Social Work Compact: States, Multistate Licenses, and Eligibility

The Social Work Licensure Compact is a multistate agreement that will let a social worker licensed in one member state practice in every other member state without applying for a separate license in each one. As of 2026, 34 states have enacted the compact, and the compact commission is on track to begin issuing multistate licenses during the year.¹ Until applications open, social workers who serve clients in more than one state still need an individual license in each state.

States That Have Joined

A state becomes a member by passing the model compact legislation and having the governor sign it into law. Enactment is only the first step. Before the system goes live, the commission has to build a centralized data system, finalize administrative rules, and coordinate with each state’s licensing board.²

The 34 states that have enacted the compact as of 2026 are:³

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin

The commission maintains an up-to-date map at swcompact.org showing which states have enacted the law and which are actively considering it.²

When Multistate Licenses Will Be Issued

Multistate licenses are not yet available. The commission has estimated that implementation takes 12 to 24 months from activation, covering vendor selection for the centralized data system, rule drafting, and coordination with state boards.² As of mid-2025, the commission reported it was on schedule to begin issuing multistate licenses in 2026.¹ Watch the commission’s portal for the announcement that applications are open.

Who Qualifies for a Multistate License

To qualify, you need to hold an active, unencumbered license in your home state. That means no current disciplinary actions and no restrictions on your ability to practice. Your home state must be a compact member and must be where you actually live.⁴

The compact recognizes three categories of practice, each tied to an educational requirement:⁴

Bachelor’s-level, which requires an accredited BSW degree or higher.
Master’s-level, which requires an accredited MSW degree or higher.
Clinical-level, which requires an accredited MSW degree or higher plus any clinical supervision or practice requirements set by the home state.

You also have to pass a qualifying national examination. The ASWB exam is currently the only national licensing exam recognized under the compact.⁴ An FBI criminal background check is required as well. The compact does not list specific convictions that automatically disqualify an applicant; each member state has discretion over how to evaluate criminal history results.⁵

Active-Duty Military Families

If you are a social worker in a military family, you can designate a home state and keep that designation for the full duration of the service member’s active duty, even while stationed elsewhere. A reassignment to another compact member state does not require reapplying. If the new duty station is in a state that has not joined the compact, you keep your compact license but need a separate single-state license to practice in the non-member state.⁶

How to Apply

Once applications open, you file through your home state’s social work licensing board.² You will need:

Proof of residency in your home state, such as a driver’s license or voter registration card.
Your Social Security number for identity verification and tracking in the national database.
Current state license details, including the license number and expiration date.
Documentation of your education and qualifying exam scores.
Fingerprints for the FBI criminal background check.

The commission verifies eligibility through the centralized data system. Once that is complete and fees are paid, you receive the multistate license and can legally work in any compact member state.² The specific fee for the multistate license has not been publicly announced as of early 2026. Budget separately for the fingerprint-based background check, which varies by state and commonly runs between $10 and $100.

Practicing in Another Member State

When you use the multistate license to serve clients in another member state, you follow that state’s laws and scope of practice, not your home state’s. Mandatory reporting obligations, confidentiality rules, and scope of practice boundaries can all differ. It is your responsibility to learn and follow the rules in every state where your clients are located.⁷

This applies to in-person and telehealth services alike. The compact does not create separate telehealth rules; the remote state’s existing telehealth regulations govern. Most states require informed consent before telehealth care, and many have specific documentation requirements for those sessions.⁸ A per-state compliance checklist is worth building before you take on clients across lines.

Discipline and Reporting

A remote state has full regulatory authority over your practice within its borders. It can suspend your multistate authorization for its jurisdiction, impose fines, or take other enforcement action for a violation of its laws.⁷

Any adverse action a member state takes against you is reported promptly to the centralized data system, which alerts your home state and every other member state. You are separately required to notify your home state within 30 days of any adverse action, restriction, or encumbrance placed on any professional license by any state, whether or not that state belongs to the compact.⁹

If your multistate license becomes encumbered for any reason, your authority to practice in all remote states is automatically deactivated until the issue is resolved.⁷ A disciplinary problem in one state can shut down your work in every compact state at once.

Renewal

Your multistate license tracks your home state license. When you renew at home, the multistate authorization renews with it, provided you still meet compact eligibility.⁷ You do not file separate renewals with each remote state.

You must complete the continuing education your home state requires. Hours vary by state, commonly 20 to 40 per renewal cycle. Keep thorough records. If the home state license lapses, so does the multistate authorization.

If You Move

If you move to a different compact member state, you must immediately apply for the multistate license to be reissued in your new home state.¹⁰ The compact uses the word “immediately,” so this is not something to leave until after you unpack.

If you move to a non-member state, you will need that state’s individual license to practice there, and your compact license from the former home state will no longer be valid because you no longer reside in a member state. Check the compact map before you relocate so you know what the move will cost you in licensing terms.

1
Association of Social Work Boards. Social Work Licensure Compact on Track for Implementation Timeline
2
Social Work Licensure Compact. About the Social Work Licensure Compact
3
CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts. Social Work Compact
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Social Work Licensure Compact. Social Work Licensure Compact FAQ
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Social Work Licensure Compact. Social Work Licensure Compact Section-by-Section Summary
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Social Work Compact. Social Work Licensure Compact Benefits for Military Families
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Social Work Licensure Compact. The Social Work Licensure Compact Model – Section 4
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Telehealth.HHS.gov. Obtaining Informed Consent for Telebehavioral Health
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Social Work Licensure Compact. The Social Work Licensure Compact Model Legislation
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Social Work Licensure Compact. The Social Work Licensure Compact Model