{
  "_schema": {
    "about": "Social work licensing requirements per US jurisdiction, for the FIRST credential an MSW graduate holds in that jurisdiction.",
    "nullRule": "null means we have not read that figure off the board's own page. It never means zero. Do not substitute a default, an average or another state's number.",
    "attribution": "Social Work Test Prep Academy is not affiliated with any state licensing board or with ASWB. We read each board's published pages and record what they say; the board's page is the source of record. Requirements change.",
    "fields": {
      "abbr": "Two-letter USPS code, uppercase.",
      "name": "Jurisdiction name.",
      "url": "Absolute URL of the human-readable page.",
      "json": "Absolute URL of the full record for this jurisdiction.",
      "checked": "true when we have read this board's own pages and published the record. false means no data yet, not \"no requirements\".",
      "firstCredential": "The first credential an MSW graduate holds here (abbreviation, title, and the ASWB exam category needed to hold it, null when none is).",
      "examRequiredFirst": "true when the ASWB exam gates that first credential. false when the jurisdiction licenses or registers you first and the exam comes later (Michigan, California, Florida, Illinois).",
      "knownFeesUsd": "Sum of ONLY the fees the board publishes for that first credential, in US dollars. null when it publishes none.",
      "hours": "Plain-language supervised-hour requirement on the path, or the not-checked sentence.",
      "lastChecked": "ISO date WE last read the board pages behind this record. It is not a board review, approval or sign-off.",
      "ladder": "Every rung of the licensure ladder in order. `exam` is the ASWB category required to HOLD that rung (null = none); `supervised` means practice only under supervision.",
      "fees": "The board's own fee lines for the first credential, each with the page it was read from. amount_usd is null when the board does not publish the amount.",
      "supervision": "The supervised-experience package on the path, each figure with its own source page. A figure the board does not publish is null.",
      "applicationSequence": "The board's published order of operations, in the board's own terms.",
      "sources": "The board and statute pages this record was read from.",
      "records": "The raw rulebook records for this jurisdiction, unmodified."
    }
  },
  "abbr": "VA",
  "name": "Virginia",
  "url": "https://www.socialworktestprepacademy.com/licensing/va",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "checked": true,
  "lastChecked": "2026-09-06",
  "board": {
    "name": "Virginia Board of Social Work",
    "url": "https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/SocialWork/ApplicantResources/LMSW/"
  },
  "firstCredential": {
    "abbr": "LMSW",
    "title": "Licensed Master's Social Worker",
    "rung": "masters",
    "exam": "Masters"
  },
  "examRequiredFirst": true,
  "summary": "The ASWB Masters exam is required before the license.",
  "aswbExam": {
    "level": "Masters",
    "feeUsd": 230
  },
  "knownFeesUsd": 345,
  "unknownFeeCount": 0,
  "fees": [
    {
      "name": "LMSW application processing",
      "amount_usd": 115,
      "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section30/",
      "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
    },
    {
      "name": "ASWB Masters examination",
      "amount_usd": 230,
      "source_url": "https://www.aswb.org/exam/",
      "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
    }
  ],
  "supervision": null,
  "hours": "Supervised hours not checked yet",
  "compactMember": true,
  "applicationSequence": [
    "Meet Virginia LMSW education requirements.",
    "Apply to the Virginia Board of Social Work.",
    "Receive eligibility/authorization as required.",
    "Pass the ASWB Masters examination.",
    "Complete remaining Board documentation."
  ],
  "ladder": [
    {
      "rung": "bachelors",
      "abbr": "LBSW",
      "title": "Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker",
      "exam": "Bachelors",
      "supervised": false,
      "source": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section30/"
    },
    {
      "rung": "masters",
      "abbr": "LMSW",
      "title": "Licensed Master's Social Worker",
      "exam": "Masters",
      "supervised": false,
      "source": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section30/"
    },
    {
      "rung": "supervisee",
      "abbr": "Supervisee in Social Work",
      "title": "Registered supervisee accruing LCSW hours",
      "exam": null,
      "supervised": true,
      "source": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section50/"
    },
    {
      "rung": "clinical",
      "abbr": "LCSW",
      "title": "Licensed Clinical Social Worker",
      "exam": "Clinical",
      "supervised": false,
      "source": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section50/"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Virginia Board of Social Work · LMSW applicant resources",
      "url": "https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/SocialWork/ApplicantResources/LMSW/"
    },
    {
      "label": "Virginia Social Work Regulations",
      "url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency140/chapter20/"
    },
    {
      "label": "LMSW fees · LMSW application processing",
      "url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section30/"
    },
    {
      "label": "LMSW fees · ASWB Masters examination",
      "url": "https://www.aswb.org/exam/"
    },
    {
      "label": "Social Work Licensure Compact · member jurisdictions",
      "url": "https://swcompact.org/compact-jurisdictions/"
    },
    {
      "label": "Virginia Board of Social Work · LCSW applicant resources",
      "url": "https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/SocialWork/ApplicantResources/LCSW/"
    },
    {
      "label": "18VAC140-20-50",
      "url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section50/"
    }
  ],
  "records": [
    {
      "state": {
        "name": "Virginia",
        "postal_code": "VA"
      },
      "license_target": {
        "track": "masters",
        "title": "Licensed Master's Social Worker",
        "abbreviation": "LMSW"
      },
      "board": {
        "name": "Virginia Board of Social Work",
        "source_url": "https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/SocialWork/ApplicantResources/LMSW/"
      },
      "fees": [
        {
          "name": "LMSW application processing",
          "amount_usd": 115,
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section30/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        },
        {
          "name": "ASWB Masters examination",
          "amount_usd": 230,
          "source_url": "https://www.aswb.org/exam/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        }
      ],
      "application_sequence": [
        "Meet Virginia LMSW education requirements.",
        "Apply to the Virginia Board of Social Work.",
        "Receive eligibility/authorization as required.",
        "Pass the ASWB Masters examination.",
        "Complete remaining Board documentation."
      ],
      "aswb_exam": {
        "level": "Masters",
        "fee_usd": 230,
        "source_url": "https://www.aswb.org/exam/",
        "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
      },
      "supervision_requirement": null,
      "supervisor_eligibility": null,
      "forms": [
        {
          "name": "LMSW Application by Examination",
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section9998/"
        }
      ],
      "processing_benchmark": null,
      "endorsement_rules": null,
      "compact_status": {
        "member": true,
        "multistate_licenses_available": false,
        "source_url": "https://swcompact.org/compact-jurisdictions/",
        "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
      },
      "last_verified": "2026-09-06",
      "sources": [
        {
          "label": "Virginia Social Work Regulations",
          "url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodefull/title18/agency140/chapter20/"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "state": {
        "name": "Virginia",
        "postal_code": "VA"
      },
      "license_target": {
        "track": "clinical",
        "title": "Licensed Clinical Social Worker",
        "abbreviation": "LCSW"
      },
      "board": {
        "name": "Virginia Board of Social Work",
        "source_url": "https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/SocialWork/ApplicantResources/LCSW/"
      },
      "fees": [
        {
          "name": "Initial registration of supervision",
          "amount_usd": 50,
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section30/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        },
        {
          "name": "Addition/change of supervision registration",
          "amount_usd": 25,
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section30/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        },
        {
          "name": "LCSW application processing",
          "amount_usd": 165,
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section30/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        },
        {
          "name": "ASWB Clinical examination",
          "amount_usd": 260,
          "source_url": "https://www.aswb.org/exam/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        }
      ],
      "application_sequence": [
        "Meet clinical education requirements.",
        "Register supervision before counting experience.",
        "Receive Board approval.",
        "Complete supervised clinical experience.",
        "Apply for LCSW examination/licensure.",
        "Pass ASWB Clinical examination."
      ],
      "aswb_exam": {
        "level": "Clinical",
        "fee_usd": 260,
        "source_url": "https://www.aswb.org/exam/",
        "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
      },
      "supervision_requirement": {
        "experience_hours": {
          "value": 3000,
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section50/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        },
        "client_contact_hours": {
          "value": 1380,
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section50/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        },
        "supervision_hours": {
          "value": 100,
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section50/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        },
        "minimum_months": {
          "value": 24,
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section50/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        },
        "maximum_months": {
          "value": 48,
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section50/",
          "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
        },
        "notes": [
          "Board may grant an extension of the supervised-experience completion period for up to 12 months under the rule's extension provision."
        ]
      },
      "supervisor_eligibility": [
        "Active unrestricted qualifying LCSW.",
        "Required post-license clinical experience.",
        "Required supervision education/CE."
      ],
      "forms": [
        {
          "name": "Initial Application for Supervision for LCSW",
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section9998/"
        },
        {
          "name": "Verification of Clinical Supervision",
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section9998/"
        },
        {
          "name": "LCSW Supervision Log",
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section9998/"
        },
        {
          "name": "Extension Request for Supervised Experience",
          "source_url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section9998/"
        }
      ],
      "processing_benchmark": null,
      "endorsement_rules": null,
      "compact_status": {
        "member": true,
        "multistate_licenses_available": false,
        "source_url": "https://swcompact.org/compact-jurisdictions/",
        "verified_date": "2026-09-06"
      },
      "last_verified": "2026-09-06",
      "sources": [
        {
          "label": "18VAC140-20-50",
          "url": "https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section50/"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}