Social work licensure in Rhode Island

Requirements last verified August 16, 2026 against the Rhode Island Department of Health.

License levels

LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Masters exam.
Despite the name this is the master’s-level license: the regulation asks for “the intermediate level of the examination administered by the ASWB”. That requirement was suspended for LCSW applicants until 15 August 2025 — a date now passed, so check the current position with the Department before you plan around a waiver.
LICSWLicensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.
“The clinical level of the examination administered by the ASWB”, plus 3,000 hours of post-master’s clinical practice inside a window of 24 to 72 months immediately before you apply, 1,500 of them delivering clinical services directly to clients. Supervision runs at two hours a fortnight and at least one hour per 20 hours of direct client contact, three-quarters of it one-to-one.

Worth knowing about Rhode Island

Rhode Island is a state where LCSW is not the top license. The LCSW here is the master’s-level clinical license and takes the Masters exam; independent practice needs the LICSW, which takes the Clinical exam. Rhode Island has also suspended the LCSW exam requirement before — the current regulation suspended it until 15 August 2025 — so if anyone tells you no exam is needed, ask them which date they are working from. The LICSW hours window cuts both ways too: the 3,000 hours must sit inside the 24 to 72 months immediately before your application, so hours earned long ago can age out.

Common questions about Rhode Island

Which ASWB exam do I need for Rhode Island?: 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 Rhode Island issue?: LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker); LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).
How many supervised hours does Rhode Island require?: LICSW: 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 Rhode Island Department of Health 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 Rhode Island calls its license levels, the exam behind them is one of five.

License levels

LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker

Requires the ASWB Masters exam.

Despite the name this is the master’s-level license: the regulation asks for “the intermediate level of the examination administered by the ASWB”. That requirement was suspended for LCSW applicants until 15 August 2025 — a date now passed, so check the current position with the Department before you plan around a waiver.

LICSWLicensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.

“The clinical level of the examination administered by the ASWB”, plus 3,000 hours of post-master’s clinical practice inside a window of 24 to 72 months immediately before you apply, 1,500 of them delivering clinical services directly to clients. Supervision runs at two hours a fortnight and at least one hour per 20 hours of direct client contact, three-quarters of it one-to-one.

Worth knowing about Rhode Island

Common questions about Rhode Island

Which ASWB exam do I need for Rhode Island?

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 Rhode Island issue?

LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker); LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).

How many supervised hours does Rhode Island require?

LICSW: 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 Rhode Island Department of Health on 2026-08-16. Licensure rules change without much notice, so treat the board as the authority and this page as a starting point.