Social work licensure in Maine

Requirements last verified August 16, 2026 against the Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure, Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation.

Maine requires pre-approval

The ASWB Examination Guidebook names Maine as a jurisdiction where you must be approved through ASWB Licensing Services before you can register for the exam. You cannot simply book a seat at a test center and sit it — the approval comes first, and it takes time you should plan for.

License levels

• LSWLicensed Social Worker

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

  The bachelor’s-level license: a bachelor’s degree or higher in social work or social welfare from an accredited institution, or the conditional route below.

• LMSWLicensed Master Social Worker

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

  A master’s or doctoral degree in social work or social welfare.

• LMSW-CCLicensed Master Social Worker, Conditional

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

  The statute’s conditional master’s tier — the license you hold while completing the consultation that leads to the LCSW.

• 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.

  How much experience you need depends on what your degree concentrated in. A master’s or doctorate in a clinical concentration takes two years of social work experience with 96 hours of consultation in a clinical setting; a non-clinical concentration takes four years with 192 hours. The consultation must be spread over no fewer than two and no more than four years.

Worth knowing about Maine

Maine is one of four jurisdictions where the exam comes through ASWB Licensing Services rather than the board — you apply to ASWB for preapproval, sit the exam, and only then apply to Maine for the license. The other thing to plan around is the concentration rule: if your MSW was not a clinical concentration, Maine doubles the road to the LCSW, from two years and 96 hours of consultation to four years and 192. That is a decision made years before you sit an exam, and it is worth checking what your transcript actually says.

Common questions about Maine

Which ASWB exam do I need for Maine?

Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure, Office of Professional and Occupational 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 Maine issue?

LSW (Licensed Social Worker); LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker); LMSW-CC (Licensed Master Social Worker, Conditional); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).

Does Maine require exam pre-approval?

Yes. The ASWB Examination Guidebook names Maine as a jurisdiction where you must be approved through ASWB Licensing Services before you can register for the exam. The approval comes first and takes time to plan for.

Is this information current?

These requirements were last checked against Maine State Board of Social Worker Licensure, Office of Professional and Occupational 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.