Part III. Examinations
18VAC140-20-70. Examination requirement.
A. An applicant for licensure by the board as an LBSW, an LMSW, or clinical social worker shall pass a written examination prescribed by the board.
1. The examination prescribed for licensure as a clinical social worker shall be the licensing examination of the Association of Social Work Boards at the clinical level.
2. The examination prescribed for licensure as an LBSW shall be the licensing examination of the Association of Social Work Boards at the bachelor's level.
3. The examination prescribed for licensure as an LMSW shall be the licensing examination of the Association of Social Work Boards at the master's level.
B. An applicant approved by the board to sit for an examination shall take that examination within two years of the date of the initial board approval. If the applicant has not passed the examination by the end of the two-year period here prescribed, the applicant shall reapply according to the requirements of the regulations in effect at that time in order to be approved for another two years in which to pass the examination.
C. If an applicant for clinical social work licensure has not passed the examination within the second two-year approval period, the applicant shall be required to register for supervision and complete one additional year as a supervisee before approval for another two-year period in which to re-take the examination may be granted.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR620-01-2 § 3.1, eff. July 6, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 26, eff. October 24, 1990; Volume 9, Issue 5, eff. December 30, 1992; Volume 12, Issue 3, eff. November 29, 1995; Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. December 23, 1998; Volume 24, Issue 23, eff. September 4, 2008; Volume 26, Issue 6, eff. January 7, 2010; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 32, Issue 22, eff. August 12, 2016; Volume 35, Issue 22, eff. August 8, 2019.
18VAC140-20-80. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from VR620-01-2 §§ 3.2 and 4.1, eff. July 6, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 26, eff. October 24, 1990; Volume 9, Issue 5, eff. December 30, 1992; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. December 23, 1998.
18VAC140-20-100. Licensure renewal.
A. Beginning with the 2017 renewal, licensees shall renew their licenses on or before June 30 of each year and pay the renewal fee prescribed by the board.
B. Licensees who wish to maintain an active license shall pay the appropriate fee and document on the renewal form compliance with the continued competency requirements prescribed in 18VAC140-20-105. Newly licensed individuals are not required to document continuing education on the first renewal date following initial licensure.
C. A licensee who wishes to place his license in inactive status may do so upon payment of a fee equal to one-half of the annual license renewal fee as indicated on the renewal form. No person shall practice social work or clinical social work in Virginia unless he holds a current active license. A licensee who has placed himself in inactive status may become active by fulfilling the reactivation requirements set forth in 18VAC140-20-110.
D. Each licensee shall furnish the board his current address of record. All notices required by law or by this chapter to be mailed by the board to any such licensee shall be validly given when mailed to the latest address of record given by the licensee. Any change in the address of record or the public address, if different from the address of record, shall be furnished to the board within 30 days of such change.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR620-01-2 § 5.1, eff. July 6, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 26, eff. October 24, 1990; Volume 9, Issue 5, eff. December 30, 1992; Volume 17, Issue 14, eff. April 25, 2001; Volume 25, Issue 18, eff. July 1, 2009; Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 32, Issue 7, eff. December 30, 2015.
18VAC140-20-105. Continued competency requirements for renewal of an active license.
A. Licensed clinical social workers shall be required to have completed a minimum of 30 contact hours of continuing education. LBSWs and LMSWs shall be required to have completed a minimum of 15 contact hours of continuing education prior to licensure renewal in even years. Courses or activities shall be directly related to the practice of social work or another behavioral health field. A minimum of six of those hours for licensed clinical social workers and a minimum of three of those hours for licensed social workers must pertain to ethics or the standards of practice for the behavioral health professions or to laws governing the practice of social work in Virginia. Up to two continuing education hours required for renewal may be satisfied through delivery of social work services, without compensation, to low-income individuals receiving health services through a local health department or a free clinic organized in whole or primarily for the delivery of those services, as verified by the department or clinic. Three hours of volunteer service is required for one hour of continuing education credit.
1. The board may grant an extension for good cause of up to one year for the completion of continuing education requirements upon written request from the licensee prior to the renewal date. Such extension shall not relieve the licensee of the continuing education requirement.
2. The board may grant an exemption for all or part of the continuing education requirements due to circumstances beyond the control of the licensee such as temporary disability, mandatory military service, or officially declared disasters upon written request from the licensee prior to the renewal date.
B. Hours may be obtained from a combination of board-approved activities in the following two categories:
1. Category I. Formally Organized Learning Activities. A minimum of 20 hours for licensed clinical social workers or 10 hours for licensed social workers shall be documented in this category, which shall include one or more of the following:
a. Regionally accredited university or college academic courses in a behavioral health discipline. A maximum of 15 hours will be accepted for each academic course.
b. Continuing education programs offered by universities or colleges accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
c. Workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses in the behavioral health field offered by federal, state or local social service agencies, public school systems, or licensed health facilities and licensed hospitals.
d. Workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses in the behavioral health field offered by an individual or organization that has been certified or approved by one of the following:
(1) The Child Welfare League of America and its state and local affiliates.
(2) The National Association of Social Workers and its state and local affiliates.
(3) The National Association of Black Social Workers and its state and local affiliates.
(4) The Family Service Association of America and its state and local affiliates.
(5) The Clinical Social Work Association and its state and local affiliates.
(6) The Association of Social Work Boards.
(7) Any state social work board.
2. Category II. Individual Professional Activities. A maximum of 10 of the required 30 hours for licensed clinical social workers or a maximum of five of the required 15 hours for licensed social workers may be earned in this category, which shall include one or more of the following:
a. Participation in an Association of Social Work Boards item writing workshop. (Activity will count for a maximum of two hours.)
b. Publication of a professional social work-related book or initial preparation or presentation of a social work-related course. (Activity will count for a maximum of 10 hours.)
c. Publication of a professional social work-related article or chapter of a book, or initial preparation or presentation of a social work-related in-service training, seminar, or workshop. (Activity will count for a maximum of five hours.)
d. Provision of a continuing education program sponsored or approved by an organization listed under Category I. (Activity will count for a maximum of two hours and will only be accepted one time for any specific program.)
e. Field instruction of graduate students in a Council on Social Work Education-accredited school. (Activity will count for a maximum of two hours.)
f. Serving as an officer or committee member of one of the national professional social work associations listed under subdivision B 1 d of this section or as a member of a state social work licensing board. (Activity will count for a maximum of two hours.)
g. Attendance at formal staffings at federal, state, or local social service agencies, public school systems, or licensed health facilities and licensed hospitals. (Activity will count for a maximum of five hours.)
h. Individual or group study including listening to audio tapes, viewing video tapes, or reading professional books or articles. (Activity will count for a maximum of five hours.)
Statutory Authority
§§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3708 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 14, eff. April 25, 2001; amended, Virginia Register Volume 20, Issue 8, eff. January 28, 2004; Volume 24, Issue 20, eff. July 24, 2008; Volume 25, Issue 4, eff. November 26, 2008; Volume 26, Issue 6, eff. January 7, 2010; Volume 32, Issue 7, eff. December 30, 2015; Volume 33, Issue 11, eff. March 9, 2017; Volume 35, Issue 22, eff. August 8, 2019; Volume 36, Issue 4, eff. November 13, 2019.
18VAC140-20-106. Documenting compliance with continuing education requirements.
A. All licensees in active status are required to maintain original documentation for a period of three years following renewal.
B. The board may conduct an audit of licensees to verify compliance with the requirement for a renewal period.
C. Upon request, a licensee shall provide documentation as follows:
1. Documentation of Category I activities by submission of:
a. Official transcripts showing credit hours earned; or
b. Certificates of participation.
2. Attestation of completion of Category II activities.
D. Continuing education hours required by disciplinary order shall not be used to satisfy renewal requirements.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 14, eff. April 25, 2001; amended, Virginia Register Volume 29, Issue 25, eff. September 26, 2013; Volume 32, Issue 7, eff. December 30, 2015.
18VAC140-20-110. Late renewal; reinstatement; reactivation.
A. An LBSW, LMSW, or clinical social worker whose license has expired may renew that license within one year after its expiration date by:
1. Providing evidence of having met all applicable continuing education requirements.
2. Paying the penalty for late renewal and the renewal fee as prescribed in 18VAC140-20-30.
B. An LBSW, LMSW, or clinical social worker who fails to renew the license after one year and who wishes to resume practice shall apply for reinstatement and pay the reinstatement fee, which shall consist of the application processing fee and the penalty fee for late renewal, as set forth in 18VAC140-20-30. An applicant for reinstatement shall also provide:
1. Documentation of having completed all applicable continued competency hours equal to the number of years the license has lapsed, not to exceed four years;
2. Documentation of any other health or mental health licensure or certification held in another United States jurisdiction, if applicable; and
3. A current report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Practitioner Data Bank.
C. An LBSW, LMSW, or clinical social worker wishing to reactivate an inactive license shall submit the difference between the renewal fee for active licensure and the fee for inactive licensure renewal and document completion of continued competency hours equal to the number of years the license has been inactive, not to exceed four years.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR620-01-2 § 5.2, eff. July 6, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 26, eff. October 24, 1990; Volume 9, Issue 5, eff. December 30, 1992; Volume 12, Issue 3, eff. November 29, 1995; Volume 15, Issue 5, eff. December 23, 1998; Volume 17, Issue 14, eff. April 25, 2001; Volume 29, Issue 22, eff. July 31, 2013; Volume 32, Issue 7, eff. December 30, 2015; Volume 32, Issue 22, eff. August 12, 2016; Volume 34, Issue 10, eff. February 7, 2018; Volume 35, Issue 22, eff. August 8, 2019; Volume 39, Issue 3, eff. October 26, 2022.
18VAC140-20-120. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from VR620-01-2 § 5.3, eff. July 6, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 26, eff. October 24, 1990; Volume 9, Issue 5, eff. December 30, 1992; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 12, Issue 3, eff. November 29, 1995.
18VAC140-20-130. Renewal of registration for associate social workers and registered social workers.
The registration of every associate social worker and registered social worker with the former Virginia Board of Registration of Social Workers under former § 54-775.4 of the Code of Virginia shall expire on June 30 of each year.
1. Each registrant shall return the completed application before the expiration date, accompanied by the payment of the renewal fee prescribed by the board.
2. Failure to receive the renewal notice shall not relieve the registrant from the renewal requirement.
Statutory Authority
§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from VR620-01-2 § 5.4, eff. July 6, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 26, eff. October 24, 1990; Volume 9, Issue 5, eff. December 30, 1992; Volume 32, Issue 7, eff. December 30, 2015.
18VAC140-20-140. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from VR620-01-2 § 6.1, eff. July 6, 1989; amended, Virginia Register Volume 6, Issue 26, eff. October 24, 1990; Volume 9, Issue 5, eff. December 30, 1992; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 4, eff. November 26, 2008.