Getting licensed as a social worker in Washington
Checked against the Washington State Department of Health on .
Get your Washington 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 Social Worker Associate Independent Clinical (the credential a Washington MSW graduate holds while LICSW hours accrue)
LSWAICExam comes after the first credential
No exam to register. The Clinical exam comes after your hours.
Known fees
| Associate application (independent clinical) | $35 |
|---|---|
| UW online access fee (HEAL-WA), independent clinical associate surcharge | $16 |
| Known total | $51 |
What else it takes
- Supervised hours
- 3,000 hours, 1,000 client contact, 100 supervision, for the LICSW
- ASWB exam level
- None for this credential
- Licensure compact
- Member jurisdictionMultistate licenses are not yet being issued. Last checked against the compact's own site.
- Last checked
Next step
Earn an MSW or DSW from a CSWE-accredited (or candidacy) program. Submit the associate application, transcripts, and fee to DOH.
The ladder
Washington has 3 rungs. 2 need an ASWB exam.
supervisee
LSWAIC
No ASWB exam
Licensed Social Worker Associate Independent Clinical (the credential a Washington MSW graduate holds while LICSW hours accrue). Practice is supervised at this rung.
advanced
LASW
ASWB Advanced Generalist
Licensed Advanced Social Worker (non-clinical independent practice; a parallel branch reached through its own LSWAA associate).
clinical
LICSW
ASWB Clinical
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.
Requirements change
HB 2286 / SB 6060 would drop the exam for the Advanced Social Worker in favour of enhanced supervision. The 2026 House executive session closed with no action, so nothing has changed yet. Read the source. 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 Washington moves, this page moves with it.
Already passed? Track your supervised hours toward your clinical license.
Washington asks for 3,000 hours of supervised experience and 100 hours of supervision.
Checked against the published rule. Last checked September 6, 2026.
Join the Hours waitlistPrograms in Washington
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.
Eastern Washington University
Washington
- Clinical first-time
- 80.2% of 111national 75.7%
- Masters first-time
- Too few to rate so farnational 73.9%
80.2% of Clinical first-timers from here passed in 2025. National rate 75.7%.
Heritage University
Washington
- Clinical first-time
- No exams reportednational 75.7%
- Masters first-time
- No exams reportednational 73.9%
No Clinical first-time exams in the 2025 report for this school.
Pacific Lutheran University
Washington
- Clinical first-time
- No exams reportednational 75.7%
- Masters first-time
- Too few to rate so farnational 73.9%
No Clinical first-time exams in the 2025 report for this school.
Saint Martin's University
Washington
- Clinical first-time
- No exams reportednational 75.7%
- Masters first-time
- No exams reportednational 73.9%
No Clinical first-time exams in the 2025 report for this school.
Seattle University
Washington
- Clinical first-time
- 96.2% of 26national 75.7%
- Masters first-time
- Too few to rate so farnational 73.9%
96.2% of Clinical first-timers from here passed in 2025. National rate 75.7%.
University of Washington
Washington
- Clinical first-time
- 84.7% of 248national 75.7%
- Masters first-time
- 92.3% of 13national 73.9%
84.7% of Clinical first-timers from here passed in 2025. National rate 75.7%.
Walla Walla University
Washington
- Clinical first-time
- 67.7% of 62national 75.7%
- Masters first-time
- Too few to rate so farnational 73.9%
67.7% of Clinical first-timers from here passed in 2025. National rate 75.7%.
Sources
We read the board's own pages. Nothing here is a guess.
- Washington State Department of Health · LSWAIC applicant resourcesdoh.wa.gov · Last checked
- WAC 246-809-330 - Supervised postgraduate experience requirementsapp.leg.wa.gov · Last checked
- WAC 246-809-096 - Applicationapp.leg.wa.gov · Last checked
- WAC 246-809-990 - Fees and renewal cycleapp.leg.wa.gov · Last checked
- RCW 18.225.090 - Issuance of license, requirementsapp.leg.wa.gov · Last checked
- Social Work Licensure Compact · member jurisdictionsswcompact.org · Last checked
- RCW 18.225.095 - Supervised experience hours, SUD reductionapp.leg.wa.gov · Last checked
- WAC 246-809-340 - Examination requiredapp.leg.wa.gov · Last checked
- WAC 246-809-095 - Probationary licenseapp.leg.wa.gov · Last checked
- Washington DOH - out-of-state social work applicantsdoh.wa.gov · Last checked
- LICSW fees · ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical examinationwww.aswb.org · 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.
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