Social Work License from Wyoming to Michigan: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) ↗
A social work license transfers from Wyoming to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Wyoming license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send official score reports directly to LARA. For the master's social work license (LMSW) Michigan accepts the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, and the exam passed goes with the designation you apply for. No Michigan jurisprudence exam is listed; one-time human-trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training are required instead..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Wyoming nor Michigan has enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, and it is not issuing licenses anywhere in any case, so this is a plain endorsement move. The Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) verifies your Wyoming license, accepts your ASWB score by transfer, and adds its own requirements.
What changes, Wyoming → Michigan
| Wyoming (current) | Michigan (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| SW Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $375 (The LCSW by Reciprocity application lists a $419 total: $375 application fee + $39 background check + $5 NPDB continuous query. All fees are non-refundable.) | $99 (Application fee plus 3-year license fee for a Master's Social Work License by Exam or Endorsement: $99.00 (Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024). Adding a second designation (specialty) is $16.50. Fingerprint/background-check vendor fee not stated in the guide.) |
| Processing time | 5–8 weeks (The Board says Application Review Committee review 'generally takes 2-3 weeks in addition to the 3-5 weeks for the background check', and receipt is confirmed within 7-10 business days. The Board sets no strict timeframe and warns review can run longer in busy periods.) | No processing time is published. All requirements must be completed within 2 years of LARA's receipt of the application (MCL 333.16307(3)), or the application is void. |
| Licensing authority | Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board | Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Michigan sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply online through MiPLUS for the Master's Social Work License by endorsement.
- If licensed under 10 years, have supervisors verify 4,000 hours of post-degree supervised work experience (licensed over 10 years: presumed to meet MCL 333.16186).
- Have every licensing agency where you hold or held a license send verification showing no pending discipline.
- Complete the criminal background check using the instructions emailed after you apply.
- Complete one-time human-trafficking identification training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training within the prior 5 years.
- Pay the fees ($99 (Application fee plus 3-year license fee for a Master's Social Work License by Exam or Endorsement: $99.00 (Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024). Adding a second designation (specialty) is $16.50. Fingerprint/background-check vendor fee not stated in the guide.)) and allow No processing time is published. All requirements must be completed within 2 years of LARA's receipt of the application (MCL 333.16307(3)), or the application is void..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Michigan accept a Wyoming social work license?
A social work license transfers from Wyoming to Michigan by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing), verify your Wyoming license, and meet Michigan's endorsement requirements. The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send official score reports directly to LARA. For the master's social work license (LMSW) Michigan accepts the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, and the exam passed goes with the designation you apply for. No Michigan jurisprudence exam is listed; one-time human-trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training are required instead..
Do I retake the ASWB exam moving from Wyoming to Michigan?
The ASWB exam is not retaken; have ASWB send official score reports directly to LARA. For the master's social work license (LMSW) Michigan accepts the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, and the exam passed goes with the designation you apply for. No Michigan jurisprudence exam is listed; one-time human-trafficking training and 2 hours of implicit-bias training are required instead. ASWB sends the score for $40 per transfer, requested in ASWBCentral, and delivery takes 7-10 business days.
What does the Wyoming-to-Michigan move cost and how long does it take?
$99 (Application fee plus 3-year license fee for a Master's Social Work License by Exam or Endorsement: $99.00 (Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024). Adding a second designation (specialty) is $16.50. Fingerprint/background-check vendor fee not stated in the guide.) Processing: No processing time is published. All requirements must be completed within 2 years of LARA's receipt of the application (MCL 333.16307(3)), or the application is void.
Will Michigan accept the supervised hours I completed in Wyoming?
Most boards credit supervised experience completed under another state's rules, but some compare it with their own requirement. Michigan's rule, where the Michigan Board of Social Work (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) 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.
- LARA — Master's Social Work Licensing Guide rev. 10/7/2024 (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-04-22; michigan.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- LARA — Social Work FAQs rev. 9/19/2024 (accepted ASWB exams) (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-01-09) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- LARA — Social Worker profession page (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-06-11) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Social Work Licensure Compact — compact jurisdictions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wyoming MHPLB — Licensed Clinical Social Worker by Reciprocity instructions and application (linked from the Board's Application & Forms page) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wyoming MHPLB — Application & Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wyoming MHPLB — Questions and Answers (reciprocity, review time) ↗ (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]