Social Work Licensure in Maryland

Find Education Requirements in Maryland for one of the following:

LBSW
LGSW
LCSW
LCSW-C

As one of the original 13 colonies that revolted against England, Maryland has one of the oldest histories of any state in the US. With mid-Atlantic coastline and deep sense of history, Maryland is an intriguing state to start your licensed Social Work career in. It is important to remember that there can always be updates or changes to a state’s rules and regulations. Remember, that the best way to stay informed with current regulations is the state’s website on licensure. Here is the website for the State of Maryland:

There are four different kinds of social work licenses in Maryland: Licensed Social Worker Associate (LSWA), Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW), Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) and Clinical (LCSW-C).

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Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW)

If you wish to attain the title Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LSWB) in Maryland you will need to complete the steps below. The LBSW license allows you to work in a limited non-clinical capacity in the state of Maryland. To get your LBSW simply follow these steps:

You must first get a Bachelor of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited university or college.
You must apply for your license paying an initial $100 application fee once you’ve been found eligible you will need to pay an additional $70 license fee.
You can find the application to become a LBSW form by clicking here.
As part of the application you will need to pass a criminal background check. You must also provide three professional references. You must then apply for the title providing proof of education to the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners.
Finally, you must pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Bachelor’s Level Exam. You will need to pay the $230 exam fee and apply for an exam here.
To renew your license, you must have successfully completed 30 contact hours of continuing education.

Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW)

You will need to have an MSW to get your Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LMSW) in Maryland, which in turn will allow you to have access to greater opportunities at a higher pay rate than the LBSW license. You will not yet be able to provide unsupervised clinical social work, but can lay the groundwork for pursuing your Licensed Certified Social Work (LCSW). To get your LGSW designation, you will need to complete the following steps:

You must first get your Master of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited university or college.
You must apply for your license paying an initial $100 application fee once you’ve been found eligible you will need to pay an additional $70 license fee.
You can find the application to become a LGSW form by here.
As part of the application you will need to pass a criminal background check. You must also provide three professional references. You must then apply for the title providing proof of CSWE accredited Master of Social Work level education to the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners.
Finally, you must pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Master’s Level Exam. You will need to pay the $230 exam fee and apply for an exam here.
To renew your license, you must have successfully completed 40 contact hours of continuing education.
- Learn about Maryland Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW)

Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW)

There are a number of steps one needs to take to earn the title of Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) in Maryland. Once you have the LCSW designation you can begin to do clinical social work under supervision. To attain your LCSW license you will need to complete the following steps:

You must first get a Master or Doctorate of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited university or college.
You will need to obtain thousands of hours of supervised social work in a professional setting, however before you begin those hours you must outline your plan and create a supervised experience contract with a board approved supervisor. You can find the contractual agreement here.
You must then provide proof of two years of consisting of at least 104 weeks of not less than 3,000 hours of supervised social work in a professional setting
You must apply for your license paying an initial $100 application fee once you’ve been found eligible you will need to pay an additional $70 license fee.
You can find the application to become a LCSW by here.
Once you have completed and sent in your application you may apply with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) for their Advanced Generalist Level exam. You will need to pay the $260 fee and apply by clicking on the link here.
Once you pass the test you will be eligible to receive your new title of Licensed Certified Social Worker in the state of Maryland.
To renew your license, you must have successfully completed 40 contact hours of continuing education.

Licensed Certified Social Worker – Clinical (LCSW-C)

The highest level of licensure in Maryland is the Licensed Certified Social Worker – Clinical. This level allows you to have private practice, perform clinical social work and also train LCSW’s as their supervisor through the contractual agreement process. If you wish to hold the title of Licensed Certified Social Worker – Clinical (LCSW-C) in Maryland you will need to complete the following steps:

You must first get a Master or Doctorate of Social Work degree from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited university or college.
You will then need to find a board approved supervisor and complete the Contractual Agreement form outlining your supervised experience plan for required supervised clinical experience.
You must also provide proof of two years of consisting of at least 104 weeks of not less than 3,000 hours of supervised social work in a professional setting. Of these 3,000 hours at least 144 hour must include periodic face-to-face supervision and it must be obtained within the bounds of a contractual agreement form for supervision. Of the 3,000 hours, 1,500 must be face-to-face contact with clients while performing clinical social work duties. This supervision must include participation in assessment of individuals and must include the formulation of a diagnostic impression. You will also need to participate in and direct the treatment of mental health disorders under the provision of psychotherapy as directed by the Maryland state board
You will also need to provide additional documentation of a minimum of 12 academic credit hours in clinical course work. This course work must be from a CSWE accredited social work program.
You must then apply for your license paying an initial $100 application fee once you’ve been found eligible you will need to pay an additional $70 license fee.
You can find the application to become a LCSW here.
Once you have completed and sent in your application you may apply with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) for their Clinical Level exam. You will need to pay the $260 fee and apply by clicking on the link here.
Once you pass the test you will be eligible to receive your new title of Licensed Certified Social Worker – Clinical in the state of Maryland..
To renew your license, you must have successfully completed 40 contact hours of continuing education.

Here is the website for the State of Maryland: