Social work licensure in Connecticut

Requirements last verified August 16, 2026 against the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing.

License levels

LMSWMaster’s Level Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Masters exam.
The Department’s wording: “the ASWB master’s level examination is required of applicants who earned the MSW degree on and after January 1, 2026.” It is a new requirement, not a long-standing one.
LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.
An MSW or doctorate from a CSWE-accredited program, 3,000 hours of post-master’s social work experience including at least 100 hours under professional supervision by a licensed clinical or certified independent social worker, and the ASWB Clinical Level Examination.

Worth knowing about Connecticut

Connecticut’s master’s-level exam requirement is new and it is dated: it applies to applicants “who earned the MSW degree on and after January 1, 2026”. If your MSW predates that, check with the Department before assuming you need to sit it — and if it does not, you do. This is the kind of cutoff that older guidance and second-hand summaries get wrong for years afterwards. Connecticut also runs a transitional accreditation window: a Connecticut school in candidate status with CSWE between spring 2024 and spring 2028 counts, which it would not in most states.

Common questions about Connecticut

Which ASWB exam do I need for Connecticut?: LMSW requires the ASWB Masters exam; LCSW requires the ASWB Clinical exam. Your board tells ASWB which category you are approved to take, so confirm with them before you register — registration fees are nonrefundable.
What social work licenses does Connecticut issue?: LMSW (Master’s Level Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
How many supervised hours does Connecticut require?: LCSW: 3,000 hours. The board sets the conditions on those hours — who may supervise, over what period — so read its own rules before you begin accruing them.
Is this information current?: These requirements were last checked against Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing on 2026-08-16. Licensure rules change without much notice, so treat the board as the authority and this page as a starting point.

Which exam will you sit?

Whatever Connecticut calls its license levels, the exam behind them is one of five.

License levels

LMSWMaster’s Level Social Worker

Requires the ASWB Masters exam.

The Department’s wording: “the ASWB master’s level examination is required of applicants who earned the MSW degree on and after January 1, 2026.” It is a new requirement, not a long-standing one.

LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker

Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.

An MSW or doctorate from a CSWE-accredited program, 3,000 hours of post-master’s social work experience including at least 100 hours under professional supervision by a licensed clinical or certified independent social worker, and the ASWB Clinical Level Examination.

Worth knowing about Connecticut

Common questions about Connecticut

Which ASWB exam do I need for Connecticut?

LMSW requires the ASWB Masters exam; LCSW requires the ASWB Clinical exam. Your board tells ASWB which category you are approved to take, so confirm with them before you register — registration fees are nonrefundable.

What social work licenses does Connecticut issue?

LMSW (Master’s Level Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).

How many supervised hours does Connecticut require?

LCSW: 3,000 hours. The board sets the conditions on those hours — who may supervise, over what period — so read its own rules before you begin accruing them.

Is this information current?

These requirements were last checked against Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing on 2026-08-16. Licensure rules change without much notice, so treat the board as the authority and this page as a starting point.