Alaska LMSW Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Alaska’s “LMSW” license is formally called a Master Social Worker license. It is regulated by the Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners within the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development.

As of late 2025, Alaska does not require any minimum number of supervised or direct-practice hours to obtain an initial Master Social Worker license. Hour requirements only appear in the context of continued competency for applicants coming from other jurisdictions or re‑entering practice.

Below is a guide organized around:

1. Initial licensure by examination (typical for new MSW graduates)
2. Licensure by credentials (for social workers already licensed elsewhere)
3. Temporary licenses
4. Where “hours” actually come in—and how Alaska’s rules describe them

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1. Legal framework for the Master Social Worker license

The core statute is AS 08.95.110(b), titled “License requirements.” It provides that the Board issues a license authorizing use of the title “master social worker” to a person who:

• Meets certain parts of the clinical license requirements statute (education, character, references, fees); and
• “Has satisfactorily completed the examination” for master social worker licensing. (touchngo.com)

There is no language in this statute requiring a specific number of practice or supervision hours for the master level. This is confirmed by both the statute and the Board’s own application forms. (commerce.alaska.gov)

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2. Route 1 – Master Social Worker License by Examination (new applicants)

This is the standard route for MSW or DSW graduates who are not already licensed in another jurisdiction.

The current paper application “Master Social Worker License by Examination” (form #08‑4874, Rev. 12/06/2024) lays out what must be submitted. (commerce.alaska.gov)

2.1. Education requirement

You must hold:

• A master’s or doctoral degree in social work from a college or university approved by the Board. Certified transcripts must be sent directly to the Division from the school. (touchngo.com)

There is no additional field‑experience hour requirement beyond whatever your accredited MSW program required.

2.2. Application and fees

The Board’s instructions specify that the following must be received before your application can be reviewed: (commerce.alaska.gov)

• Application – A signed, completed application (pages 1–4 of form #08‑4874).
• Fees – As of the 12/06/2024 revision:
  • $100 non‑refundable application fee
  • $275 initial license fee
  • Total: $375

(Fees can change; the Board’s forms/online system control.)

2.3. Professional references (employer and professional)

Alaska’s statutes and regulations require three professional references. AS 08.95.110(a)(5) and 12 AAC 18.130 specify that: (touchngo.com)

• If you have previously been employed as a social worker, one reference must be from a former employer who supervised you while you practiced social work.
• If you are currently employed as a social worker, another reference must be from your current employer/supervisor.
• A third reference must be from a qualifying mental‑health professional (for example, a master’s- or doctorate‑level social worker, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, certain physicians, APRNs in mental health, psychiatric RNs with a master’s, LMFTs, or LPCs).

If you cannot provide an employer reference, you must submit a written explanation and an extra professional reference instead (for a total of three). (commerce.alaska.gov)

These references attest to your character and fitness, but they are not a log of supervised hours.

2.4. Character and fitness

By statute, you must be:

• Of good moral character, and
• In good professional standing and fit to practice social work as determined by the Board. (touchngo.com)

The application contains professional‑fitness questions (disciplinary history, criminal history, etc.) and may require supporting court or board documents if you answer “yes” to anything. (commerce.alaska.gov)

2.5. Examination requirement

You must pass the ASWB Master’s‑level exam approved by the Board:

• After your application is accepted, the Board authorizes you to sit for the exam.
• You then register and pay the exam fee directly to the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). (commerce.alaska.gov)

The statute requires that you have “satisfactorily completed the examination” for master social worker licensing; there is no reference to minimum practice hours tied to the exam. (touchngo.com)

2.6. No pre‑licensure hour requirement at the master level

Neither:

• AS 08.95.110(b) (the master social worker license statute), nor
• The “Master Social Worker License by Examination” instructions and application form

impose any requirement such as “1,500 hours of direct experience” or “1,500 hours of supervised experience” for the LMSW/Master Social Worker license. (touchngo.com)

All explicit pre‑licensure hour requirements in Alaska law apply to clinical social worker (LCSW) licensure (e.g., two years or 3,000 hours of supervised postgraduate clinical work plus at least 100 hours of clinical supervision), not to the master‑level general license. (law.justia.com)

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3. Route 2 – Master Social Worker License by Credentials (already licensed elsewhere)

If you already hold a master‑level social work license in another jurisdiction and want to obtain the Alaska Master Social Worker license, you use the “Master Social Worker License by Credentials” application (form #08‑4875, Rev. 12/12/2024). (commerce.alaska.gov)

3.1. Basic credentials requirement

The Board will issue a master social worker license by credentials to an applicant who: (commerce.alaska.gov)

• Holds a current social work license in another jurisdiction, and
• At the time that license was first issued, the other jurisdiction’s requirements were “equal to or more stringent than” Alaska’s for that level (see AS 08.95.120).

You must submit:

• Completed application (pages 1–4 of form #08‑4875).
• Required fees (currently $100 application fee + $275 initial license fee = $375).
• Primary‑source verification of every social work license you have ever held. (commerce.alaska.gov)
• Three professional references with the same types of referees as the exam application (employers and a qualifying mental‑health professional). (commerce.alaska.gov)

3.2. “Hours” and continued competency for credentials applicants

This is where Alaska does talk about specific hours for master‑level licensure—but only for proving current competence, not as supervised pre‑licensure training.

Under 12 AAC 18.112 (Continued competency), proof of continued competency satisfactory to the Board includes either: (regulations.justia.com)

1. Passing the applicable ASWB exam within the two years immediately before application; or
2. If your exam was more than two years ago, documentation that in the five years immediately preceding application you have completed:
   • 1,500 hours of work as a social worker while holding a license similar to the one you are applying for, and
   • The specified continuing‑education requirements in 12 AAC 18.210(b)(1), (3), (4), and (5).

The Board’s credentials application mirrors this language and states that to meet continuing competency you must verify either: (commerce.alaska.gov)

• Successful passage of the master‑level ASWB exam within the two years before applying, or
• Completion of 1,500 hours of work as a social worker at the same level within the five years immediately preceding the application, plus 45 hours of continuing education (including specified minimums in substance abuse, professional ethics, teletherapy, and suicide education).

Key points about these hours:

• They are employment hours, not designated separately as “direct” vs. “supervised” experience.
• They must be performed while you held a license similar to the Alaska license you are seeking (for master‑level applicants, that usually means another state’s master‑level license).
• They are used to show that you are still competent to practice if your qualifying exam was more than two years in the past or you are re‑entering practice. They are not a universal pre‑licensure requirement for all LMSW applicants.

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4. Temporary Master Social Worker licenses

Alaska statutes allow temporary practice while you are finalizing licensure.

4.1. Temporary license connected with exam application

For exam applicants, the Board may issue a temporary license to practice master social work if you: (commerce.alaska.gov)

• Apply for licensure by examination,
• Attest that you hold a master’s degree in social work and are of good moral character, and
• Pay the temporary‑license fee (currently $75 in addition to the $100 application fee).

The temporary license is valid for one year, may not be renewed, and terminates if the Board denies your permanent license application. (commerce.alaska.gov)

No specific hour accumulation is tied to this temporary license; it is simply time‑limited authority to practice while waiting to sit for and pass the exam and have the Board finalize your application.

4.2. Temporary license connected with credentials application

For credentials applicants, a temporary master social worker license can be issued if you: (commerce.alaska.gov)

• Submit a credentials application,
• Attest that you are of good moral character, not the subject of unresolved complaints or discipline, and have not had a social work license revoked, suspended, or surrendered, and
• Provide license verifications and pay the temporary license fee.

Again, there is no separate hour minimum written into the temporary‑license statute itself; hours only appear in the continued‑competency rule if your exam is older than two years.

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5. How Alaska’s requirements differ from a “1,500 direct + 1,500 supervised hours” model

To answer your example directly:

• Alaska does not require “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience” to become a Master Social Worker (LMSW).

• Instead, for initial licensure by examination, you need:

  • A Board‑approved MSW/DSW degree
  • Three professional references (including employers, if applicable)
  • Good moral character and professional standing
  • Passing the ASWB Master’s exam
  • Payment of fees
  • Optional temporary license if you meet the statutory criteria. (touchngo.com)

• For licensure by credentials or certain re‑entry situations, if your ASWB exam was more than two years ago, you must show:

  • 1,500 hours of work as a social worker at the same level while licensed, within the five years before application; and
  • 45 hours of approved continuing education with specified content areas. (regulations.justia.com)

Those 1,500 hours are not divided into “direct” vs. “supervised” categories in Alaska’s regulations; they are simply work hours as a licensed social worker demonstrating ongoing practice.

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6. Practical summary for a new MSW aiming for Alaska LMSW

If you have just finished an MSW and want to hold the Alaska Master Social Worker license:

1. Graduate with an MSW or DSW from a program acceptable to the Board.
2. Apply by examination (online or via form #08‑4874) and pay the application + initial license fees. (commerce.alaska.gov)
3. Have your official transcripts sent directly to the Division.
4. Arrange for three professional references, including employer supervisors if you are or have been employed as a social worker. (commerce.alaska.gov)
5. Complete the professional‑fitness disclosures and provide any required supporting documents.
6. Once the Board approves your application, register with ASWB and pass the Master’s exam. (commerce.alaska.gov)
7. Optionally, request a temporary license if you meet the statutory criteria and want to practice while waiting to sit for the exam. (commerce.alaska.gov)

At no point in this sequence are you required by Alaska law to document a set number of hours of supervised practice to receive the Master Social Worker (LMSW) license. Hour requirements arise later only if you are proving continued competency for licensure by credentials or re‑entry.