Getting licensed as a social worker in Ohio
Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board, read .
Your first license
Licensed Social Worker (MSW route: the same license, sat with the ASWB Masters exam)
LSWExam required before the license
The ASWB Masters exam is required before the license.
Known fees
| LSW application fee | $80 |
|---|---|
| eLicense processing fee (LSW application) | $3.5 |
| ASWB Bachelors or Masters examination (LSW may sit for either, per degree level) | $230 |
| Known total | $313.5 |
What else it takes
- Supervised hours
- Not checked yet
- ASWB exam level
- Masters
- Licensure compact
- Member jurisdiction
- Last checked
Next step
Meet Ohio LSW education requirements (CSWE-accredited bachelor's or master's social work degree, or qualifying coursework). Complete the LSW application and pay the $80 fee plus $3.50 processing fee on eLicense.
The ladder
Ohio has 3 rungs. 3 of them need an ASWB exam.
bachelors
LSW
ASWB Bachelors
Licensed Social Worker (BSW route: the same license, sat with the ASWB Bachelors exam).
masters
LSW
ASWB Masters
Licensed Social Worker (MSW route: the same license, sat with the ASWB Masters exam).
clinical
LISW
ASWB Clinical
Licensed Independent Social Worker.
Requirements change
Nothing on our law calendar changes Ohio'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 . If Ohio moves, this page moves with it.
Sources
We read the board's own pages. Nothing here is a guess.
- Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board · LSW applicant resourcescswmft.ohio.gov · Last checked
- OAC 4757-19-07 - Applications for a reciprocal social work licenselaw.cornell.edu · Last checked
- ORC 4757.52 - Social work licensure compactcodes.ohio.gov · Last checked
- LSW fees · ASWB Bachelors or Masters examination (LSW may sit for either, per degree level)www.aswb.org · Last checked
- Social Work Licensure Compact · member jurisdictionsswcompact.org · Last checked
- OAC 4757-19-02 - Requirements for licensure as an independent social workercodes.ohio.gov · Last checked
- OAC 4757-23-01 - Social work supervision rulescodes.ohio.gov · Last checked
- ORC 4757.18 - Reciprocity; endorsement of out-of-state license or certificatelaw.justia.com · Last checked
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
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