Social work licensure in Indiana
Requirements last verified August 16, 2026 against the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board, Professional Licensing Agency.
License levels
LBSWLicensed Bachelor Social Worker
The board lists this level but does not state its ASWB exam on the pages we checked — confirm with them directly.
LSWLicensed Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Masters exam.
The Board’s instructions describe it as the “Intermediate/Masters level examination”. At least four hours per month of face-to-face supervision is required.
LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.
An MSW plus two years of post-degree experience and supervision, with the ASWB Clinical-level examination.
Worth knowing about Indiana
Two practical points. Indiana’s own instructions still call the exam the “Intermediate/Masters level examination” — Intermediate is ASWB’s retired name for what is now simply the Masters exam, so do not go looking for a separate test. And there is a clock: once the Board approves you, you must sit the examination within one calendar year of that initial approval.
Common questions about Indiana
- Which ASWB exam do I need for Indiana?
- LSW 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 Indiana issue?
- LBSW (Licensed Bachelor Social Worker); LSW (Licensed Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
- Is this information current?
- These requirements were last checked against Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board, Professional Licensing Agency 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 Indiana calls its license levels, the exam behind them is one of five.