Getting licensed as a social worker in West Virginia

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Checked against the West Virginia Board of Social Work on .

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

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Your first license

Licensed Graduate Social Worker (clinical services only under clinical supervision)

LGSW

Exam required before the license

The ASWB Masters exam is required before the license.

Known fees

Fees the West Virginia Board of Social Work publishes for the LGSW
LGSW issuance fee$90
ASWB Masters examination$230
Known total$320

What else it takes

Supervised hours
Two ways to qualify: 2 years of full-time employment, or 3,000 hours under the supervision of an independent clinical social worker (the board's page says both; confirm with the board); 100 supervision, for the LICSW
What each source says

The statute and the rule both say either path: 2 years of full-time employment, or 3,000 hours. Only the board's page says both. The statute and the rule control.

The 24 months applies only on the statute's full-time path; the 3,000-hour path sets no minimum. The board's page reads both paths as required. The statute and the rule control.

  • W. Va. Code 30-30-8(6): “Have practiced clinical social work for at least two years in full-time employment, or three thousand hours under the supervision of an independent clinical social worker, or clinical supervision that is found by the board to be equivalent”
  • W. Va. Code R. 25-1-3.6.1.e: “for 100 hours, over the course of no less than two years of full-time employment or 3,000 hours of full or part time employment”
  • WV Board, Level D LICSW page: “a minimum of two years of full-time employment and 3,000 hours of practice in full or part time employment”

Ask the board: Does the LICSW need 2 years of full-time employment or 3,000 hours, or both as your Level D page says?

Ask the board: Does the 2-year minimum apply on the 3,000-hour path, or only on the full-time path?

ASWB exam level
Masters
Licensure compact
Member jurisdictionMultistate licenses are not yet being issued. Last checked against the compact's own site.
Last checked
1

Next step

Obtain a master's degree from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (W. Va. Code Section 30-30-12). Submit an application to the West Virginia Board of Social Work.

The ladder

West Virginia has 4 rungs. 4 need an ASWB exam.

  1. bachelors

    LSW

    ASWB Bachelors

    Social Worker.

  2. masters

    LGSW

    ASWB Masters

    Licensed Graduate Social Worker (clinical services only under clinical supervision). Practice is supervised at this rung.

  3. advanced

    LCSW

    ASWB Advanced Generalist

    Licensed Certified Social Worker (two years post-master's experience; diagnosis within scope).

  4. clinical

    LICSW

    ASWB Clinical

    Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.

Requirements change

Nothing on our law calendar changes West Virginia'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 West Virginia moves, this page moves with it.

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

West Virginia asks for 100 hours of supervision. Experience hours: confirm with the board (2 years of full-time employment, or 3,000 hours under the supervision of an independent clinical social worker). Ask the board: Does the LICSW need 2 years of full-time employment or 3,000 hours, or both as your Level D page says?

Checked against the published rule. Last checked September 29, 2026.

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Programs in West Virginia

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 11 programs in West Virginia

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.

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