How to Get Your Minnesota Social Work License

Minnesota’s social work license requirements create a distinct regulatory environment. Social workers with degrees who work in human service jobs must have a license in Minnesota. The path to becoming a licensed social worker typically takes 4-6 years, based on your chosen license type.

Minnesota differs from other states by offering a provisional license that doesn’t need an ASWB exam. The state’s educational standards shine brightly – BSW programs achieved a 100% pass rate in 2020, while the national average stood at 61.2%. Social workers who choose this rewarding career path can expect to earn between $65,010-$79,220 yearly as of May 2024.

This guide outlines the essential details to get your social work license in Minnesota. You’ll find information about educational requirements and application procedures. The Minnesota social work board’s specific steps and the quickest way to secure your social work license while meeting all requirements are clearly explained.

Education Requirements

Social work education serves as the foundation to get your Minnesota social work license. The Minnesota social work board has set specific academic requirements for each license category.

Students seeking the Licensed Social Worker (LSW) credential need a baccalaureate degree in social work from a program with Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work accreditation. Most students complete this bachelor’s-level license in about four years.

The requirements change for higher-level licenses. Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW), Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW), and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) all need a master’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program. A doctorate in social work from an accredited university also meets this requirement. Students typically finish their master’s programs in two to three years, based on their full-time or part-time status.

Minnesota’s digital world offers plenty of options for future social workers. The state has 20 colleges that teach social work. These include 18 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, 14 accredited Master of Social Work programs, one Doctor of Philosophy program, and two Doctor of Social Work programs. Students who need flexibility can choose from several online programs.

Clinical licensure (LICSW) candidates must complete 360 clinical clock hours in six specific areas beyond their master’s degree:

• 108 hours in differential diagnosis and biopsychosocial assessment
• 36 hours in assessment-based clinical treatment planning
• 108 hours in clinical intervention methods
• 18 hours in evaluation methodologies
• 72 hours in social work values and ethics
• 18 hours in culturally specific assessment and intervention

Students can fulfill these 360 clinical clock hours through graduate coursework in an accredited social work program, graduate coursework at an accredited institution outside social work, or up to 120 continuing education hours.

The quickest way to get licensed involves smart timing. Social work students can apply for a standard license six months before graduation. This lets them take the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) exam before graduating, which speeds up the licensing process after finishing their degree. All the same, Minnesota Statutes section 148E.055 and ASWB Exam Policy state that students must take the exam within six months of completing their degree requirements.

Students who pass the ASWB exam and submit fingerprints for background checks might qualify for a temporary license once they complete their degree.

The provisional license pathway requires students to wait until they receive their degree before applying. This route needs extra supervised practice and supervision hours but doesn’t require the ASWB exam.

Your chosen educational program must have CSWE accreditation for Minnesota licensure. Many Minnesota programs have strict admission standards. They usually want a minimum 3.0 GPA overall or 3.25 in the last 60 credits. Human services experience makes applications substantially stronger, though it’s not always required.

Exam Requirements

The ASWB examination is a key step to get your Minnesota social work license. You need to pass a specific ASWB exam based on your education level and practice area to qualify for each license category.

Bachelor’s level LSW candidates must pass the ASWB Bachelor’s exam, which costs $230. The LGSW and LISW need the ASWB Master’s exam ($230), while the LICSW requires the Clinical exam at $260.

Your exam journey starts with submitting your license application to the Minnesota Board of Social Work. The Board will mail you an approval letter to take the ASWB exam after reviewing your application. You can get exam approval before completing your criminal background check, but you won’t receive your license until the check is done.

After approval, you’ll need to register with ASWB and pay your exam fee. You can then schedule your test with Pearson VUE, which runs these exams at testing centers worldwide. The Board gets your official exam score about two weeks after you complete it.

Each ASWB exam category has its own passing score requirements:

• Bachelor’s Exam: 96-105 passing score (170 questions)
• Master’s Exam: 98-107 passing score (170 questions)
• Clinical Exam: 102-111 passing score (170 questions)

The ASWB uses a criterion-referenced approach instead of grading on a curve. This means they measure you against set competency standards rather than comparing you to other test-takers.

You’ll find several resources to help you prepare. ASWB has study materials such as:

• The ASWB Guide to Social Work Exams
• Individual online practice exams
• Online group exams for CSWE BSW/MSW academic programs

Minnesota’s NASW chapter offers License Exam Review Prep Courses. Their current package has a 6.5-hour live review course with Dawn Apgar, a digital exam study guide subscription, practice tests, and access to ExamPrepConnect’s study tools.

The University of Minnesota Duluth library’s Mometrix eLibrary is another online test preparation resource.

Big changes are coming to the ASWB social work licensing exams in 2026 across all test categories. NASW-MN supports major testing changes after the 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis showed concerning disparities among racial and demographic groups.

Minnesota also has a provisional license option that doesn’t require the ASWB exam. This path, expanded from October 1, 2024, lets you complete additional supervised practice instead of taking the exam.

Note that passing the exam doesn’t automatically give you a license. The Board suggests that current social work students should apply for licensure by examination about six months before graduation for the quickest process.

Supervised Experience

Professional supervision is the foundation of Minnesota’s social work licensing process. Licensed social workers must complete specific supervision hours to demonstrate their competence and ethical service delivery through ongoing professional development.

Supervision creates a professional relationship between a licensing supervisor and a social worker. The supervisor guides and assesses your service delivery. This well-laid-out guidance helps you discover the potential of your professional social work knowledge, skills, and values in practice.

The standard LSW pathway requires 100 hours of supervision during 4,000 hours of practice. This means you need 4 hours of supervision for every 160 hours of practice. The supervision must meet these requirements:

• You need 50 hours of one-on-one supervision
• Face-to-face supervision must be at least 25 hours
• Eye-to-eye electronic media cannot exceed 25 hours
• The remaining 50 hours can be one-on-one or group supervision with up to six supervisees

Provisional LSW candidates have different requirements. They need 37.5 supervision hours over 2,000 practice hours, which equals 3 hours of supervision per 160 practice hours.

LGSW candidates in clinical practice need 200 hours of clinical supervision. This supervision happens over a minimum of 4,000 hours of clinical practice to qualify for the LICSW license. The supervision rate should be 4-8 hours for every 160 hours of practice, with a maximum of 8,000 practice hours.

Licensing supervisors must complete 30 hours of supervision-specific training. LSWs who have finished their supervision requirements, LGSWs, LISWs, and LICSWs can become qualified supervisors. Other mental health professionals like licensed psychologists or psychiatrists can provide up to 25% of required hours.

Documentation plays a vital role in this process. Standard licensees should submit a Supervision Plan form within 60 days of starting a social work position. They also need a Supervision Verification form at license renewal. Provisional licensees must submit their Supervision Plan within 30 days of starting practice. They also need Six-Month Evaluations and a Final Evaluation after completing 2,000 practice hours.

The Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-MN) helps current members find potential supervisors at no cost. Members can also join monthly Supervisor Consultation Circles that offer 2 CEUs per session.

Application Process

Your Minnesota social work license experience ends with navigating the application process. The Minnesota social work board suggests you start this process about six months before graduation to make things easier.

You need to choose the right application path. New applicants without a license should apply by examination. Licensed social workers from other states can take the endorsement route.

Here’s what you need to start your application:

• Completed application form (available online through the Board’s website)
• Application fee of $60
• Criminal background check fee of $33.25

The board will email you instructions about completing a mandatory fingerprint-based criminal background check after you submit your application. You can work on this while preparing for your exam. Your license will only be issued after the background check is complete.

These supporting documents should be submitted quickly:

• Official transcript with your degree, major, and conferral date
• Verification of supervised practice (for LICSW applicants)
• Documentation of 360 clinical clock hours (for LICSW candidates only)

The Board will mail you an authorization letter after approving your examination. You’ll need to register with the Association of Social Work Boards and pay the exam fee ($230 for Bachelor’s/Master’s exams or $260 for Clinical exam). You can then schedule your test through Pearson VUE.

Your exam results will automatically reach the Board within two weeks of passing. The final step requires paying your initial license fee, which varies based on the time left until your first renewal.

LICSW applicants must verify 200 hours of supervision across 4,000-8,000 hours of clinical practice (including 1,800 hours of direct client contact). On top of that, it’s necessary to document 360 clinical clock hours spread across six knowledge areas.

Provisional license holders must submit a Provisional to Standard License Application within one year to keep practicing legally.

Note that qualified applicants can receive temporary licenses in 3-5 days if they have completed their degree, passed the LGSW exam, submitted fingerprints, and have no ethical violations.

The total cost to get your initial LGSW license without retesting comes to approximately $491, which includes application fees, background check, exam fee, and licensure fee.

Continuing Education

Your Minnesota social work license needs ongoing professional development through continuing education (CE). The Minnesota social work board defines CE as education and training that maintains, improves, and boosts competent social work practice.

You must complete 40 hours of CE during each two-year renewal period after getting your license. This requirement applies to all license holders whatever their current work status. The 40 hours must include these mandatory content areas:

• 2 hours in social work ethics
• 4 hours in cultural responsiveness
• For LICSWs: 12 hours of clinical content
• For licensing supervisors: 6 hours of supervision content

You can complete up to 50% (20 hours) of your total requirement through independent learning activities. These activities include online courses without live interaction, research for publications, presentations, or professional development.

The board approves CE providers instead of specific activities. Your CE credits will automatically count when completed through:

• A Board-approved CE provider
• A provider approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) or National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

Proper documentation is a vital part of the process. You must confirm meeting all CE requirements on your license renewal application. You should keep your documentation for one year after renewal in case of an audit.

New licensees have their CE hours prorated based on their first renewal term length – less or more than 24 months. This approach will give a fair system for those who haven’t held their license for a full two-year period.

Not completing required CE hours before your license renewal date puts your practice at risk. CE providers like CE4Less (provider #1115) are a great way to get ASWB-approved courses that count toward Minnesota requirements.

License renewal fees vary by type, from $93.50 for LSWs to $263.25 for LICSWs.

Additional Information

The Standards of Practice in Minnesota’s Social Work Practice Act set minimum ethical standards for all licensed practitioners. These standards go beyond basic requirements and protect the public by governing professional conduct throughout your career.

The Minnesota Board of Social Work provides a Public License Lookup tool that verifies license status, type, and shows any public actions or restrictions against social workers. This tool is a vital transparency resource for clients and employers.

Clients, colleagues, and other affected parties can file complaints about a licensed social worker’s conduct with the board. Valid complaints may include client mistreatment, dishonest billing, unauthorized information release, inappropriate treatment, incompetent practice, personal relationships with clients, or impairment that affects safe practice.

Staying informed helps you succeed in your career. The board’s e-updates are available online and the Minnesota chapter of NASW provides additional support for licensure concerns and offers licensure exam review preparation courses regularly.

Regulatory boards have the final say on accepted continuing education courses. Current social work students should apply for licensure six months before graduation to ensure optimal processing.