Social work licensure in North Dakota

Requirements last verified August 16, 2026 against the North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners.

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.
A board-approved baccalaureate degree in social work.
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 board-approved master’s or doctoral degree in social work. Under a licensed clinical social worker’s supervision, master’s practice may include work otherwise reserved to LCSWs.
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.
3,000 hours of supervised post-master’s clinical experience completed within a four-year period. The first 1,500 must be supervised by a licensed clinical social worker; the rest may be supervised by another qualified mental health professional only where the board accepts a hardship — geography, disability or similar.

Worth knowing about North Dakota

North Dakota puts a ceiling as well as a floor on the clinical hours: the 3,000 must be completed inside a four-year period, so stretching supervision out over a long part-time stint can put the earliest hours out of range. The first half of them must come from a licensed clinical social worker specifically — another mental health professional counts only for the back 1,500, and only if the board accepts that geography, disability or a comparable barrier makes LCSW supervision impractical where you are.

Common questions about North Dakota

Which ASWB exam do I need for North Dakota?: North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners 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 North Dakota issue?: LBSW (Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker); LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
How many supervised hours does North Dakota require?: LCSW: 3,000 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 North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners 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 North Dakota 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.

A board-approved baccalaureate degree in social work.

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 board-approved master’s or doctoral degree in social work. Under a licensed clinical social worker’s supervision, master’s practice may include work otherwise reserved to LCSWs.

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.

3,000 hours of supervised post-master’s clinical experience completed within a four-year period. The first 1,500 must be supervised by a licensed clinical social worker; the rest may be supervised by another qualified mental health professional only where the board accepts a hardship — geography, disability or similar.

Worth knowing about North Dakota

Common questions about North Dakota

Which ASWB exam do I need for North Dakota?

North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners 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 North Dakota issue?

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

How many supervised hours does North Dakota require?

LCSW: 3,000 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 North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners on 2026-08-16. Licensure rules change without much notice, so treat the board as the authority and this page as a starting point.