Social work licensure in Massachusetts

Requirements last verified October 22, 2026 against the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers.

License levels

• LSWALicensed Social Work Associate

  Requires the ASWB Associate exam.

• LSWLicensed Social Worker

  Requires the ASWB Bachelors exam.

• LCSWLicensed Certified Social Worker

  Requires the ASWB Masters exam.

  An MSW, DSW or PhD in social work from a CSWE-accredited program. Despite the letters, this is not the clinical license.

• LICSWLicensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

  Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.

  You must hold the LCSW first (or its equivalent elsewhere), then complete at least two years (104 weeks) and 3,500 hours of clinical social work experience after it, with at least 100 hours of individual face-to-face clinical supervision.

Worth knowing about Massachusetts

Read the abbreviations carefully here, because one of them means something different from everywhere else. In Massachusetts, LCSW stands for Licensed CERTIFIED Social Worker — not Licensed Clinical Social Worker, which is what those four letters mean in almost every other state. The clinical license in Massachusetts is the LICSW, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, and it is the highest of the four. Continuing-education requirements track that order: 30 credits for LICSW, 20 for LCSW, 15 for LSW and 10 for LSWA. If you are moving to or from Massachusetts, an “LCSW” on a CV means two different things either side of the state line.

Common questions about Massachusetts

Which ASWB exam do I need for Massachusetts?

LSWA requires the ASWB Associate exam; LSW requires the ASWB Bachelors exam; LCSW requires the ASWB Masters exam; LICSW 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 Massachusetts issue?

LSWA (Licensed Social Work Associate); LSW (Licensed Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Certified Social Worker); LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).

How many supervised hours does Massachusetts require?

LICSW: 3,500 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 Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers on 2026-10-22. Licensure rules change without much notice, so treat the board as the authority and this page as a starting point.