Idaho LBSW Requirements & Hours Tracker

Idaho regulates bachelor‑level social workers through the Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners, housed in the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). The bachelor‑level license is commonly referred to as the Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW), though in statutes and rules you’ll also see “bachelor social worker” or “licensed social worker.”(law.justia.com)

Below is a structured walk‑through of what the Board actually requires, with a focus on hours and the exact types of experience Idaho defines.

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1. What the LBSW License Allows

Under the Board’s rules, baccalaureate social work is defined as generalist practice using social work theory, knowledge, methods, and ethics to restore or enhance social or psychosocial functioning. It includes assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation, case management, information and referral, supportive counseling, supervision, consultation, advocacy, education, community organization, and program/policy work. Bachelor‑level social workers may not perform psychotherapy.(adminrules.idaho.gov)

So the LBSW credential authorizes broad, non‑clinical practice, but not independent clinical psychotherapy or clinical diagnosis.

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2. Core Legal Requirements for Initial LBSW Licensure

2.1 Education

Idaho law and rules require:

• A baccalaureate degree in social work (BSW) from a college or university approved by the Board, and
• The program must be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or otherwise approved by the Board.(legislature.idaho.gov)

In statutory language, one of the three qualification routes is “for a bachelor social worker license, possess a baccalaureate degree in social work from a college or university approved by the board.”(legislature.idaho.gov)

The rule on licensure then specifies that an “approved” program is an institution accredited by the U.S. Department of Education (or a regional accreditor) and a social work program accredited by CSWE.(adminrules.idaho.gov)

2.2 Examination

For all license types, Idaho uses the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) exams. The Board’s licensure rule defines the “approved examination” as:

• The ASWB licensing examination appropriate to the license type,
• Passed within the previous seven years.(adminrules.idaho.gov)

For the LBSW, that means the ASWB Bachelor’s exam. Third‑party guidance that summarizes Board requirements describes the LBSW as a person with an accredited BSW who has passed the ASWB bachelor’s exam.(socialworklicensemap.com)

2.3 Character and Background

Section 54‑3206 of the Social Work Licensing Act also requires that an applicant:

• Has not been convicted, found guilty, or received a withheld judgment or suspended sentence for a crime that the Board deems relevant under Idaho’s general occupational licensing standard (Idaho Code 67‑9411).(legislature.idaho.gov)

In practice, this means the Board reviews criminal history to determine whether the offense is “relevant” to safe social work practice. Many Idaho social‑work licensure guides also assume an FBI or state criminal background check, but that process detail is handled through DOPL’s application system, not directly in the rule.

2.4 Application and Fees (High Level)

From the Board’s fee rule and website:

• Application fee (all license types): up to $70.
• License fee for Licensed Social Worker (bachelor level): up to $70 per year (renewal up to $80 now that Idaho is transitioning to biennial renewal).(adminrules.idaho.gov)

Application packets historically have required:

• A completed, notarized application,
• Official transcript sent directly from the school, and
• At least one professional reference.(mswguide.org)

You submit the application through the DOPL portal; once the Board finds you eligible, it authorizes you to register for the ASWB exam and will issue the license after receiving your passing score and final transcript.(dopl.idaho.gov)

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3. Hours and Experience Requirements for the LBSW

This is where Idaho’s rules are very specific for clinical licensure, but much less so for bachelor‑level licensure. It helps to separate three different kinds of “hours”:

1. Pre‑licensure field education hours inside your BSW program,
2. Post‑licensure hours if you later seek independent (non‑clinical) practice at the BSW/MSW level, and
3. Post‑graduate clinical hours if you eventually seek an LCSW.

3.1 Pre‑licensure field (practicum) hours during the BSW

The Idaho Board does not set its own numeric field‑hour requirement for LBSW licensure. Instead, it requires that your degree come from a CSWE‑accredited program.(adminrules.idaho.gov)

CSWE accreditation standards, in turn, require that BSW programs provide a minimum of 400 hours of supervised field education.(csweorg-dev.azurewebsites.net)

In practical terms:

• To be eligible for LBSW licensure, you must have completed the field placement required by your BSW program, which will be at least 400 supervised hours due to CSWE standards.
• Idaho’s Social Work Board does not add an extra, state‑specific field‑hour requirement on top of what your CSWE‑accredited program already requires.(socialworklicensemap.com)

So if you are wondering whether you need something like “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience” before becoming an LBSW: you do not. For initial LBSW licensure the only hour requirement is whatever field/practicum hours are built into your accredited BSW.

3.2 Post‑licensure hours for independent non‑clinical practice (LSWI/LMSWI)

Idaho distinguishes between:

• Being licensed as a bachelor social worker (LBSW/LSW), and
• Having authorization for independent practice—often referred to as Licensed Social Worker‑Independent (LSWI) or Licensed Master Social Worker‑Independent (LMSWI).(cga.ct.gov)

The independent‑level authorization matters when you want to:

• Practice social work autonomously, with full responsibility for your own practice, or
• Be in “private practice,” where you control contractual conditions of payment with clients, agencies, or institutions. Idaho Code defines “private” and “independent” practice in those terms.(law.justia.com)

For bachelor and master social workers seeking independent status, long‑standing licensing guides that summarize Board policy describe the requirement as:

• At least 3,000 hours of social work practice,
• Accrued over two to five years,
• Under supervision of a social worker who already has independent‑practice authorization at or above your license level, and
• Under a supervision plan that must be approved by the Board before you start counting those hours.(mswguide.org)

Another Idaho‑focused licensure guide (drawing from Board materials) notes that after receiving your initial LBSW license you may practice only under a Board‑approved supervision plan with a qualified LBSW, LMSW, or LCSW, and that you must accrue 3,000 hours of supervised experience before the Board will grant independent‑practice authorization at the bachelor level (LSWI).(socialworkerlicense.com)

Key points about these hours:

• They are post‑licensure; you begin counting only after you’ve been issued the LBSW.
• They are general social work practice hours, not clinical psychotherapy hours (psychotherapy remains prohibited at the BSW level under state rules).(adminrules.idaho.gov)
• The Board expects your supervisor to be at least at your level and already authorized for independent practice. A bachelor social worker, for example, can be supervised by an independent bachelor social worker (LSWI) or by higher‑level independent social workers.(mswguide.org)

These 3,000 supervised practice hours for LBSW/LMSW are not laid out in the current short IDAPA rule chapter, but they continue to appear consistently in detailed licensure guides that summarize Board policy and earlier rule language. When planning your path to independent practice, it’s wise to confirm the current form and instructions for the “Independent Level Social Work Application” directly with DOPL, as forms sometimes restate the hour requirement in more detail.(49dollaridahoregisteredagent.com)

3.3 Clinical practice hours for LCSW (for comparison)

The only place Idaho’s current rules spell out an exact breakdown of hours and hour types is for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) credential. That’s a post‑MSW license, but candidates sometimes want to know how the hour structure looks if they plan to advance beyond LBSW.

For the LCSW, the Board’s rule on “Approved Postgraduate Supervised Clinical Experience” requires:(adminrules.idaho.gov)

• 3,000 hours of supervised clinical social work experience completed in no fewer than 2 and no more than 5 years, and within that:
  • 1,750 hours must be direct client contact involving treatment in clinical social work.
  • 1,250 hours must be assessment, diagnosis, and other clinical social work, including indirect clinical work that may occur outside the client’s presence.
• Within those 3,000 hours, you must also have at least 100 hours of face‑to‑face supervision (in person or synchronous electronic), with:
  • No more than 50 of those supervision hours in group format.
  • At least 50% of supervision provided by an LCSW; the rest may be provided by a licensed clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical professional counselor, or marriage and family therapist.
• Case‑management hours do not count toward the 3,000 clinical hours.

This breakdown (1,750 direct + 1,250 other clinical hours) applies only to the clinical license, not to the LBSW.

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4. Continuing Education and Renewal for LBSW

Earlier guidance described Idaho’s CE requirement as 20 hours per year, including 1 hour of ethics.(law.justia.com)

However, the Board’s current rule, effective July 1, 2024, has updated CE and renewal:

• To renew or return to active status, all Idaho social work licensees (including bachelor‑level) must complete:
  • 30 hours of continuing education every 24 months,
  • With at least 2 hours in professional ethics,
  • And keep documentation for four years in case of audit.(adminrules.idaho.gov)
• The Board is shifting to biennial licensure cycles, and the Board’s website explains how renewal dates are being adjusted.(dopl.idaho.gov)

The fee table in the current rule shows maximum renewal fees (LSW and LMSW: up to $80 per year, now applied to a two‑year cycle).(adminrules.idaho.gov)

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5. Putting It All Together: Practical Pathway to LBSW in Idaho

Step A – Complete a CSWE‑accredited BSW

• Enroll in and finish a BSW program accredited by CSWE, meeting the minimum 400 hours of supervised field education and all program requirements.(adminrules.idaho.gov)

Step B – Apply to the Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners

• Create an account through DOPL’s online portal.(dopl.idaho.gov)
• Submit:
  • The Application for Social Work License (select the bachelor‑level license),
  • Application fee (up to $70),
  • Proof of identity,
  • Official transcripts sent directly from your school after your degree posts,
  • Any required professional reference form(s),
  • Disclosure of any criminal convictions.(dopl.idaho.gov)

Step C – Sit for and pass the ASWB Bachelor’s Exam

• Once the Board reviews your application and finds you eligible, it authorizes you to sit for the ASWB Bachelor’s exam.
• Pass the exam; the Board receives your official score directly from ASWB.

Step D – Receive your LBSW license

• After the Board has:

  • Your passing exam score,
  • Your final transcript showing the BSW degree,
  • Any required background/character review,

  it issues your Licensed Bachelor Social Worker / Licensed Social Worker credential.

At this point:

• You may work as a bachelor‑level social worker in Idaho, providing generalist, non‑clinical social work services (assessment, case management, supportive counseling, advocacy, etc.), but not psychotherapy.(adminrules.idaho.gov)

Step E – Optional: Accrue hours for independent practice status (LSWI)

If you want to operate in independent or private practice at the bachelor level:

1. Develop a supervision plan with an independent‑level supervisor (LSWI, LMSWI, or LCSW, depending on your path), and get it approved by the Board.(mswguide.org)
2. Under that approved plan, complete approximately 3,000 hours of supervised social work practice over 2–5 years, documenting your hours and supervision according to the Board’s expectations.(mswguide.org)
3. Apply for independent‑level authorization (LSWI) once you meet the hour and supervision requirements.

Step F – Maintain your license

• Renew on the Board’s schedule (moving to biennial cycles).(dopl.idaho.gov)
• Complete 30 hours of CE every 24 months, including 2 hours of ethics, and retain documentation.(adminrules.idaho.gov)

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6. Summary of Hour Requirements Specific to Idaho Law and Rules

For clarity, here is how Idaho treats hours for a bachelor‑level social worker:

• Initial LBSW licensure

  • No state‑specified minimum of practice hours beyond whatever field/practicum hours are embedded in your CSWE‑accredited BSW program (at least 400 hours by CSWE standards).
  • No breakdown like “1,500 direct / 1,500 supervised” exists for the LBSW itself.(adminrules.idaho.gov)

• Independent non‑clinical practice (LSWI/LMSWI)

  • Board‑aligned guidance: 3,000 hours of supervised practice over 2–5 years under an independently licensed social worker, with a Board‑approved supervision plan.(mswguide.org)

• Clinical licensure (LCSW) – for future planning

  • 3,000 post‑MSW hours of supervised clinical social work within 2–5 years, consisting of:
    • 1,750 hours direct client contact (treatment), and
    • 1,250 hours assessment, diagnosis, and other clinical social work; plus
    • 100 supervision hours, at least half provided by an LCSW, with a cap on group supervision.(adminrules.idaho.gov)

If you are mapping out a path, the key takeaways are that initial LBSW licensure in Idaho does not require any additional post‑degree practice hours, whereas progressing to independent practice at the BSW/MSW level and, later, clinical licensure does introduce substantial, clearly structured hour requirements.