Maine LM Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

In Maine, the Licensed Master Social Worker (LM) credential is a non‑clinical, independent, master‑level license regulated by the State Board of Social Worker Licensure within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation.(maine.gov)

A central point for planning: Maine does not require any specified number of post‑degree supervised or direct practice hours to obtain an LM license. The only “hours” directly tied to LM are continuing‑education hours after you are licensed, not pre‑licensure experience hours.

Below is a structured guide based on the Board’s own language and Maine statute.

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1. Legal and Regulatory Framework

The core legal standard for LM licensure is found in Title 32, §7053(2‑A) of the Maine Revised Statutes. It provides that to be licensed as a licensed master social worker an applicant must:(legislature.maine.gov)

• Hold either a master’s or doctoral degree in social work or social welfare from an accredited educational institution.
• Demonstrate to the Board’s satisfaction adherence to the ethics of the social work profession.
• Successfully complete the examination prescribed by the Board (the ASWB Masters exam).

The Board’s own LM description mirrors this statute and adds that the LM is a “non‑clinical, master level, independent license” that allows non‑clinical private practice.(maine.gov)

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2. Core Eligibility Requirements for LM (Initial Licensure)

2.1 Education

The governing statute allows a master’s or doctoral degree in social work or social welfare from an accredited school.(legislature.maine.gov)

The Board’s LM application page is more specific in practice: it requires an official transcript of an earned Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from a CSWE‑accredited program as part of the application.(maine.gov)

In practical terms, to qualify for LM you should plan on:

• Completing an MSW from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)–accredited program.
• Having your school send an official transcript to the Board (or providing it in the manner the Board specifies).

2.2 Ethics Requirement

Title 32, §7053(2‑A) states that an LM applicant must have “demonstrated to the satisfaction of the board adherence to the ethics of the social work profession.”(legislature.maine.gov)

The Board operationalizes this through:

• Its Code of Ethics (Board Rules Chapter 16).
• Application attestations and the Board’s review of your professional history (including any prior licenses and discipline).(maine.gov)

2.3 Examination

The Board requires a passing score on the ASWB Masters examination for LM licensure.(maine.gov)

Key points:

• You must apply to ASWB for exam approval through the Maine‑specific ASWB process.(maine.gov)
• ASWB, not the Board, administers the exam.
• Once you pass, you use that passing score to apply to the Board for LM licensure.

2.4 Background and Licensure History

For LM applicants, the Board specifies that you must submit official license verifications for all professional licenses you hold or have ever held, even if expired. The verifications must include your name, license number, type of license, issue and expiration dates, and whether the license has ever been disciplined.(maine.gov)

This is how the Board checks for discipline history and ethical concerns.

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3. Experience and Supervision Hours: What Maine Requires (and Does Not Require)

3.1 Practice / Supervised‑Experience Hours for LM

For LM initial licensure itself, Maine’s rules are notable for what they do not contain:

• No specific number of direct practice hours is required.
• No specific number of supervised or consultation hours is required.

Neither the LM section of the Board’s Licensing & Forms page nor Title 32, §7053(2‑A) lists any requirement resembling “1,500 hours of direct experience” or “3,000 hours of supervised experience” for LM.(legislature.maine.gov)

The LM description simply ties the license to:

• A qualifying master’s/doctoral degree in social work, and
• A passing ASWB Masters exam score,
  with no mention of practice‑hour thresholds.(maine.gov)

So, if your specific question is “How many practice hours do I need to get LM in Maine?”, the Board’s answer is: none beyond whatever was required to complete your degree.

3.2 Where Hour Requirements Do Appear (for Context)

The confusion often comes from the fact that other Maine social work licenses have explicit hour requirements, and these are sometimes incorrectly generalized to the LM.

Two key examples:

1. LSX → LS (bachelor‑level path)
   To move from Licensed Social Worker, Conditional (LSX) to Licensed Social Worker (LS), the Board requires “96 hours of consultation concurrent with 3200 hours of social work employment” while holding an active LSX, completed over not less than 2 years and not more than 4 years.(maine.gov)

2. Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LC) applicants
   To qualify for LC, applicants must document 96 hours of consultation concurrent with 3200 hours of social work employment in a clinical setting from an approved consultant.(maine.gov)

Similarly, the Licensed Master Social Worker, Conditional Clinical (MC) license is explicitly designed as the clinical path toward LC, and MC licensees must be in an approved consultation arrangement to accrue the clinical consultation and experience hours specified in Board rules and statute.(maine.gov)

Those 96/3200 hour requirements belong to the conditional and clinical paths (LSX/LS and MC/LC)—they are not part of the LM (non‑clinical) license requirements.

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4. Step‑by‑Step Path to LM Licensure in Maine

Step 1 – Complete an Accredited MSW Program

• Enroll in and graduate from a CSWE‑accredited MSW program.
• Ensure the degree is clearly identified as a Master of Social Work; this is exactly what the Board’s LM application page asks for.(maine.gov)

Step 2 – Review Maine Laws and Board Rules

Before applying, familiarize yourself with:

• Title 32, Chapter 83, especially §7053 (Qualifications) and §7053‑A (Functions).(legislature.maine.gov)
• The Board’s rules, especially:
  • Chapter 13 – License Requirements
  • Chapter 14 – Continuing Education
  • Chapter 16 – Code of Ethics(maine.gov)

Step 3 – Obtain Approval and Take the ASWB Masters Exam

• Apply to ASWB under Maine’s jurisdiction for approval to sit for the Masters exam.
• Schedule and pass the exam.
• Retain your exam documentation; ASWB does not forward your materials automatically to the Board, so you must ensure the Board receives proof of your passing score when you apply.(maine.gov)

Step 4 – Gather Application Materials

For LM licensure, be prepared to submit:(maine.gov)

1. Completed online application for LM licensure.
2. Documentation of successful passage of the ASWB Masters exam.
3. Official MSW transcript from a CSWE‑accredited program.
4. Official license verifications for all professional licenses you hold or have ever held (any state, any profession), including:
   • License type and number
   • Initial issue date
   • Current expiration date
   • Any disciplinary history

Step 5 – Pay Required Fees and Submit

The Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation lists fees applicable to social work licenses, including:(maine.gov)

• $70 license fee (initial issuance)
• $21 criminal history check

Submit your completed online application, all supporting documents, and the required fees through Maine’s licensing portal.

Step 6 – Board Review and Issuance

• The Board reviews your materials for compliance with education, exam, ethics, and history requirements.
• If approved, you are issued the Licensed Master Social Worker (LM) credential, which is a non‑clinical independent license allowing non‑clinical private practice.(maine.gov)

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5. Hour Requirements After You Are Licensed (Continuing Education)

Once you hold an LM license, Maine imposes ongoing continuing‑education hour requirements, not practice‑hour requirements.

For LM renewal, the Board specifies:(maine.gov)

• License term:
  • Renews every 2 years on the month of initial issuance.
• Continuing education (per 2‑year cycle):
  • 25 hours of continuing education in total.
  • At least 4 of the 25 hours must be in social work ethics.
  • A one‑time requirement of 12 contact hours in family or intimate partner violence, which can be met through approved CE activities.

These are educational contact hours, not supervised practice. They do not function like “1,500 hours of direct experience”; instead, they reflect Maine’s expectation that LM social workers maintain and update their professional knowledge in key areas (ethics and family or intimate partner violence).

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6. Summary of “Hour” Expectations for LM in Maine

Putting it all together for the Licensed Master Social Worker (LM) in Maine:

• Pre‑licensure experience hours:
  • None specified by the State Board for LM. No required tally of direct client hours or supervised clinical hours is listed in statute or on the Board’s LM page.(legislature.maine.gov)
• Post‑licensure continuing‑education hours (LM):
  • 25 CE hours every 2 years, including:
    • ≥ 4 hours in social work ethics, and
    • A one‑time 12‑hour requirement in family or intimate partner violence.(maine.gov)
• Practice / consultation hour requirements in Maine’s system overall:
  • 96 consultation hours + 3,200 employment hours apply to bachelor‑level LSX/LS progression and to LC applicants (clinical track), not to non‑clinical LM licensure.(maine.gov)

As of November 23, 2025, if your goal is specifically the LM (non‑clinical) license in Maine, you plan around degree, exam, ethics, and CE, rather than accumulating a specified number of supervised practice hours for initial licensure.