Social work licensure in Utah

Requirements last verified August 16, 2026 against the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Department of Commerce.

Utah requires pre-approval

The ASWB Examination Guidebook names Utah 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 centre and sit it — the approval comes first, and it takes time you should plan for.

License levels

SSWSocial Service Worker
The board lists this level but does not state its ASWB exam on the pages we checked — confirm with them directly.
Utah’s entry-level social work license. The rule that used to require the ASWB Bachelors examination for it has been struck, so confirm with DOPL what, if any, examination applies before you register for one.
CSWCertified Social Worker
The board lists this level but does not state its ASWB exam on the pages we checked — confirm with them directly.
The master’s-level license, and the one you must hold while accruing clinical hours. Its examination subrule — previously the ASWB Masters, Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam — has likewise been struck from the rule.
LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.
The one Utah license the rule still ties to an examination: “Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Clinical licensing Exam; or the Clinical Social Workers Examination of the State of California.” Behind it sit 3,000 hours of clinical social work experience — 1,000 of them clinical mental health therapy delivered directly to clients, and 75 under direct supervision — completed while licensed as a CSW, over no fewer than 18 months, with practicum hours from your degree excluded.

Worth knowing about Utah

Two Utah rules catch people out. The clinical hours must be earned as a W-2 employee of a mental health agency, hospital, educational institution, non-profit or government agency — contract and self-employed work does not count — and they cannot include any practicum hours from your degree. Utah also accepts California’s own clinical examination in place of ASWB’s. And because Utah routes exam approval through ASWB Licensing Services rather than the division, the approval step comes before you can book anything.

Common questions about Utah

Which ASWB exam do I need for Utah?: 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 Utah issue?: SSW (Social Service Worker); CSW (Certified Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).
How many supervised hours does Utah 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.
Does Utah require exam pre-approval?: Yes. The ASWB Examination Guidebook names Utah 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 Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Department of Commerce 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 Utah calls its license levels, the exam behind them is one of five.

License levels

SSWSocial Service Worker

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

Utah’s entry-level social work license. The rule that used to require the ASWB Bachelors examination for it has been struck, so confirm with DOPL what, if any, examination applies before you register for one.

CSWCertified Social Worker

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

The master’s-level license, and the one you must hold while accruing clinical hours. Its examination subrule — previously the ASWB Masters, Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam — has likewise been struck from the rule.

LCSWLicensed Clinical Social Worker

Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.

The one Utah license the rule still ties to an examination: “Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Clinical licensing Exam; or the Clinical Social Workers Examination of the State of California.” Behind it sit 3,000 hours of clinical social work experience — 1,000 of them clinical mental health therapy delivered directly to clients, and 75 under direct supervision — completed while licensed as a CSW, over no fewer than 18 months, with practicum hours from your degree excluded.

Worth knowing about Utah

Common questions about Utah

Which ASWB exam do I need for Utah?

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 Utah issue?

SSW (Social Service Worker); CSW (Certified Social Worker); LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker).

How many supervised hours does Utah 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.

Does Utah require exam pre-approval?

Yes. The ASWB Examination Guidebook names Utah 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 Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Department of Commerce on 2026-08-16. Licensure rules change without much notice, so treat the board as the authority and this page as a starting point.