When can social workers apply for a multistate license?

No date is set. The Compact Commission's data system is estimated for completion in Spring 2027; applications open after the system is operational and rulemaking is finalized.

How many states have joined the Social Work Licensure Compact?

35 states have enacted the Compact as of 2026-07-15, with legislation pending in 3 more.

Who is eligible for a multistate social work license?

You must hold or be eligible for an active, unencumbered license in a member home state, hold a qualifying accredited degree, pass the ASWB exam for your category, complete an FBI background check, and (clinical category) show 3,000 hours or 2 years of supervised postgraduate clinical practice.

Social Work Compact Tracker — eligibility checker & state-by-state status (35 states enacted)

Eligibility checker

Questions mirror Section 4 of the official Compact model legislation (Nov 2024 final). This is guidance, not a decision — your home state board decides.

1. Which license category are you?

Clinical (e.g. LCSW / LICSW) Master's (e.g. LMSW) Bachelor's (e.g. LBSW)

2. Your home state (where you live & are licensed)

3. Do you hold (or are you eligible for) an active license in that state?

YesNo

4. Is your social work degree from an accredited program?

Yes — accredited (CSWE or other CHEA/USDE-recognized accreditor) No / not sure

5. Have you passed the ASWB exam for your category?

Yes (or I was licensed before my state required it, continuously since) No

7. Any encumbrance or adverse action on any professional license?

No — clean and unencumbered Yes

Get the go-live alert for your state

One email when applications open in your state, plus major rule changes that affect eligibility. No spam — that's the whole product.

State-by-state status (verified 2026-07-15 from the official Compact map)

AlabamaEnacted AlaskaEnacted American SamoaNo active bill ArizonaEnacted ArkansasEnacted CaliforniaNo active bill ColoradoEnacted ConnecticutEnacted DelawareEnacted District of ColumbiaPending FloridaNo active bill GeorgiaEnacted GuamNo active bill HawaiiNo active bill IdahoNo active bill IllinoisNo active bill IndianaNo active bill IowaEnacted KansasEnacted KentuckyEnacted LouisianaEnacted MaineEnacted MarylandEnacted MassachusettsPending MichiganNo active bill MinnesotaEnacted MississippiEnacted MissouriEnacted MontanaNo active bill NebraskaEnacted NevadaNo active bill New HampshireEnacted New JerseyEnacted New MexicoEnacted New YorkNo active bill North CarolinaEnacted North DakotaEnacted Northern MarianasNo active bill OhioEnacted OklahomaEnacted OregonNo active bill PennsylvaniaPending Puerto RicoNo active bill Rhode IslandEnacted South CarolinaEnacted South DakotaEnacted TennesseeEnacted TexasNo active bill UtahEnacted VermontEnacted Virgin IslandsNo active bill VirginiaEnacted WashingtonEnacted West VirginiaEnacted WisconsinEnacted WyomingNo active bill

What is the Social Work Licensure Compact?

An interstate agreement: social workers licensed in a member "home state" can get a multistate license honored in every other member state — one license, 35 states (so far), covering in-person and telehealth practice. It exists because getting a second state license today means duplicate paperwork, fees, and months of waiting.

Timeline

The Compact Commission's data system (built with InspiringApps) is estimated for completion in Spring 2027; the Commission estimates applications open after the system is operational and rulemaking is final. No definite date exists yet.

What it will cost (official pieces)

The Compact allows your home state to charge a fee for the multistate license, and an FBI fingerprint background check is required. Exact fees are set during rulemaking — we'll publish them here as they're finalized.