Licensing
LBSW License: Can You Be Licensed With a Bachelor's in Social Work?
What Is an LBSW License, and Which States License Social Workers With a Bachelor's Degree?
An LBSW license (Licensed Bachelor or Baccalaureate Social Worker) is a state credential for graduates of a CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work, and 42 of 52 U.S. jurisdictions issue a bachelor's-level social work credential under 14 different titles. 31 of them name the ASWB Bachelors exam. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington issue none at the bachelor's level. Check your state in the BSW license checker.
What an LBSW License Is
An LBSW license is a state credential that lets a Bachelor of Social Work graduate practice under a protected social work title. The letters stand for Licensed Bachelor Social Worker in states like Alabama, Iowa, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker in states like Texas, Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri.
Licensing belongs to each state’s board, not to CSWE, so the same degree earns different credentials in different places. Of 52 jurisdictions (the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico), 42 issue some bachelor’s-level social work credential. They use 14 titles: LBSW, LSW, LSWA, RSW, LSX, LS, Limited SST, SST, Limited LBSW, SWLB, CSW, RBSW, SWA and SW.
Not all of these are full licenses. Louisiana’s Registered Social Worker is a registration, North Carolina’s Certified Social Worker is voluntary, and Nebraska’s Certified Social Worker is a title-protection certificate. Iowa’s law says people trained or employed as bachelor social workers are not required to be licensed; its LBSW protects the title.
Which States Issue a Bachelor’s Social Work License
Here is every jurisdiction’s board and its bachelor’s-level credential, from each board’s own statutes, rules or applications, reviewed in September 2026. Blank exam cells mean the board’s rules name no specific exam for that credential.
| State | Licensing board | Bachelor’s-level credential | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) | Exam prescribed by the board |
| Alaska | Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners | Baccalaureate Social Worker | ASWB Bachelors |
| Arizona | Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board | Licensed Social Worker (LSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| California | California Board of Behavioral Sciences | None (first credential: Associate Clinical Social Worker registration, master’s) | |
| Colorado | Colorado State Board of Social Work Examiners | None (first license: LSW, master’s) | |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Public Health | None (first license: LMSW) | |
| Delaware | Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Bachelors Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| District of Columbia | DC Board of Social Work | Licensed Social Work Associate (LSWA) | ASWB Associate |
| Florida | Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling | None (first credential: Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern) | |
| Georgia | Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists | None (first license: LMSW) | |
| Hawaii | Hawaii DCCA Social Worker Program | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Idaho | Idaho State Board of Social Work Examiners | Bachelor Social Worker (LSW) | ASWB, level for the license type |
| Illinois | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation | None (first license: LSW, master’s) | |
| Indiana | Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board | Bachelor’s Degree Social Worker | Exam provided by the board |
| Iowa | Iowa Board of Behavioral Health Professionals | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Kansas | Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Board of Social Work | Licensed Social Worker (LSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Louisiana | Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners | Registered Social Worker (RSW) | None |
| Maine | Maine Board of Social Worker Licensure | Licensed Social Worker, Conditional (LSX); Licensed Social Worker (LS) | None for LSX; ASWB Bachelors for LS |
| Maryland | Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers | Licensed Social Work Associate (LSWA); Licensed Social Worker (LSW) | ASWB Associate (LSWA); ASWB Bachelors (LSW) |
| Michigan | Michigan Board of Social Work | Limited SST and SST registrations; Limited LBSW; LBSW | None for the registrations and Limited LBSW; ASWB Bachelors for LBSW |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Board of Social Work | Licensed Social Worker (LSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Mississippi | Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists | Licensed Social Worker (LSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Missouri | Missouri State Committee for Social Workers | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Montana | Montana Board of Behavioral Health | LBSW Candidate (SWLB); Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors for LBSW |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Board of Mental Health Practice | Certified Social Worker (CSW) | None |
| Nevada | Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers | Licensed Social Worker (LSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice | Licensed Social Work Associate (LSWA); Licensed Social Worker (LSW) | ASWB Associate (LSWA); ASWB Bachelors (LSW) |
| New Jersey | New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners | Certified Social Worker (CSW) | |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors plus jurisprudence exam |
| New York | NYSED Office of the Professions | None (first license: LMSW) | |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board | Certified Social Worker (CSW), voluntary | ASWB Bachelors |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Ohio | Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board | Licensed Social Worker (LSW), all degree levels | ASWB Bachelors or Masters, by degree |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers | Licensed Social Work Associate (LSWA) | ASWB |
| Oregon | Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers | Registered Baccalaureate Social Worker (RBSW) | ASWB Bachelors plus Oregon laws and rules exam |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Puerto Rico | Junta Examinadora de Profesionales del Trabajo Social | Provisional license, then permanent license by experience | |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Department of Health | None (first license: LCSW) | |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Work Associate (SWA); Social Worker | ASWB, prescribed by the board |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Board of Social Worker Licensure | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Texas | Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Utah | Utah Division of Professional Licensing | Social Service Worker | None |
| Vermont | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation | None (first license: LMSW) | |
| Virginia | Virginia Board of Social Work | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Washington | Washington State Department of Health | None (first credential: Advanced Social Worker Associate) | |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Board of Social Work | Provisional license; Licensed Social Worker, Level A (LSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin MPSW Examining Board, Social Work Section | Social Worker (SW) | ASWB Bachelors |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board | Certified Social Worker (CSW) | ASWB Bachelors |
The States Without a Bachelor’s License
Ten states issue no bachelor’s-level social work credential: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that only some states require nonclinical social workers to hold a license at all. In these ten, a state social work credential comes only after the MSW.
Each of those states starts at the master’s level. New York, Connecticut, Georgia and Vermont begin with the LMSW. California’s first step is the Associate Clinical Social Worker registration, which requires taking the California Law and Ethics Exam each year until you pass it. Colorado and Illinois call their first master’s-level license the LSW, which is why “LSW” means different things in different states. Rhode Island’s first social work license is the LCSW.
If you plan to live in one of these states, an advanced standing MSW matters more than any bachelor’s license. See the BSW to MSW guide for one-year options.
The ASWB Bachelors Exam
The Association of Social Work Boards writes the exams most boards use. 31 of the 42 issuing jurisdictions name the ASWB Bachelors exam for their bachelor’s credential.
What to expect, from ASWB:
- Format: 122 multiple-choice questions, 110 scored and 12 unscored, with a four-hour time limit, taken at a Pearson test center.
- Fee: US$230 to register for the Associate, Bachelors or Masters exam.
- Order: apply to your state board first; once it approves you, register with ASWB and schedule your test.
- Pass rate: 70.4% of first-time Bachelors test-takers passed in 2025.
A few credentials use a different exam or none. DC’s LSWA and the LSWA in Massachusetts and New Hampshire use the ASWB Associate level. Louisiana’s RSW, Nebraska’s CSW, Utah’s Social Service Worker license and Maine’s conditional LSX require no exam. Oregon adds its own laws and rules exam, and New Mexico adds a jurisprudence exam plus a course in New Mexico cultures.
The Bachelor's-Level Social Work License in Every State
From each state's social work board, September 2026.
What an LBSW License Lets You Do
Bachelor’s licenses cover generalist, nonclinical practice. Boards state the limits in their own words:
- Kentucky: an LSW may practice social work but shall not engage in clinical social work.
- Alabama: an LBSW may not make diagnoses.
- Maryland: an LBSW may not make a clinical diagnosis of a behavioral health or emotional disorder.
- Arizona: an LBSW may engage in clinical practice only under direct supervision.
- Tennessee: licensed baccalaureate social workers may not practice privately or independently.
- Louisiana: RSWs practice generalist social work as agency employees and shall not engage in advanced practice or clinical social work.
- Virginia: the board describes the LBSW as practicing under the supervision of a master social worker and providing basic generalist services.
New Hampshire is broader: its LSW scope includes screening, assessment, treatment planning and treatment of mental health conditions, with clinical supervision required during the first 2 years. A few states also open a path to independent nonclinical practice. Maryland allows board approval for independent practice after at least 3 years as a licensee with 4,500 hours of supervised experience, Texas grants an LBSW Independent Practice Recognition after supervised hours, and Missouri lists a separate independent practice category reached through registered supervision of at least 3,000 hours over 24 to 48 months.
Supervised Experience Before or After the License
Many states license you right after graduation. Others build supervised practice into the bachelor’s tier:
- Michigan: a Limited LBSW first, then 4,000 hours of post-degree supervised experience over at least 2 years for the full LBSW.
- Montana: an LBSW candidate license, then at least 500 hours of supervised experience over at least 18 months, including 50 hours of supervision.
- Alabama: after licensure, at least 96 hours of supervision over 24 months within a 36-month window, alongside at least 10 hours a week of social work practice.
- Maine: LS licensees with a social work degree hold a consultation agreement for their first 2 to 4 years, with 96 hours of consultation alongside 3,200 hours of employment.
- New Hampshire: 4,000 hours of supervised work within 2 to 4 years, with 100 hours of individual supervision.
Degree Rules: Why CSWE Accreditation Matters
Most boards require a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program. North Dakota accepts no other degree, and Ohio states that degrees in other fields are not eligible. Several states also accept candidacy programs: Texas, Maryland and New Jersey accept a BSW from a program in candidacy, Indiana accepts programs approved for candidacy, and Tennessee offers temporary licenses to candidacy-program graduates. CSWE separately treats students who start in or before a program’s candidacy year as graduates of an accredited program once it earns initial accreditation.
A few states offer routes without a BSW. Massachusetts’ LSW accepts a bachelor’s in another field plus at least 3,500 hours of supervised work experience over two years or more. West Virginia’s provisional license for related degrees takes four years of supervised employment and four core CSWE-accredited social work classes. Utah’s Social Service Worker license accepts another bachelor’s plus specific coursework and 2,000 hours of experience. South Dakota’s Social Work Associate accepts a non-social-work bachelor’s.
Choosing a program? Compare CSWE-accredited BSW programs in licensing states, such as UT Arlington and Tarleton State in Texas, Salisbury University in Maryland or Fort Hays State in Kansas.
Getting Licensed Fast After Graduation
Some boards let you start before or right at graduation:
- Texas: students in a qualifying program may sit for the ASWB Bachelors exam while still in school.
- South Carolina: final-semester students may be allowed to take the exam before the degree is conferred; applicants must be at least 21, and the board issues no temporary licenses.
- Arkansas: first-time applicants get a one-time provisional license valid for one year, with up to three exam attempts.
- West Virginia: graduates who have not yet passed the exam apply for a temporary permit and convert it after passing.
- Ohio: a temporary license is available while transcripts are pending.
- North Dakota: initial applicants must pass the exam within one year of applying.
The how to become a social worker guide walks through the full sequence, and the social work degree guide explains how the BSW prepares you for it.
How the Bachelor’s License Fits With an MSW
The bachelor’s license is a starting point, not a step you must take before clinical licensure. Virginia’s board states the LBSW is not a prerequisite for clinical licensure. Clinical social workers need a master’s degree, supervised clinical experience and a state license, BLS reports.
Holding an LBSW while you earn an MSW lets you work under a protected title in the meantime. Pair it with an advanced standing MSW, which CSWE reserves for graduates of accredited BSW programs, and browse those programs on mswdegree.com. Explore the jobs open at the bachelor’s level, such as case manager and child protective services worker.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does LBSW Stand For?
LBSW stands for Licensed Bachelor Social Worker or Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker, depending on the state. Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland and Pennsylvania use Licensed Bachelor Social Worker; Arizona, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia use Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker.
Is an LSW the Same as an LBSW?
Not everywhere. In Arkansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi and Nevada, the LSW is the bachelor's-level license. In Pennsylvania and Hawaii, LSW is the first master's-level license, and in Colorado and Illinois the LSW is master's level too. Ohio issues one LSW title to bachelor's, master's and doctoral graduates in social work.
How Much Does the ASWB Bachelors Exam Cost?
ASWB charges US$230 to register for the Bachelors exam, the same as the Associate and Masters exams. Your state board may charge its own application and license fees on top.
What Is the Pass Rate for the ASWB Bachelors Exam?
ASWB reports a 2025 first-time pass rate of 70.4% for the Bachelors exam.
Can an LBSW Do Therapy or Diagnose?
Generally no. Alabama's rules state an LBSW may not make diagnoses; Maryland's LBSW may not make a clinical diagnosis of a behavioral health or emotional disorder; Kentucky's LSW may not engage in clinical social work; and Arizona's LBSW may do clinical work only under direct supervision. Clinical practice requires an MSW and a clinical license.
Can You Get an LBSW With a Psychology Degree?
Usually not. Most boards require a social work degree from a CSWE-accredited program, and North Dakota and Ohio say other degrees are not accepted. A few states offer other routes: Massachusetts' LSW accepts a bachelor's in another field plus at least 3,500 hours of work experience, and West Virginia offers a provisional license for related degrees.
Keep Reading
- Social Work DegreeWhat a social work degree (BSW) is, how it differs from related majors, what it costs and the licenses and jobs it leads to
- How to Become a Social WorkerThe steps from a BSW to a social work license and job, with each state's bachelor's license and the MSW route
- BSW to MSWHow a BSW shortens the MSW through advanced standing, which schools run combined tracks, and what it saves
- BSW Admission RequirementsHow students are admitted to BSW programs and the social work major, with requirements from verified programs
- BSW Coursework and Field PracticumWhat BSW students study, how the field practicum works and how many hours programs require
- BSW Cost and Financial AidBSW tuition from federal figures and published rates, aid, Title IV-E stipends and loan rules
Sources
- ASWB: Social work licensing exam information
- ASWB: Exam pass rates
- CSWE: Accreditation FAQs
- Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners: How to become an LBSW
- Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners: licensing regulations
- Michigan LARA: LBSW licensing guide
- Each state's social work licensing board, reviewed September 2026
- Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): exams