Social work licensure in Missouri

Requirements last verified August 16, 2026 against the Missouri State Committee for Social Workers, Division of Professional Registration.

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.
Candidates may sit the exam up to 60 days before graduation, with a letter from a designated official at their CSWE-accredited university.
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.
Also sittable up to 60 days before graduation with the university’s letter.
LAMSWLicensed Advanced Macro Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam.
Requires the ASWB Advanced Generalist examination. The rule is explicit that experience comes first: an examination taken “before the completion of at least two thousand two hundred fifty (2,250) hours and eighteen (18) months of the supervised work experience is not acceptable”.
LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.
Candidates may sit the Clinical examination once 2,250 hours and 18 months of supervision are complete.

Worth knowing about Missouri

Missouri pulls in two directions and it is worth planning around both. At the entry levels it is unusually early — LBSW and LMSW candidates can sit the exam up to 60 days before they graduate, with a letter from their university. At the advanced levels it is strictly experience-first: both the LCSW and the LAMSW require 2,250 hours and 18 months of supervision before an exam score will even be accepted. Missouri is also one of the few states with a dedicated macro license, the LAMSW, and it takes the Advanced Generalist exam rather than the Clinical one.

Common questions about Missouri

Which ASWB exam do I need for Missouri?: LAMSW requires the ASWB Advanced Generalist 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 Missouri issue?: LBSW (Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker); LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker); LAMSW (Licensed Advanced Macro Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
How many supervised hours does Missouri require?: LAMSW: 2,250 hours; LCSW: 2,250 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 Missouri State Committee for Social Workers, Division of Professional Registration 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 Missouri calls its license levels, the exam behind them is one of five.

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.

Candidates may sit the exam up to 60 days before graduation, with a letter from a designated official at their CSWE-accredited university.

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.

Also sittable up to 60 days before graduation with the university’s letter.

LAMSWLicensed Advanced Macro Social Worker

Requires the ASWB Advanced Generalist exam.

Requires the ASWB Advanced Generalist examination. The rule is explicit that experience comes first: an examination taken “before the completion of at least two thousand two hundred fifty (2,250) hours and eighteen (18) months of the supervised work experience is not acceptable”.

LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker

Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.

Candidates may sit the Clinical examination once 2,250 hours and 18 months of supervision are complete.

Worth knowing about Missouri

Common questions about Missouri

Which ASWB exam do I need for Missouri?

LAMSW requires the ASWB Advanced Generalist 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 Missouri issue?

LBSW (Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker); LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker); LAMSW (Licensed Advanced Macro Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).

How many supervised hours does Missouri require?

LAMSW: 2,250 hours; LCSW: 2,250 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 Missouri State Committee for Social Workers, Division of Professional Registration on 2026-08-16. Licensure rules change without much notice, so treat the board as the authority and this page as a starting point.