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How to Find a Licensed Social Worker
Social workers help people solve everyday problems from life changing events like adopting a child to coping with a loss or terminal illness. We know how important it is for people to find the help they need during difficult times, so we created an online resource to help people find social workers in their area. We have compiled a list of health services agencies and other community resources for all 381 metropolitan areas in the United States (over 500 cities). In addition, we have included links to State Health and Human Service Agencies for people who live in rural areas and do not have a local health services agency.
In order to practice in the United States, besides obtaining a relevant social work degree from an accredited school, social workers must be licensed. At the bottom of the page, we have compiled a list of all state specific Social Work Licensing Boards, which are responsible for protecting the public by regulating and licensing social workers. Each state provides a license verification search tool that can be used to confirm a social worker’s license is active and valid. We have included links to the license verification tools for each state in the table.
Local health services agencies provide services to people in need. Depending on the agency, these services could include: helping individuals with child care needs, employment and job training, food assistance programs, family and child services, helping seniors and adults with disabilities, housing and homeless services, community preparedness, veterans services, and more.
Read more on different Social Issues and How Social Workers Help.
Social Worker License and Verification by State
State specific Social Work Licensing Boards are responsible for protecting the public by regulating and licensing health services professionals, including social workers. All practicing social workers need to be licensed in their state of practice. The following table contains links to state specific licensing databases that one can use to confirm a social worker is actively licensed. Some of the search tools are specific to social workers, while others can be used to verify all types of healthcare professionals. To make it easy to look up a social worker’s license, we have included the relevant professions in the table below as each state uses a different classification for social workers.
State | State Licensing Board | Website | Relevant Professions / Search Categories |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners | Alabama State Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Worker Specific Search |
Alaska | Board of Social Work Examiners | Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Workers (Board Code: CSW) |
Arizona | Board of Behavioral Health Examiners | Board of Behavioral Health Examiners | License Type: Social Work |
Arkansas | Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board | Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board | Social Worker Specific Search |
California | Board of Behavioral Sciences | Board of Behavioral Sciences | Limited to Behavioral Sciences Professionals including Social Workers |
Colorado | Department of Regulatory Agencies - Division of Professions and Occupations | Department of Regulatory Agencies - Division of Professions and Occupations | Social Work |
District of Columbia | Department of Health - Board of Social Work | Department of Health - Board of Social Work | Social Work |
Florida | Florida Department of Health - Division of Medical Quality Assurance | Florida Department of Health - Board of Clinical Social Work | Certified Master Social Worker, Worker Intern |
Georgia | Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists | Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists | Profession: Professional Counselor/Social Worker/Marriage Master Social Worker |
Hawaii | Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs - Professional and Vocational Licensing | Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs - Professional and Vocational Licensing | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker Licensed Social Worker (Code: LSW) |
Idaho | Bureau of Occupational Licenses - Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners | Division of Occupational Licenses - Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Workers |
Indiana | Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board | Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board | Social Worker |
Iowa | Bureau of Professional Licensure - Iowa Board of Social Work | Bureau of Professional Licensure - Iowa Board of Social Work | Social Workers |
Kansas | Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board | Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board | Limited to Behavioral Sciences Professionals including Social Workers |
Kentucky | Kentucky Board of Social Work | Kentucky Board of Social Work | Social Worker Specific Search |
Louisiana | Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners | Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Worker Specific Search |
Maine | State Board of Social Worker Licensure | State Board of Social Worker Licensure | Social Workers |
Maryland | Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners | Department of Health - Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Worker Specific Search |
Massachusetts | Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) | Division of Professional Licensure - Board of Registration of Social Workers | Board of Registration of Social Workers |
Michigan | Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) | Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) | Social Worker |
Minnesota | Minnesota Board of Social Work | Minnesota Board of Social Work | Social Worker Specific Search |
Mississippi | Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists | Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists | Limited to Social Workers and Family Therapists |
Missouri | Missouri Division of Professional Registration - Committee for Social Workers | Missouri Division of Professional Registration - Committee for Social Workers | Social Workers |
Montana | Montana Board of Social Work Examiners and Professional Counselors | Montana Board of Behavioral Health | Must Login to Access License Lookup |
Nebraska | Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services | Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services | Individual - Mental Health Practice: Master Social Worker, Master Social Worker - CMSW, Provisional Master Social Worker, Provisional Mental Health Practitioner Social Worker |
Nevada | State of Nevada's Board of Examiners for Social Workers | State of Nevada's Board of Examiners for Social Workers | Social Worker Specific Search |
New Hampshire | New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice | New Hampshire Board of Mental Health Practice | Profession: Mental Health |
New Jersey | State Board of Social Work Examiners | State Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Work Examiners |
New Mexico | Board of Social Work Examiners | Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Work Examiners |
New York | New York State Education Department - Office of the Professions | New York State Education Department - Office of the Professions | Social Worker LCSW. Social Worker LMSW |
North Carolina | North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board | North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board | Social Worker Specific Search |
North Dakota | North Dakota State Board of Social Work Examiners | North Dakota State Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Worker Specific Search |
Ohio | Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board | Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board | Counselor, Social Worker, & Marriage & Family Therapist |
Oklahoma | Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers | Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers | Social Worker Specific Search |
Oregon | Board of Licensed Social Workers | Board of Licensed Social Workers | Social Worker Specific Search |
Pennsylvania | State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors | State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors | Board: State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors License Type: Bachelor Social |
Rhode Island | Board of Social Work Examiners | Board of Social Work Examiners | Profession: Social Work |
South Carolina | S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation | S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation | Social Worker |
South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Social Services - Social Work Examiners | South Dakota Department of Social Services - Social Work Examiners | PDF with "List of Current Licensees" |
Tennessee | Department of Health - Board of Social Workers | Department of Health - Board of Social Workers | Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker, Licensed Master Social Worker |
Texas | Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners | Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners | Specific License Type: Social Worker |
Utah | Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing | Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing | Social Work |
Vermont | Office of Professional Regulation | Office of Professional Regulation | Profession: Social Work |
Virginia | Virginia Board of Social Work | Virginia Board of Social Work | Occupation: Associate Social Worker, Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker, Registered Social Worker |
Washington | Washington State Department of Health | Washington State Department of Health | Social Worker Advanced License - LW, Social Worker Associate Advanced License - SA, Social Worker Associate Independent Certificate - SW, Social Worker |
West Virginia | WV Board of Social Work Examiners | WV Board of Social Work Examiners | Social Worker Specific Search |
Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services | Social Worker, Social Worker - Advanced Practice, Social Worker - Independent, Social Worker |
Wyoming | Mental Health Professions Licensing Board | Mental Health Professions Licensing Board | Google Doc with Codes CSW, LCSW, PCSW |
Information for social worker licensing boards and relevant professions last updated in March 2020.
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