Social work licensure in Delaware

Requirements last verified August 16, 2026 against the Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners, Division of Professional Regulation.

License levels

• LBSWLicensed Baccalaureate Social Worker

  The board lists this level but does not state its ASWB exam on the pages we checked — confirm with them directly.

• LMSWLicensed Masters Social Worker

  The board lists this level but does not state its ASWB exam on the pages we checked — confirm with them directly.

• LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker

  The board lists this level but does not state its ASWB exam on the pages we checked — confirm with them directly.

  The regulation requires “not less than 3,200 hours of post-degree supervised clinical social work experience… obtained over a period of not less than 2 years and not more than 5 years.”

Worth knowing about Delaware

Delaware puts a clock on the exam itself, which most states do not. You have two years from the date of your submitted DELPROS application to pass it, and you may retake every 90 days until you do. The clinical hours carry their own window: 3,200 hours — several hundred more than the common 3,000 — over not less than two years and not more than five. Both ends of that range bind, so starting late and finishing fast is not a strategy here, and neither is drifting past five years.

Common questions about Delaware

Which ASWB exam do I need for Delaware?

Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners, Division of Professional Regulation lists its license levels without naming which ASWB exam each requires, on the pages we were able to read. Confirm the exam category with the board directly before registering.

What social work licenses does Delaware issue?

LBSW (Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker); LMSW (Licensed Masters Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).

How many supervised hours does Delaware require?

LCSW: 3,200 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 Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners, Division of Professional Regulation on 2026-08-16. Licensure rules change without much notice, so treat the board as the authority and this page as a starting point.