Indiana LBSW Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Indiana regulates the Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) credential through the Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board within the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA). This license is the entry‑level social work credential and, unlike the higher‑level licenses, it does not require any specified number of post‑degree supervised practice hours to obtain.

Below is a step‑by‑step guide based directly on Indiana statute and the Board’s own application instructions.

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1. License category and governing law

Indiana law calls this credential a “bachelor’s degree social worker” license and sets its requirements in Indiana Code 25‑23.6‑5‑1.5.(law.justia.com) The Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board implements those requirements through its application instructions and FAQs.(secure.in.gov)

Key points from the statute:

• You must apply specifically for the bachelor’s degree social worker license (LBSW).
• This license is not available to people who already have a Master of Social Work (MSW).(law.justia.com)
• Work and supervision hours accrued while holding an LBSW cannot be used later to meet the supervised‑experience requirements for a clinical license (LCSW).(law.justia.com)

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2. Educational requirement

2.1 Required degree

Indiana Code 25‑23.6‑5‑1.5(a)(1) requires you to show you have a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from one of the following:(law.justia.com)

• An eligible postsecondary institution accredited or approved for candidacy by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), or otherwise approved by the Board; or
• A foreign social work program approved by the CSWE’s Foreign Equivalency Determination Service.

The Board’s application instructions mirror this by requiring official transcripts from the university that conferred your BSW, and those transcripts must show that all graduation requirements were met and the degree was conferred.(secure.in.gov)

2.2 MSW holders not eligible

The statute is explicit: “An individual with a master’s degree in social work is not eligible to apply for a license as a bachelor’s degree social worker.”(law.justia.com)
Someone with an MSW must instead pursue the Licensed Social Worker (LSW) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) routes.

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3. Examination requirement

3.1 Required exam

The statute requires you to “pass an examination provided by the board” for this license.(law.justia.com) The Board has adopted the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Bachelor‑level examination for social work licensure.(secure.in.gov)

In practice, you must:

1. Submit a complete LBSW application to the Board.
2. Wait for the Board to approve you to sit for the ASWB Bachelor exam.
3. Register for and pass the ASWB Bachelor exam within the exam‑authorization window.

3.2 Timing rules

The Board states that once you are approved to test, you must take the exam within one (1) year from the date of initial Board approval or the approval becomes invalid and you must reapply.(secure.in.gov)

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4. Character and disciplinary requirements

Indiana Code 25‑23.6‑5‑1.5 requires you to demonstrate good moral and professional standing:(law.justia.com)

1. Criminal history – You must show you do not have a conviction for a crime that has a direct bearing on your ability to practice competently.
2. Disciplinary history – You must show you have not been the subject of disciplinary action by another state or jurisdiction’s licensing/certification agency on grounds that you were unable to practice social work without endangering the public.

The application instructions implement this via “positive response” questions:

• If you answer “Yes” to any criminal or disciplinary history questions, you must submit:
  • A written explanation (violation, location, date, cause number, disposition), and
  • Court or disciplinary documents supporting your explanation.(secure.in.gov)

The Board then reviews this information to decide whether you remain eligible for licensure.(secure.in.gov)

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5. Application components for LBSW

The Board’s “Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) – Bachelor Level” application checklist lays out what you must submit.(secure.in.gov)

5.1 Core items

For an initial LBSW license by examination, you must provide:

1. Completed online application (submitted through the IPLA portal).(secure.in.gov)
2. Application fee – $50 (non‑refundable, paid online).(secure.in.gov)
3. Criminal background check – Initiated after the Board has your complete application.(secure.in.gov)
4. Positive response documentation – Only if you answered “Yes” to criminal/disciplinary questions.(secure.in.gov)
5. Name‑change documentation if the name on your documents differs (e.g., marriage certificate, divorce decree).(secure.in.gov)
6. Official transcripts – Uploaded or sent directly from the BSW‑granting institution, showing the degree and conferral date.(secure.in.gov)
7. License verification (if applicable) – If you already hold any professional license or certificate in another state, you must arrange for that state to send an official verification form or letter directly to IPLA.(secure.in.gov)

5.2 Temporary permit (optional)

Indiana’s BHHS fee schedule and guidance indicate that you may request a temporary permit along with your application:

• Temporary permit fee – $25.(secure.in.gov)
• Temporary permits are available for applicants who meet all requirements other than passing the ASWB exam and allow limited practice for a defined period (commonly described elsewhere as up to 180 days).(publichealthonline.org)

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6. Experience and supervision “hours” for LBSW

6.1 Pre‑licensure practice hours: none required

Unlike some states and unlike Indiana’s clinical license, Indiana does not require any specific number of post‑degree practice or supervision hours to obtain the LBSW.

Two authoritative pieces of Board language confirm this:

• The LBSW application instructions list no requirement for post‑degree experience or supervision—only the degree, exam, background check, and documentation listed above.(secure.in.gov)
• In the Social Work FAQ, the Board answers the question “Do I need supervision to apply for the LBSW or LSW license?” by stating that:
  • Graduates with a BSW or MSW are required to obtain their license to practice, and
  • “Supervision is not required to obtain the Bachelor or Master license, but post‑licensure supervision of practice is required for those license levels.”(secure.in.gov)

Taken together, this means:

• Required post‑degree supervised experience hours to obtain LBSW: 0.
• You do not need any Board‑recognized work hours (direct or supervised) to sit for the ASWB Bachelor exam or to be issued the LBSW, as long as you meet the education, character, exam, and administrative requirements.

6.2 Post‑licensure supervision expectations

Although no hours are needed to get the license, the Board notes that “post‑licensure supervision of practice is required” for Bachelor‑level licensees.(secure.in.gov)

The statute and rules do not set out a separate, numerical set of “practice hours” specifically for LBSW post‑licensure supervision. Instead, they define how “experience” and “supervision” work for the more advanced Social Worker (LSW) and Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licenses:

• For social workers and clinical social workers, the Board’s rule states that:
  • “Experience” means full‑time paid experience of at least 1,500 hours per year, and part‑time experience may qualify if an applicant can verify 4,500 hours total, of which 3,000 hours must be after the graduate degree.(law.cornell.edu)
  • “Supervision” is defined as face‑to‑face contact aimed at helping the supervisee learn practice skills, for a minimum of four (4) hours per month.(law.cornell.edu)

These definitions are tied in the rule specifically to IC 25‑23.6‑5‑1 (Social Worker – LSW) and IC 25‑23.6‑5‑3.5 (Clinical Social Worker – LCSW), not to the LBSW statute.(law.cornell.edu)

In short:

• LBSW itself has no required tally of practice or supervision hours.
• If you later pursue LSW or LCSW, then Indiana’s “experience” and “supervision” hour rules become crucial—typically involving:
  • At least two years of experience (the Board notes that 1,500 hours equals one year of experience, so this is effectively 3,000 hours), and
  • At least four hours of face‑to‑face supervision per month, with at least half of the clinical experience providing services directly to clients.(secure.in.gov)

But these clinical‑level requirements do not apply to obtaining the LBSW itself.

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7. Grandfathered pathway (now closed)

Indiana Code 25‑23.6‑5‑1.5(b) created a temporary, grandfathered route for certain BSW holders:

• Applicants who applied before July 1, 2018 and had at least two years of experience in behavioral health and human services could obtain the bachelor’s degree social worker license without taking the exam, provided they met the other character, education, and fee requirements.(law.justia.com)

That grandfather period is now over; for applications filed after July 1, 2018, passing the ASWB Bachelor exam is mandatory.

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8. Renewal and continuing education hours

Once licensed as an LBSW, you must follow Indiana’s renewal and continuing‑education (CE) requirements for Behavioral Health and Human Services licenses:

• Licenses renew on a biennial cycle, with renewals due by April 1 of even‑numbered years and a $50 renewal fee.(secure.in.gov)
• The Board’s renewal FAQ states you must complete:
  • 40 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle (20 hours per year),
  • At least 20 hours must be Category I, and
  • At least 2 hours must be ethics per renewal cycle.(secure.in.gov)

These CE hours are separate from the pre‑licensure experience issue:

• CE hours are required only after you are licensed, to keep the LBSW active.

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9. Practical summary of “hours” for LBSW in Indiana

Putting the Board’s and statute’s language together:

• Post‑degree supervised practice hours required to obtain an LBSW:
  • 0 hours – There is no requirement for 1,500, 3,000, or any other number of experience or supervision hours for the initial LBSW license.(secure.in.gov)
• Type of experience/supervision hours defined by the Board (for higher licenses):
  • For LSW/LCSW licensure, Indiana defines “experience” as paid work of at least 1,500 hours per year, with part‑time experience acceptable if totaling 4,500 hours, including 3,000 hours post‑graduate.(law.cornell.edu)
  • Clinical social work experience for LCSW must span at least two years (3,000 hours), with at least 50% of that time in direct client services and a minimum of four hours of face‑to‑face supervision per month from an LCSW.(secure.in.gov)
  • Hours earned under the LBSW license itself cannot be counted toward those clinical experience requirements.(law.justia.com)
• Continuing‑education hours after licensure:
  • 40 CE hours (including specific Category I and ethics requirements) are required every two years to renew any social work license, including LBSW.(secure.in.gov)

Taken literally, if you have a qualifying BSW from a CSWE‑accredited or Board‑approved program, pass the ASWB Bachelor exam, clear the background and disciplinary checks, submit the required documents, and pay the fees, you can obtain the Indiana LBSW without any additional quantified practice or supervision hours beyond your degree program’s own field education.