The choice is yours! The fastest way to do this is to complete the application process online. There is a processing fee through Alabama Interactive. The applications are also on our website under "Applications & Forms". These may be printed from the site, completed, and mailed with the application fee (money order or cashier's check).

For the Board to consider you as "license eligible" you must have a social work degree from a CSWE approved school, you must also complete an application either online or through the mail. Once approved you are eligible to take the Association of Social Work Boards licensing exam. Upon passing this exam you become license eligible.

You need thirty (30) hours over a two-year period. Of the 30 hours required, 10 must be classroom/live event. Live Zoom training DOES count but it must be interactive NOT pre-recorded. Three (3) of the hours must be in Ethics. Effective October 2018, LICSWs will need three (3) hours in clinical social work education, and if you provide supervision for another licensee, you will also need three (3) hours in supervision education. Effective 2023, LICSW’s must all obtain three(3) hours on the most recent DSM.

If you're an LBSW, you will need 24 months of supervision at a minimum rate of four (4) hours per month. If you are an LMSW working towards the qualifications for the LICSW, you will need four (4) hours per month for 24 months. The supervision must come from an LICSW. If you are a LMSW working towards non-clinical, you will need four (4) hours per month for 24 months. All supervision must be completed within a 36-months.

(NOTE: If you fail to complete the 24 months of supervision within the 36-month period, supervision credit will be lost.)

All LBSW's are required to complete 24 months of supervision. After completing the 24 months of supervision, the LBSW can continue to work without supervision. Should you change positions but remain in the same type of practice as you have already been supervised under, then you would not need to repeat the supervision. However, if you are going into a different type of practice or you will be serving a different type of client population, you will need to repeat six (6) months of supervision. The contract for supervision is on this website under "Applications and Forms". You will need to print out the form and submit it to the Board's office.

Any person applying for an Alabama Social Work License must have a degree in social work from a school accredited through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). You can check which programs are accredited through CSWE by going to their web site at https://www.cswe.org/Accreditation.

The Board of Social Work Examiners receives grades about a week after a candidate takes their exam. Once we receive your passing grade, we assign a license number and send both the letter and license to you. This typically takes 10-14 days.

Your license expires the last day of your renewal month, two (2) years after it is issued. However, you have sixty (60) days from the expiration date to renew it before it is expired. The C.E. hours to renew your license must be completed before the license expires. You cannot use the grace period to obtain additional hours to renew your license.

You have one year from the date your application is approved by the Board to take the exam. The expiration of your approval will be on the email sent to you from the Board. Should you fail the exam and wish to retake it, you can complete the re-examination process online.

No. You must pay with a certified check, money order, or business check. A credit card can be used for on-line renewals. There is a processing fee of $4.00 charged by Alabama Interactive for this service.

Yes! You may continue renewing your license even though you live out of state. However, you must submit the continuing education hours required and pay the renewal fee. This applies to all licensees.

Yes! We offer inactive status for your social work license. You are still required to register the license every two (2) years and pay the inactive fee of $25, however you are not required to report any C.E. hours. If you have been in inactive status and wish to return to social work practice, you will be required to make up the hours at the rate of 15 hours for each year inactive (maximum to make up is 45 hours). The make up hours must follow a certain percentage of in-classroom and may include some online or self-study. The make-up hours must be at least 35% pre-approved classroom hours -- allowing the other 65% to come from pre-approved online or self-study programs. See the Administrative Code for more details: http://www.socialwork.alabama.gov/PDF/admincode/850-X-7.pdf .

We offer inactive status for your social work license. You are still required to register the license every two (2) years and pay the inactive status fee, however you are not required to report any C.E. hours. If you have been on inactive status wish to return to social work practice, you will be required to make up the hours at the rate of 15 hours each year inactive with the maximum to make up being 45 hours. The makeup hours must follow a certain percentage in classroom and may include some on-line or self-study. The makeup hours must be at least 35% pre-approved classroom hours allowing the other 65% to come from pre-approved on-line or self-study programs.