Arkansas PLMSW Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

In Arkansas, the Provisional Licensed Master Social Worker (PLMSW) is a time-limited version of the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) license. It allows a new MSW graduate to begin practicing master’s-level social work under supervision while completing the licensing examination process.

Below is a concise, step-by-step guide grounded in Arkansas statute and the Social Work Licensing Board’s rules and application materials, with special attention to any required hours.

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1. What the PLMSW Is: Legal Definition Context

Arkansas law defines a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) as someone who:

• Applies “specialized knowledge and advanced practice skills” in areas such as assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, case management, counseling, advocacy, supervision of non-clinical staff, administration, and more.
• Practices under supervision in an organized setting (social, medical, or governmental agency).
• May engage only in supervised practice and “shall not practice privately or independently.” (codes.findlaw.com)

The PLMSW is the provisional (time-limited) form of this LMSW license. The Board’s licensing portal lists:

“Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) {includes Provisional} Requirements: Has a master’s degree (MSW) from an accredited social work program in an accredited institution approved by the Council on Social Work Education.” (ark.org)

So, in Arkansas, PLMSW is not a separate educational track; it is essentially an LMSW license granted on a provisional basis while you meet examination requirements.

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2. Core Eligibility Requirements for PLMSW

To be issued a Provisional Licensed Master Social Worker (PLMSW), you must meet the same basic qualifications as an LMSW candidate, with the exception that you have not yet completed the required exam.

Under Arkansas Code § 17-103-306(b)(1), the Board issues an LMSW license to an applicant who: (law.justia.com)

1. Education: MSW from an accredited program

   • You must have a master’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or the Canadian Association for Social Work Education, or an older master’s in social work from an accredited institution earned before June 17, 1986.

2. Criminal background check

   • You must apply for a state and federal criminal background check and meet the qualifications for issuance of a license under Ark. Code § 17-103-307. (law.justia.com)

3. Character and fitness

   • Statute requires that you:
     • Have good moral character.
     • Be physically and mentally competent to provide social work services safely.
     • Not be affected by a mental or physical condition that impairs competency.
     • Not have certain disqualifying felony or violence/fraud-type convictions, and not use drugs/alcohol to an extent that impairs professional competency.
     • Not have engaged in fraud or deceit in the application. (law.justia.com)

4. Application to the Board

   • You must submit a licensure application (online or paper), pay the application fee, and have your school send an official transcript directly to the Board (or allow use of a transcript on file with ASWB). (law.cornell.edu)

When these conditions are met and your application is approved, the Board issues you a provisional license at the master’s level. The Board's checklist says LMSW applicants are issued a provisional license when the application is approved, and the background check results must be received first. (Application Checklist, 05/2025)

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3. Provisional License Rules Specific to PLMSW

One-time, non-renewable, and one-year duration

The Board’s rules and Arkansas regulations provide that: (law.cornell.edu)

• A provisional license may be issued to an applicant for licensure as a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) or Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW).
• Provisional licensure as a Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) is prohibited.
• At the bachelor’s and master’s levels, the provisional license:
  • Can be issued only one time per person.
  • Cannot be renewed.
  • Is effective from the date of issuance and expires exactly one year from that date.

Arkansas Code § 17-103-306 further states that a Provisional Licensed Master Social Worker license is good for one year and up to three attempts to pass the examination approved by the Board. (law.justia.com)

Examination expectations during the provisional period

The Board’s rules specify that: (law.cornell.edu)

• The Board uses a nationally recognized examination service (ASWB) for licensure exams.
• An applicant must submit the licensure application and all required forms to be made eligible to test.
• The exam may be taken up to three (3) times.
• The Board adopts the exam service’s 90-day wait rule between attempts.

An older, superseded regulation (120.00.05 Ark. Code R. 001, Section III) required a provisional licensee to take the exam at least once during the first six months and once during the second six months. That timing rule does not appear in the current rules (effective January 1, 2022); today the limits are one year and up to three attempts. (SWLB Rules, Sections III and IV)

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4. Supervision Requirements While You Hold a PLMSW

Supervision requirements come from the Board’s Rules of the Social Work Licensing Board. They apply equally to LMSW and PLMSW licensees.

The rules define supervision as a professional relationship designed to promote responsibility, competency, and accountability to the agency, clients, and community. (law.cornell.edu)

Key provisions: (law.cornell.edu)

1. Supervision is mandatory for all LMSW/PLMSW licensees

   • “Once licensed as an LSW or LMSW, including provisional license, the LSW or LMSW must obtain supervision from a licensed social worker or other qualified professional from a related field.”
   • Supervision may be within or outside the agency.

2. Minimum frequency of supervision for LMSW/PLMSW

   • The practice of an LMSW must be supervised by an LMSW, an LCSW, or another qualified professional on a minimum of a weekly basis.

3. Non-clinical positions

   • An LSW or LMSW, including provisional licensees, working in a non-clinical position does not require direct supervision but must report to a supervisor.

4. Independence

   • These supervision requirements from the Board are independent of any extra supervision your employer might require.

Note that these rules set frequency, not a specific number of supervision hours per week or per year, for PLMSW/LMSW practice.

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5. Hours Requirements: What Is and Is Not Required for PLMSW

No specific practice-hour requirement to obtain PLMSW

For PLMSW itself, Arkansas law and Board rules do not prescribe a set number of practice or supervision hours (such as “1,500 hours of direct experience” or “1,500 hours of supervised experience”) as a prerequisite for issuing the provisional license.

Instead, the gatekeeping criteria are:

• Educational qualification (MSW from a CSWE-accredited or equivalent program). (ark.org)
• Background check and statutory character/fitness standards. (law.cornell.edu)
• Application approval and then ongoing weekly supervision for your practice while you are provisionally licensed. (law.cornell.edu)

So, unlike some states, Arkansas does not require a specific number of pre-licensure experience hours to be counted and documented in order to receive a PLMSW.

Where hours do appear: LCSW pathway after LMSW/PLMSW

The Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board does specify experience hours, but they relate solely to Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) licensure, which you can pursue after holding and practicing as an LMSW.

The Board’s rules require an LCSW applicant to show: (law.cornell.edu)

• Twenty-four (24) months post-master’s social work experience, and
• Four thousand (4,000) hours working in a supervised master’s-level social work position (an LMSW clinical position, per the Board's guidelines) under an LCSW licensed at least 3 years (or equivalent supervisor), and
• At least 100 direct supervision hours during that 24-month period, with:
  • No more than 2 supervision hours in any one week.
  • Group supervision limited to no more than half of total supervision time (with group size limited to four).

These hour requirements are not for PLMSW issuance. They apply later, once you are an LMSW and are accumulating experience for independent clinical (LCSW) licensure.

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6. Step-by-Step Path to Becoming a PLMSW in Arkansas

Putting the rules and statutes together, the process looks like this:

1. Earn your MSW

   • Complete a master’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited (or Canadian equivalent) program. (ark.org)

2. Prepare and submit your application to the Board

   • Apply online or via paper using the Board’s designated forms and pay the application fee. The 2022 rules list a $100 filing fee, but the Board's current application and checklist list $5 ($10.50 online), so confirm the amount with the Board. (law.cornell.edu)
   • Arrange for your school to send an official transcript showing your MSW degree directly to the Board (or authorize ASWB to provide it). (law.cornell.edu)

3. Complete the criminal background check

   • Sign the Board’s release and complete the state and federal criminal background check through the Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau. You pay the associated fees. (law.cornell.edu)

4. Await Board review

   • Your application is reviewed after all required information is received. If approved, you are notified of your eligibility to test; if denied, you have the right to request a hearing. (law.cornell.edu)

5. Receive your PLMSW (provisional LMSW)

   • Once requirements are met and your application is approved, you are granted a PLMSW:
     • Issued only once.
     • Valid for one year from date of issuance.
     • Not renewable.
     • Allows you to practice at the master’s level under required supervision while you are in the exam process. (law.cornell.edu)

6. Begin supervised practice

   • As a PLMSW, you must:
     • Obtain ongoing supervision from an LMSW, LCSW, or other qualified professional.
     • Be supervised on a minimum of a weekly basis for LMSW-level work, unless you are in a non-clinical role, in which case you must at least report to a supervisor but do not require “direct supervision.” (law.cornell.edu)

7. Take the ASWB Master’s exam within the provisional year

   • During your one-year provisional period, you must:

     • Take the ASWB Master’s exam; you have up to three attempts, and must respect the 90-day waiting period between tries. If you do not pass within the year, the provisional license expires and cannot be renewed. (law.cornell.edu)

   • If you are in a master's-level clinical position, you can also start LCSW supervision now: the Board's LCSW Supervision Guidelines let a PLMSW or LMSW count supervised time, as long as a Supervision Plan with an LCSW (licensed at least 3 years) reaches the Board within 60 days of the start date. (LCSW Supervision Guidelines)

8. Convert to full LMSW

   • After you pass the exam and all other requirements are satisfied, the Board issues your full LMSW license for a two-year period. (law.cornell.edu)
   • From that point, you continue under supervision as required by rule, and you may later choose to work toward LCSW by meeting the 24-month/4,000-hour and 100-supervision-hour requirements.

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7. Summary Focused on Hours

For clarity, strictly in terms of hours:

• PLMSW (Provisional Licensed Master Social Worker)

  • No specific number of pre-licensure practice hours is required to qualify.
  • You must:
    • Hold an MSW from an accredited program.
    • Pass a background check and meet character/fitness standards.
    • Practice under supervision, at least weekly for clinical LMSW-level work, but the Board does not specify a required tally (e.g., “X supervised hours”) for PLMSW itself. (law.cornell.edu)

• LCSW (for comparison, after LMSW/PLMSW)

  • Must document:
    • 24 months of post-master’s social work experience.
    • 4,000 hours in a supervised master’s-level social work position.
    • At least 100 direct supervision hours, with limits on weekly maximum and group supervision. (law.cornell.edu)

So, if you are comparing to a model like “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience”:

• Arkansas does not use that kind of hour-breakdown for the PLMSW.
• The only detailed hour requirements in Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board rules apply later, when moving from LMSW to LCSW.