Massachusetts · Board of Registration of Social Workers
LICSW Licensure - Combined Guide
Covers both routes to LICSW: building up through Massachusetts (Initial, 258 CMR 9.03) or transferring an existing independent-clinical license from another state (Reciprocity, 258 CMR 9.07). The paths differ mainly in prerequisites and how the Board evaluates your file - once you're filing the actual application, almost everything is the same.
Verified: Aug 2026
Which path am I on?
Initial (9.03): You hold (or are working toward) an MA LCSW, and are accruing 3,500 hours / 2 years / 100 supervision hours toward LICSW the long way.
Reciprocity (9.07): You already hold an independent-clinical license from another ASWB-member state (e.g., CA LCSW), in good standing, and want the Board to accept it as equivalent instead of re-proving hours from scratch.
If you're not sure which door you're in, Path B's Step B1 is the actual eligibility test - work through that first.
All relevant links will be at the bottom of this article.
PATH A - Initial Application Prerequisites
Complete before you can file. This is what makes the initial route slow - often 2+ years on its own.
STEP A1
Confirm your 3,500 hours / 2-year / 100-hour supervision thresholds are met the real prerequisite - often the longest step by far
3,500 hours of clinical practice over at least 2 years since your LCSW was issued, with at least 100 of those hours as individual face-to-face clinical supervision from a qualifying supervisor (an LICSW, or an equivalent out-of-state clinical license).
You cannot file until this threshold is met. Track both numbers separately - total clinical hours and supervision hours are two different counters, and hitting one without the other doesn't qualify you.
PATH B - Reciprocity Prerequisites
Complete before you can file. No hours clock here - the slow parts are external verification and the Board's equivalence judgment.
STEP B1
Confirm the other license is actually LICSW-equivalent the real prerequisite, and the one people get wrong
You need a current, clean, independent-clinical license. Not "I have an LCSW somewhere." Check all four:
Scope: you can practice independently in that state (diagnose/treat without a supervisor). If you cannot, this is not reciprocity for LICSW.
Education/hours: that state's requirements look like Mass LICSW (CSWE MSW/doctorate + a serious post-grad clinical-hours requirement). California is 3,000 hours. Mass is 3,500. That gap is a Board call, not an automatic no, and not an automatic yes.
Exam: you passed ASWB Clinical. If you have not passed the exam, this does not constitute a denial but you will need to take it before approval
Standing: current, unrestricted, no discipline.
If any of those fail, do not file reciprocity. Use Path A instead.
STEP B2
Request license verifications from every jurisdiction you've been licensed 30 min to request, 1–4 weeks for boards to respond
This replaces the hours log - the other board is vouching that the license exists and is clean, not that you logged 3,500 hours.
ASWB wants a certified verification of licensure for every license you've held - current and expired, from every jurisdiction - not just your current one. Your options for providing these are as follows:
Electronic: the issuing jurisdiction's licensing authority emails it directly to [email protected] - has to come from them, not forwarded by you.
Mailed: unopened, jurisdiction-sealed envelope to: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), 17126 Mountain Run Vista Ct, Culpeper, VA 22701.
You cannot open the envelope yourself, and a screenshot of an online lookup doesn't count. Every state's request process differs (California BBS has its own form) - this is typically the slowest-moving piece of the whole file, so start it the same day as everything else.
STEP B3
Get an official ASWB Clinical score report - or plan to sit the exam later 10 min if you already passed
If you passed ASWB Clinical: order the official Certified Score Report through ASWB - the Board won't accept a PDF you saved yourself.
If you never took ASWB Clinical: you can still file reciprocity if the rest of your license looks equivalent, but you'll take Clinical after the Board approves the file. Don't register for the exam until they tell you to (see Step 10's branches, below).
SHARED APPLICATION STEPS
From here, both paths go through the same portal, the same forms, and the same review - differences are called out inline.
STEP 1
Send your official transcript to ASWB 10 min to request
Don't assume it's already on file, even if you were previously licensed in MA - reciprocity applicants especially should treat this as needing to be resent. Have your program's registrar send it directly to ASWB, not to you or the Board:
Preferred: electronic, secure-server delivery to [email protected], sent by the school.
Also accepted: official, unopened transcript mailed to: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), 17126 Mountain Run Vista Ct, Culpeper, VA 22701.
IF YOUR DEGREE IS FROM A FOREIGN PROGRAM You'll also need a CSWE evaluation - complete a CSWE ISWDRES application, sent directly to ASWB from CSWE.
STEP 2
Line up 3 professional references 15 min to ask + 1–3 weeks to land
Board-furnished forms - download the form in the application and email it to your references yourself; instructions for how they submit are attached.
Initial applicants: at least one reference must come from the person who provided your required clinical supervision - this person also certifies your work hours. All three must be from an LICSW, psychologist, psychiatrist, or Licensed Psychiatric Nurse Mental Health Clinical Specialist.
Reciprocity applicants: at least one reference must hold an LICSW or equivalent independent-clinical license in another jurisdiction. You are not using a supervisor to certify 3,500 MA hours - that's the initial path only.
STEP 3
Answer the licensure-history and disciplinary-background questions 5 min, longer if you answer "yes" to any
The application asks five yes/no questions covering your full licensing and legal history, not just your current license:
Have you ever voluntarily surrendered or resigned a professional license to a licensing/certification board in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction?
Has a licensing/certification board in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction taken any disciplinary action against you?
Are you the subject of pending disciplinary actions by a licensing/certification board in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction?
Have you ever applied for and been denied a professional license in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction?
Have you ever admitted to or been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction, other than a traffic violation with an assessed fine of less than $200?
IF YOU ANSWERED "NO" TO ALL FIVE - continue to the next step.
IF YOU ANSWERED "YES" TO ANY - upload supporting documentation before continuing: court documents, out-of-state background checks, out-of-state criminal history reports, or licensing board discipline documents, as applicable. This is separate from your CORI check and from any criminal-record disclosure email to [email protected] - a "yes" here doesn't replace either.
STEP 4
Perform a National Practitioner Data Bank Self Query 15 min
Run the Self Query at npdb.hrsa.gov/pract/selfQueryBasics.jsp (also linked in the application), download the results, and upload the file to the application.
STEP 5
Complete the Chapter 260 domestic/sexual violence training - if you haven't already ~2–4 hrs, one-time, skip if done
One-time across your entire career, not per license or per state. If you've completed it before (for a prior MA license), just re-attest. If you've only ever been licensed elsewhere, do the free DPH-approved online module now.
STEP 6
Complete and notarize the CORI Acknowledgment form 20–30 min
Print, sign, notarize, and scan as a PDF. The form is available here or in the application. General DOL CORI authorizations run one year from signature date.
STEP 7
Upload a 2"×2" photo 5 min
Clear, color, passport-style. Do this when you first open the application so it doesn't hold things up later.
STEP 8
Submit a MassHealth Nonbilling (or fully-participating) Provider Application 30–60 min to file
Hard gate - required regardless of whether you have an active practice, and regardless of where that practice is. Attestation only requires that you've submitted a complete application, not that you've been approved, and you don't upload proof.
Most applicants who won't bill MassHealth directly should use the non-billing track. Download the MassHealth Nonbilling Provider Contract for Individuals and mail it to:
MassHealth Customer Service Center, Attn: Provider Enrollment and Credentialing, P.O. Box 278, Quincy, MA 02171-0005 - or fax to 617-988-8974.
IF YOU'RE ALREADY ENROLLED WITH MASSHEALTH - you've already met this. Attest "yes."
STEP 9
File the application in the Health Professions Licensing portal 30–45 min
Go to healthprofessionlicensing.mass.gov and register an account.
Select Board of Registration of Social Workers → LICSW.
Upload everything gathered so far: CORI form, photo, NPDB results, license documentation (initial: your LCSW/equivalent + hours record; reciprocity: point them at the sealed verifications going to ASWB separately).
Enter your SSN (feeds the DOR tax-compliance check automatically) and your references' contact info.
Select whether you are submitting for Initial Application or Reciprocity
Attest that you've submitted your MassHealth application and completed the DV/SV training.
Indicate your exam status: not yet taken (initial default), already passed (either path - triggers a score transfer request instead), or reciprocity-pending-exam (Path B, Step B3's second branch).
Pay the fee: $173 (initial) or $267 (reciprocity application fee) - a separate $82 licensure issuance fee is due later, after approval.
STEP 10
Board reviews the file no published SLA - general benchmark 4–8 weeks if complete
Initial applicants: this is a completeness check. Once satisfied, the Board automatically notifies ASWB that you're cleared to test. A missing reference or incomplete supervision log is the most common cause of delay.
Reciprocity applicants: this is a substantive equivalence judgment, not just a completeness check - the Board is deciding whether your out-of-state license, hours, and scope genuinely match LICSW. Usual delays: a verification still in the mail, a missing score report, a reference not at independent-clinical level, or the Board not accepting the hours/scope match
IF YOU'VE ALREADY PASSED ASWB CLINICAL (either path) - the Board requests a score transfer from ASWB directly. Skip to Step 13.
RECIPROCITY ONLY - IF THE BOARD ACCEPTS EQUIVALENCE BUT YOU NEVER PASSED CLINICAL - they notify ASWB; continue to Step 11.
RECIPROCITY ONLY - IF THE BOARD REJECTS EQUIVALENCE - reciprocity is over. Switch to Path A. The Board may still treat your out-of-state license as standing in for an MA LCSW, meaning you're now proving 3,500 hours / 2 years / 100 supervision hours the long way (Step A1).
STEP 11
Register and pay for the exam with ASWB 15 min
Log into ASWBCentral (examregistration.aswb.org), register for the Clinical exam specifically, and pay the ASWB exam fee (~$260 - confirm current pricing directly with ASWB). This unlocks your ATT email.
STEP 12
Schedule and take the exam with Pearson VUE 4.5 hrs on exam day
Use your ATT email to schedule through ASWBCentral or by calling Pearson at 877.884.9537. Score reports automatically back to Massachusetts.
If your ATT expires before you test: you can request an extension, up to 6 months, subject to Board approval.
STEP 13
License issues ~2 weeks after passing, or after Board approval if exam was already done
Reciprocity applicants: the license issuance fee (~$82) is due at this point, separate from the application fee already paid in Step 9.
What this costs, all in
Item | Initial | Reciprocity |
CORI notarization | $0–10 | $0–10 |
Application/licensure fee | $173 | $267 |
License issuance fee (after approval) | $82 | $82 |
ASWB Clinical exam fee | $260 | $0 if already passed; $260 if not |
Typical total | $487–497 | $350–360 (exam done) / $610–620 (exam needed) |
On the time estimates
Initial: Step A1 (the hours threshold) is excluded from the working estimate entirely - it typically takes 2+ years on its own, run in the background of LCSW practice. Once satisfied, the shared-steps process runs roughly 8–16 weeks, driven mostly by the 4–8 week application-to-ATT window and ~2-week post-exam issuance.
Reciprocity: The slow pieces are external license verification (Step B2) and the Board's equivalence review (Step 10), both with no published SLA. 4–8 weeks is a working benchmark for a complete, accepted file, not a guarantee.
Sources
Social Worker Licensing - Mass.gov
258 CMR 9.03 - LICSW initial licensure requirements
258 CMR 9.07 - Licensure by reciprocity
258 CMR 31.00 - Continuing education requirements
Chapter 260 Domestic and Sexual Violence Training - Mass.gov
MassHealth Requirements for LICSWs - Mass.gov
MassHealth Nonbilling Provider Contract for Individuals - Mass.gov
DOR Tax Compliance and Stay of License Renewal - Mass.gov
ASWB - Massachusetts new applicant instructions
ASWB - Massachusetts reciprocity application instructions
ASWB - Exam appointments / ASWBCentral
Massachusetts Health Professions Licensing portal
Links