Social work licensure in Vermont

Requirements last verified August 16, 2026 against the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Office of the Secretary of State.

License levels

LMSWLicensed Master’s Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Masters exam.
A CSWE-accredited master’s or doctorate, “the Association of Social Work Boards master’s level examination … taken within five years of completing all requirements for licensure”, and the Vermont jurisprudence examination. The rule is explicit that there is no supervised practice requirement at this level — and equally that an LMSW may not practice psychotherapy.
LICSWLicensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.
A CSWE-accredited master’s or doctorate, 3,000 hours of supervised practice of which 2,000 direct service hours must be psychotherapy, the ASWB clinical examination on the same five-year clock, and the Vermont jurisprudence examination. Holding the LMSW first is not required.

Worth knowing about Vermont

Vermont puts a five-year clock on the ASWB exam: it must have been taken within five years of your completing all the other requirements for licensure, so an old pass can expire out from under you. It also gates the supervised hours themselves. You cannot provide psychotherapy or accrue LICSW hours in Vermont until you are either an LMSW registered with the Office for supervised practice, or — if you are not an LMSW — listed on the state’s roster of non-licensed and non-certified psychotherapists, and you must stay on it for the whole period. Every route also ends with Vermont’s own jurisprudence examination, including licensure by endorsement.

Common questions about Vermont

Which ASWB exam do I need for Vermont?: LMSW 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 Vermont issue?: LMSW (Licensed Master’s Social Worker); LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).
How many supervised hours does Vermont 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 Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Office of the Secretary of State 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 Vermont calls its license levels, the exam behind them is one of five.

License levels

LMSWLicensed Master’s Social Worker

Requires the ASWB Masters exam.

A CSWE-accredited master’s or doctorate, “the Association of Social Work Boards master’s level examination … taken within five years of completing all requirements for licensure”, and the Vermont jurisprudence examination. The rule is explicit that there is no supervised practice requirement at this level — and equally that an LMSW may not practice psychotherapy.

LICSWLicensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Requires the ASWB Clinical exam.

A CSWE-accredited master’s or doctorate, 3,000 hours of supervised practice of which 2,000 direct service hours must be psychotherapy, the ASWB clinical examination on the same five-year clock, and the Vermont jurisprudence examination. Holding the LMSW first is not required.

Worth knowing about Vermont

Common questions about Vermont

Which ASWB exam do I need for Vermont?

LMSW 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 Vermont issue?

LMSW (Licensed Master’s Social Worker); LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker).

How many supervised hours does Vermont 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 Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Office of the Secretary of State on 2026-08-16. Licensure rules change without much notice, so treat the board as the authority and this page as a starting point.