Social Work License from Wisconsin to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) ↗
A social work license transfers from Wisconsin to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC), verify your Wisconsin license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. 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..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Only Wisconsin 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 Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) by endorsement, with your Wisconsin license verified and your ASWB score transferred.
What changes, Wisconsin → Texas
| Wisconsin (current) | Texas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | SW Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | DSPS says only 'pay appropriate fee(s) online via LicensE' and publishes renewal fees ($62 for the LCSW, per the RDAF chart rev. 08/07/2025), not the initial or reciprocal application fee. Not verified, so left null. | $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 time | DSPS publishes no processing time for LCSW reciprocity. A temporary license while an application is pending is possible for credentialed out-of-state health providers (information sheet 2021-A101). | 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.) |
| Licensing authority | Wisconsin Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services, DSPS) | Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- 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).
- 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
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas accept a Wisconsin social work license?
A social work license transfers from Wisconsin to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC), verify your Wisconsin license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. 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..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Wisconsin to 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.
What does the Wisconsin-to-Texas move cost and how long does it take?
$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.)
Does the Social Work Licensure Compact help with this move?
No. Wisconsin has enacted it and Texas has not, and the compact was not issuing multistate licenses anywhere as of 2026-09-27. Endorsement through the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) is the route.
Will Texas accept the supervised hours I completed in Wisconsin?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Texas's rule, where the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council, BHEC) 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.
- 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)
- Wisconsin DSPS — #2681 Credentialing Information for Licensed Clinical Social Worker Applicants (rev. 4/2022), incl. Reciprocal Applicants ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Social Worker, Licensed Clinical profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Reciprocity/Endorsement Not Available list ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — Renewal Dates and Fees (RDAF, rev. 08/07/2025) ↗ (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]