Kentucky LSW Requirements & Hours Tracker

In Kentucky, the Licensed Social Worker (LSW) credential is the entry‑level social work license regulated by the Kentucky Board of Social Work under KRS 335.090 and related administrative regulations. This license is tied to your education and examination, not to a specific number of pre‑licensure practice or supervision hours.

Below is a structured overview of what Kentucky actually requires, with an emphasis on where hours are specified in law or regulation.

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1. Core eligibility to become an LSW in Kentucky

Under KRS 335.090, the Board “shall issue a license as ‘licensed social worker’” when an applicant meets a set of statutory requirements. (law.justia.com) Those requirements are:

1.1 Age and character

• You must be at least 18 years old. (law.justia.com)
• You must be a person of good moral character. (law.justia.com)

The Board evaluates character through the application, including questions about prior discipline or criminal history.

1.2 Education

You must meet one of the following educational standards: (law.justia.com)

• Preferred route: A baccalaureate degree in social work or social welfare from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Alternative route: A bachelor’s degree in another field, plus coursework equivalent to a social work or social welfare program, as determined by the Board.

Those “equivalent courses” are evaluated case‑by‑case. The Board retains discretion to decide whether a non‑CSWE degree plus coursework is truly equivalent.

1.3 Examination

KRS 335.090 requires that you: (law.justia.com)

• Pay an examination fee established by the Board (separate from the license fee).
• Pass an examination prepared by the Board.

In practice, Kentucky uses the ASWB Bachelor’s exam; the licensure page explains that Kentucky accepts the ASWB Bachelor, Masters, and Clinical exam categories and requires an official transfer score report from ASWB when applicable. (bsw.ky.gov)

There is also a timing rule: you may not have failed a Board exam within the preceding three (3) months at the time you apply again. (law.justia.com)

1.4 Fees and license issuance

To obtain the license you must: (law.justia.com)

• Pay an initial license fee set by the Board via regulation (amount can change over time).
• Submit an online application through the Board’s portal (“Apply for LSW, CSW or LCSW… Fee: $25,” which is the current application review fee as listed on the Board’s licensure page). (bsw.ky.gov)

Once issued, the statute requires that the license be displayed at your principal place of practice, and it authorizes you to hold yourself out as providing services within the scope of the social work license. (law.justia.com)

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2. What is not required: no pre‑licensure practice or supervision hours

You specifically asked about “type of hours required,” such as a requirement like “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience.”

For the Kentucky LSW, the statutes and current regulations:

• Do not require any specified number of supervised practice hours to obtain the LSW.
• Do not list required “direct practice” hours (e.g., 1,500 hours of direct client work) as a condition of LSW licensure.

Instead, the path to LSW is based on:

1. Qualifying bachelor’s‑level education (BSW or equivalent). (law.justia.com)
2. Passing the Board‑approved (ASWB Bachelor’s) exam. (bsw.ky.gov)
3. Meeting age, character, and fee requirements. (law.justia.com)

By contrast, Kentucky does impose explicit hour requirements for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)—for example, two years of post‑master’s supervised clinical experience plus a defined number of hours of LCSW supervision documented on the Supervised Experience Documentation Form. (apps.legislature.ky.gov) Those supervision hours, however, apply only at the clinical level and are not part of the LSW requirements.

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3. Application details the Board expects on your LSW form

The application regulation (201 KAR 23:025) sets out what must appear in a Licensure Application Form for anyone seeking licensure “as a social worker” (which is the LSW category). (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

The application must include, among other items:

• Full legal name and any prior/other names used.
• Social Security number.
• Mailing address, phone number, and email address.
• Employment information (if currently employed), including:
  • Employer name, address, phone, and email.
  • Your official job description signed by the head of the employing agency.
  • Whether the employer is a 501(c)(3) organization, with IRS determination letter if so.
• Disclosure of current or prior social work licenses in Kentucky or other jurisdictions, with official verification of each out‑of‑state license.

These requirements are documentation‑related; again, no hour counts are specified for LSW applicants in these sections.

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4. Scope of practice as an LSW

The Board’s scope‑of‑practice regulation (201 KAR 23:060) states that a person with a valid, unsuspended, or unrevoked licensed social worker license may: (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

• Engage in social work activities, except the practice of clinical social work (which is separately defined in 201 KAR 23:070).
• Use the professional abbreviation “LSW.”

This means that as an LSW you practice general social work but cannot independently practice “clinical social work” (diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders as defined in the clinical regulation). Clinical practice under a temporary permit or as a CSW in supervision has separate rules and contracts, but that is outside the LSW minimum licensing standard itself. (bsw.ky.gov)

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5. Hour‑based requirements after licensure: Continuing Education (CE)

While Kentucky does not require pre‑licensure practice hours for the LSW, it does impose continuing education hour requirements to maintain and renew the license.

The current CE regulation (201 KAR 23:075, as updated through 2025) spells these out in detail. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

5.1 Total CE hours for LSWs

Section 2(2) of 201 KAR 23:075 provides that:

“Each licensed social worker shall complete a minimum of fifteen (15) continuing education hours during the three (3) year period for renewal….” (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

Key points:

• 15 continuing education hours every three‑year renewal cycle.
• CE can be completed in person or via technology‑mediated learning (online, distance learning, etc.), as defined in the regulation. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

The regulation defines a “continuing education hour” as fifty (50) continuous clock minutes of participation in an approved CE program. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

5.2 Required content‑specific CE hours

Within those 15 hours per cycle, some content is mandatory for all license types, including LSWs. Under 201 KAR 23:075 Section 2: (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

1. Kentucky Code of Ethical Conduct (every renewal period)

   • 3 hours on the Kentucky Code of Ethical Conduct (201 KAR 23:080) are required each 3‑year renewal period as part of the total CE hours.
   • The course must be board‑approved and at least three instruction hours. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

2. Suicide assessment, treatment, and management (every 6 years)

   • At least 6 hours in a board‑approved training program in suicide assessment, treatment, and management every six (6) years. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

3. Domestic violence and elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation (after initial licensure)

   • During the three‑year renewal period following initial licensure, each licensee must complete a 3‑hour course on domestic violence and elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, as defined by KRS 194A.540. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

4. Pediatric abusive head trauma (every 6 years)

   • At least once every six (6) years, each licensee must complete 1.5 hours of CE on recognition and prevention of pediatric abusive head trauma as defined in KRS 620.020. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

All of these hours count toward the 15‑hour total for LSWs rather than being in addition to that total unless the Board later changes the rule.

5.3 Renewal timing and CE verification

The Board’s licensure page explains that licenses renew on a three‑year cycle based on the date of initial licensure. (bsw.ky.gov)

• If your license is expired and you seek reinstatement, the Board will require:
  • Documentation of completed CE hours for the preceding three years (15 hours for LSWs), or
  • A written request for a six‑month extension to complete outstanding CE, which may or may not be approved. (bsw.ky.gov)

Failure to complete or document CE can result in expiration of the license and a requirement to cease and desist all social work duties until reinstatement steps are completed. (bsw.ky.gov)

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6. Temporary permits related to LSW

Kentucky allows certain applicants to obtain a temporary permit while pursuing their full LSW or CSW licensure. The Board’s licensure page notes that: (bsw.ky.gov)

• You must first submit an application for the LSW or CSW license and have your official transcript sent directly to the Board.
• After you receive an “approved to take exam” email, you may apply for a temporary permit, if needed.
• Non‑clinical permits apply to LSW or CSW who will not be performing clinical social work.
• Clinical temporary permits and their supervision rules apply only when clinical services are being provided (mostly relevant to CSW/LCSW trajectories).

The regulation explicitly states that hours obtained under a temporary permit do not count toward CSW‑in‑supervision hours for LCSW, underscoring again that the LSW pathway itself is not built around counting experience hours for initial licensure. (bsw.ky.gov)

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7. Step‑by‑step summary of the LSW path in Kentucky

Putting the pieces together, the requirements to become an LSW in Kentucky look like this:

1. Complete your bachelor’s degree

   • Ideally a CSWE‑accredited BSW or social welfare program, or
   • A bachelor’s degree in another field plus coursework the Board finds equivalent to a social work program. (law.justia.com)

2. Confirm you meet statutory eligibility

   • Age 18 or older.
   • Good moral character. (law.justia.com)

3. Apply for LSW licensure and exam approval

   • Submit the Board’s Licensure Application Form (or use the online portal), including all required personal, educational, and employment information. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
   • Request official transcripts and, if applicable, official ASWB exam score transfers sent directly to the Board. (bsw.ky.gov)
   • Pay the application review fee and any exam fee set by the Board.

4. Take and pass the Board‑approved (ASWB Bachelor’s) exam

   • Ensure you have not failed the exam within the preceding three months when re‑applying. (law.justia.com)

5. Receive your LSW license

   • Pay the initial license fee set by regulation. (law.justia.com)
   • Display the license at your principal practice location. (law.justia.com)
   • Begin practicing within the LSW scope (social work activities, but not independent clinical social work). (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

6. Maintain the license through CE and timely renewal

   • Complete 15 hours of continuing education every three years, including required ethics, suicide, domestic violence/elder abuse, and pediatric abusive head trauma content on the schedules described above. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
   • Renew the license on the three‑year cycle and retain CE certificates as proof.

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Bottom line on “hours” for Kentucky LSW licensure

• No pre‑licensure practice, direct service, or supervision hours are required to obtain the LSW in Kentucky.
• The only hour‑based requirements tied to the LSW are continuing education hours after you are licensed:
  • 15 CE hours every three years for renewal, including specific mandated topics on defined hour schedules. (apps.legislature.ky.gov)

Any large “experience‑hour” requirements you may hear about (e.g., hundreds of hours of clinical supervision) belong to the clinical licensure pathway (LCSW) and do not apply to obtaining the LSW itself.