnosis and treatment.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.

Washington DOH — Social Worker Out-of-State Applicants (probationary license, substantial equivalency, universal licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Washington DOH — Social Worker Licensing Requirements (LICSW) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
WAC 246-809-990 — Fees ↗ (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

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