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

Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) is Idaho’s graduate‑level social work license for individuals with a master’s or doctoral degree in social work. The Idaho Board of Social Work Examiners (within the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, DOPL) regulates this credential.

A key point up front: Idaho does not require any post‑graduate supervised practice hours to obtain the LMSW license itself. All post‑graduate hour requirements apply later, when you use your LMSW to qualify for the clinical license (LCSW).

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1. License category and legal definition

Idaho’s Social Work Licensing Act defines the license categories and minimum degree requirements:

• The board may issue a master social worker license to an applicant who
  “possess[es] a master’s degree or doctorate in social work from a college or university approved by the board.” (legislature.idaho.gov)

No experience or hour requirement is attached in statute for the LMSW category itself.

The Board’s current rules (IDAPA 24.14.01) confirm that they regulate:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Licensed Master Social Worker
• Licensed Master Social Worker Independent
• Licensed Bachelor Social Worker
• Licensed Social Worker Independent (adminrules.idaho.gov)

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2. Educational requirement

To qualify for an LMSW in Idaho you must:

1. Graduate from an approved social work program

   The rules define an “approved college, university, or program” as:

   • An institution accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or a regionally accredited institution of higher education, and
   • A social work program “accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or as otherwise approved by the Board.” (adminrules.idaho.gov)

   In practice, this means an MSW (or DSW) from a CSWE‑accredited program.

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3. Examination requirement

For all license types, Idaho uses the ASWB exams. The rules define an:

• Approved Examination as the applicable ASWB licensing exam “for the license type, passed within the previous seven (7) years.” (adminrules.idaho.gov)

For the LMSW, this is the ASWB Master’s‑level examination.

The Board’s FAQ explains the application–exam sequence:

• You must first submit a complete application with required documentation and fees to DOPL.
• After processing, the Board sends you instructions to register for the ASWB exam.
• Your license is issued after you pass the exam and the Board has received:
  • Your official exam score,
  • Your official transcript with the degree posted, and
  • Verification that all other requirements are met. (dopl.idaho.gov)

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4. Character / background requirements

Under Idaho Code §54‑3206, the Board issues licenses only to applicants who:

• Have passed an approved examination, and
• “Have not been convicted, found guilty, or received a withheld judgment or a suspended sentence … of a crime that is deemed relevant” under Idaho Code §67‑9411(1). (legislature.idaho.gov)

This is effectively the Board’s criminal history/character screen.

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5. Fees and application type

The Board’s fee schedule on its DOPL page lists, for applicants by examination:

• LMSW/LSW and LCSW upgrade – Application route (exam):
  • Application fee: $70
  • License fee: $70 per year (with transition to a biennial total shown as $140). (dopl.idaho.gov)

All fees are non‑refundable under Rule 400. (adminrules.idaho.gov)

Idaho is in the process of moving to biennial licensure; the LMSW and LSW renewal fee line shows both the annual and biennial figures. (dopl.idaho.gov)

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6. Are any hours required to become an LMSW?

6.1 Hours required for the LMSW license itself

The governing statute and current Board rules are explicit where they do require hours—and they do not attach any supervised‑experience hours to the LMSW license.

The statute’s licensing‑qualification section lists hours only for the clinical license:

• “For a clinical social worker license, possess a master’s degree or doctorate in social work and two (2) years of postgraduate supervised clinical experience approved by the board.” (legislature.idaho.gov)

By contrast, for the master social worker license it requires only the degree (no mention of years or hours): (legislature.idaho.gov)

“For a master social worker license, possess a master’s degree or doctorate in social work from a college or university approved by the board.”

The Board’s rules then spell out the only Board‑defined hour requirement, which is specifically for an applicant who is seeking a clinical social worker license (LCSW), not the LMSW:

• “Three thousand (3,000) hours of supervised clinical social work experience” completed over not fewer than two (2) years and not more than five (5) years, including:
  • 1,750 hours of direct client contact involving treatment in clinical social work, and
  • 1,250 hours of assessment, diagnosis, and other clinical social work, including indirect hours outside the client’s presence. (adminrules.idaho.gov)
• At least 100 hours of face‑to‑face supervision (in person or live electronic) with a qualified supervisor, with no more than 50 of those hours in group supervision. (adminrules.idaho.gov)
• At least 50% of the supervision must be provided by a licensed clinical social worker; the remainder may be provided by a licensed clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, clinical professional counselor, or marriage and family therapist in good standing. (adminrules.idaho.gov)
• Supervision for clinical work must continue until clinical licensure is issued. (adminrules.idaho.gov)

All of that language is explicitly tied, in Rule 100.03, to an “Approved Postgraduate Supervised Clinical Experience for Clinical Social Worker License.” It does not apply to obtaining the LMSW license itself.

Therefore:

• Post‑graduate hours required to be licensed as an LMSW in Idaho: 0.
• All of the 3,000 supervised clinical hours (1,750 direct + 1,250 other clinical work + 100 supervision hours) are for upgrading from LMSW to LCSW, not for initial LMSW licensure.

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7. Scope of practice at the master’s level (important for planning)

The Board’s practice‑standards rule defines what “master’s social work” can include and how non‑clinical LMSWs may provide psychotherapy:

• Master’s social work involves applying social work theory and methods “to restore or enhance social, psychosocial or biopsychosocial functioning” and includes assessment, treatment planning, implementation, evaluation, case management, supportive counseling, supervision, research, advocacy, and administration. (adminrules.idaho.gov)
• Master‑level social workers who do not hold clinical licensure “may provide psychotherapy only under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist.” (adminrules.idaho.gov)

In other words, once you are an LMSW:

• You can engage in a broad range of advanced social work activities.
• You cannot practice independent clinical psychotherapy unless/until you obtain the LCSW; any psychotherapy you provide must be under appropriate supervision.

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8. After licensure: continuing education

While not part of getting the license, it is part of staying licensed:

• To renew or return to active status, all licensees must complete, in the preceding 24 months:
  • 30 hours of continuing education, including
  • 2 hours in professional ethics; the remainder must be “germane to the practice of social work.” (adminrules.idaho.gov)

Licensees must keep documentation for four years and are subject to audit. (dopl.idaho.gov)

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9. Practical summary focused on LMSW in Idaho

To become a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in Idaho through the Board of Social Work Examiners you must:

1. Earn an MSW or DSW in social work from a CSWE‑accredited program (or otherwise Board‑approved social work program). (adminrules.idaho.gov)
2. Apply to the Board, pay the required application and license fees, and submit identity, education, and any required conviction disclosures. (dopl.idaho.gov)
3. Pass the ASWB Master’s examination (an “approved examination” for the LMSW) within seven years of licensure. (adminrules.idaho.gov)
4. Meet the character requirement of having no relevant disqualifying criminal convictions under Idaho Code §67‑9411(1). (legislature.idaho.gov)
5. Once the Board receives your passing exam score, official transcript with degree posted, and verifies all other requirements, your LMSW license is issued. (dopl.idaho.gov)

No post‑MSW supervised experience hours are required to obtain the LMSW itself.
The only hour‑based requirement the Idaho Board formally defines is the 3,000‑hour supervised clinical experience (1,750 direct client contact + 1,250 other clinical work + 100 hours of supervision), which is required later when you apply for Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). (adminrules.idaho.gov)