Do you have to pass the ASWB exam before you can be licensed in Nevada?

Yes. An ASWB exam is required before the license; the primary sources do not confirm the level. In Nevada the first credential after an MSW is the LMSW, and an ASWB exam is a gate you pass before it is issued.

What is the first social work license you can get in Nevada after an MSW?

The LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker (NRS 641B.225 and NAC 641B name no ASWB level for this license)). It is issued by the Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers.

How much does the first social work license cost in Nevada?

Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers does not publish the fees for this credential on the pages we read, so we do not have a figure. We do not estimate one. The ASWB exam fee depends on level: $230 Bachelors or Masters, $260 Advanced Generalist or Clinical.

How many supervised hours does Nevada require?

3,000 hours over at least 24 months, for the LCSW. Read from the Nevada board's own rules on September 27, 2026.

Getting licensed as a social worker in Nevada

Checked against the Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers on September 27, 2026.

Get your Nevada licensing checklist

Your board, the portal you apply in, the fees, the supervised hours, and the order to do them in.

Your first license

Licensed Master Social Worker (NRS 641B.225 and NAC 641B name no ASWB level for this license)

LMSW

Exam required before the license

An ASWB exam is required before the license; the primary sources do not confirm the level.

Known fees

Fees the Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers publishes for the LMSW
Initial application (statutory maximum)	Not published by the board
Initial issuance of a license as a social worker or a master social worker (statutory maximum)	Not published by the board
ASWB examination (level not named by the board rule)	exam fee depends on level: $230 Bachelors or Masters, $260 Advanced Generalist or Clinical
Known total	Not checked yet

Plus 2 fees this board does not publish an amount for.

What else it takes

Supervised hours: 3,000 hours over at least 24 months, for the LCSW
ASWB exam level: Not confirmed by the primary sources
Licensure compact: Not a memberMultistate licenses are not yet being issued. Last checked October 18, 2026 against the compact's own site.
Last checked: September 27, 2026

Next step

Possess a master's or doctoral degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited college or university (NRS 641B.225(1)(a)). Meet the preliminary qualifications and submit fingerprints (NRS 641B.200, 641B.202).

The ladder

Nevada has 4 rungs. 4 need an ASWB exam.

bachelors
LSW
ASWB Bachelors
Licensed Social Worker (bachelor's or master's degree; ASWB Bachelors exam, or Bachelors or Masters with a master's degree, per NAC 641B.105).
masters
LMSW
ASWB exam, level not confirmed
Licensed Master Social Worker (NRS 641B.225 and NAC 641B name no ASWB level for this license).
advanced
LISW
ASWB Advanced Generalist
Licensed Independent Social Worker (non-clinical independent practice, 3,000 supervised hours).
clinical
LCSW
ASWB Clinical
Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Requirements change

Nothing on our law calendar changes Nevada's exam requirement today. The change that does touch you is national: ASWB launched the 2026 exams on August 3, 2026 with three content areas and 122 items, and held fees at $230 Masters and $260 Clinical. ASWB's announcement.

Law calendar read September 6, 2026. If Nevada moves, this page moves with it.

Already passed? Track your supervised hours toward your clinical license.

Nevada asks for 3,000 hours of supervised experience. The board sets no total for supervision hours.

Checked against the published rule. Last checked September 27, 2026.

Join the Hours waitlist

Programs in Nevada

How first-timers from each accredited program here did on the ASWB exam. A rate built on fewer than 10 first-time exams is one or two people, so those programs show how close they are to that floor instead of a percent. Source: ASWB, 2025 report.

See all 2 programs in Nevada

Sources

We read the board's own pages. Nothing here is a guess.

SWTPA is not affiliated with any state board or with ASWB. Requirements change; the board's page is the source of record. This record is also available as JSON.

See your path inside the app

Pick your state once. We keep the fees, the hours and the next step in front of you while you study.

See your path inside the app Start the free diagnostic