Mississippi LSW Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Mississippi’s Licensed Social Worker (LSW) credential is the state’s entry‑level social work license, tied to a baccalaureate degree in social work. It is regulated by the Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage & Family Therapists under Title 30, Part 1902 of the Mississippi Administrative Code and Mississippi Code §73‑53‑13. (sos.ms.gov)

This article walks through exactly what the Board requires for LSW licensure, including whether any specific “hours” of experience are mandated and how the Board itself describes those requirements.

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1. How Mississippi Defines the LSW License

In the Board’s rules, an “LSW” (Licensed Social Worker) is the license held by an individual “licensed to practice social work in the state of Mississippi at the baccalaureate level.” (sos.ms.gov)

This is distinct from:

• LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) – master’s or doctoral level.
• LCSW (Licensed Certified Social Worker) – post‑master’s, with additional supervised practice and exam requirements. (sos.ms.gov)

The LSW is intended for graduates of accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs who are entering professional practice.

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2. Core Legal Authority and Sources

The requirements below come from:

• Miss. Admin. Code, Title 30, Part 1902, especially Chapter 2, Rule 2.2 (“Requirements for Licensure”) and Rule 2.4 (“Examinations”). (sos.ms.gov)
• Mississippi Code §73‑53‑13 (2024) (“Licensure prerequisites”), which spells out statutory qualifications for LSW, LMSW, and LCSW. (law.justia.com)
• The Board’s “Social Work Forms and Licensing Information” page, including the Initial Application Instructions and online portal information. (swmft.ms.gov)

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3. Minimum Eligibility Requirements for LSW

3.1 General personal and legal requirements

Under Rule 2.2(B) and Mississippi Code §73‑53‑13(d), an applicant for any social work license (including LSW) must: (sos.ms.gov)

• Be at least 21 years of age.
• Be of good moral character (which is an ongoing requirement).
• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident alien.
• Have no conviction of a felony related to the practice of social work within the last 10 years (the statute notes that “conviction” includes deferred adjudications and similar dispositions).
• Be mentally competent, with no standing court decree of incompetence.
• Be free from current dependence on alcohol, drugs, or other substances or addictions.
• Have no pending disciplinary action in another jurisdiction.
• Have acceptable fingerprint‐based criminal history and Mississippi Sex Offender Registry checks, as described below. (sos.ms.gov)

3.2 Educational requirement (degree)

For the LSW itself, both the statute and the Board rules require: (law.justia.com)

• A baccalaureate degree in social work from a college or university accredited by either:
  • The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), or
  • The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

The Board’s rules restate this as “verification of a baccalaureate degree in social work” from a CSWE‑ or SACS‑accredited institution, submitted with the application. (sos.ms.gov)

3.3 Examination requirement

For LSW, Mississippi law requires that you have “satisfactorily completed the Association for Social Work Boards (ASWB) examination for this license.” (law.justia.com)

In the Board’s rules, this appears as:

• Passing score on the ASWB “basic” exam, which the Board classifies as the Bachelors‑level exam. (sos.ms.gov)

3.4 Background checks

For LSW applicants, Rule 2.2(C)(1) requires the following to be sent directly to the Board: (sos.ms.gov)

• A current fingerprint criminal history record information check from the appropriate governmental authority (completed within 180 days of the completed application, sent directly to the Board).
• An acceptable Sex Offender Registry check conducted by the Board.

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4. Experience and “Hour” Requirements at the LSW Level

4.1 Post‑degree practice hours for LSW: none are specified

The Board’s LSW section in Rule 2.2(C)(1) lists:

• Initial application
• Verification of degree
• Fingerprint criminal history check
• Sex Offender Registry check
• Passing ASWB basic (Bachelors) exam
• Licensure fee (sos.ms.gov)

It does not require any specific number of post‑baccalaureate practice hours (such as “1,500 hours of direct experience” or “1,500 hours of supervised experience”) for the LSW license. Neither the rules (Title 30, Part 1902) nor §73‑53‑13 add any practice‑hour requirement for LSW beyond completing an accredited BSW program and passing the exam. (sos.ms.gov)

Any field education or practicum hours you complete are governed by your CSWE‑accredited BSW program, not by a Board‑set number of licensure hours.

4.2 How the Board talks about hours at higher levels (for contrast)

To see how Mississippi would phrase hour‑based requirements if they applied, it helps to look at the LCSW supervision rules. For LMSWs pursuing LCSW, Rule 2.3(E)(2)–(3) requires: (sos.ms.gov)

• A minimum of one hundred (100) hours of face‑to‑face supervision with a Board‑approved LCSW supervisor,
• Over at least twenty‑four (24) months and no more than thirty‑six (36) consecutive months, and
• During that supervision period, “a minimum of one‑thousand (1,000) hours of face‑to‑face client contact.”

The statute also requires “twenty‑four (24) months of professional supervision and clinical or macro social work practice experience” for LCSW. (law.justia.com)

Those hour‑based requirements do not apply to LSW applicants. They apply only to LMSWs seeking to upgrade to LCSW.

4.3 Continuing education hours after you are licensed

Once you hold any Mississippi social work license (LSW, LMSW, or LCSW), you must meet continuing education (CE) requirements every two‑year renewal period: (law.cornell.edu)

• 40 hours of approved CE per renewal cycle.
• Of those 40 hours:
  • 4 hours must be in professional ethics.
  • 2 hours must be in cultural diversity / multicultural issues / cultural competency.
  • 1 hour must be in mandated reporting (effective July 1, 2020).
• No more than 20 hours may be from online/distance learning; at least 20 must be face‑to‑face. (swmft.ms.gov)

The rules note that LSWs do not submit CE at their first renewal, but the 40‑hour requirement (with the topic breakdown above) applies for subsequent renewal periods. (law.cornell.edu)

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5. Step‑by‑Step Guide to Becoming an LSW in Mississippi

Step 1 – Confirm that you meet the baseline legal requirements

Before starting the application, make sure you can truthfully attest to the Board that you: (sos.ms.gov)

• Are 21 or older.
• Are of good moral character.
• Are a U.S. citizen or legal resident alien.
• Have no felony conviction related to social work practice in the past 10 years.
• Are mentally competent and free from current substance dependence.
• Have no pending disciplinary actions with another licensing body.

Step 2 – Complete (or nearly complete) an accredited BSW

You must hold, or be about to complete, a baccalaureate degree in social work from a CSWE‑ or SACS‑accredited program. (sos.ms.gov)

Mississippi allows BSW seniors (with certified senior standing in an accredited program) to apply to sit for the ASWB exam before graduation, provided the program director certifies their status on Board forms. The license itself will not be issued until degree verification is received. (sos.ms.gov)

Step 3 – Create an online account and submit the Initial Application

On the Board’s “Social Work Forms and Licensing Information” page, new applicants use the Initial Application Portal (“applying by examination”). (swmft.ms.gov)

For the LSW level, Rule 2.2(C)(1) requires you to submit: (sos.ms.gov)

1. Initial application (via the online portal, with the required fee).
2. Verification of your BSW (or program director certification if you are a senior taking the exam before graduation).
3. Fingerprint criminal history check request (coordinated with the Board using their fingerprint card, which must be mailed to the Board’s PO Box and cannot be faxed or scanned). (swmft.ms.gov)
4. Consent for a Mississippi Sex Offender Registry check.

The Board’s site also provides an “Initial Application Instructions and Checklist – applying by examination”, which walks you through each document that must be uploaded or mailed. (swmft.ms.gov)

Step 4 – Obtain and submit required background checks

You must ensure that: (sos.ms.gov)

• Your fingerprint‑based criminal history report is completed within 180 days of your completed application and sent directly to the Board by the appropriate law‑enforcement agency.
• The Board can complete an acceptable Sex Offender Registry check.

If these checks show disqualifying issues, the Board may deny licensure.

Step 5 – Get Board approval and take the ASWB Bachelors (basic) exam

Under Rule 2.4, the ASWB requires verification from the Board before you can sit for the exam. Once your application is reviewed, the Board will send approval to ASWB; you then register and pay ASWB directly. (sos.ms.gov)

Key exam‑related points from the Board’s rules: (sos.ms.gov)

• LSW applicants take the ASWB Bachelors‑level exam, referred to in the rules as the “basic” exam.
• You may retake the exam every 90 days if needed.
• If you do not attempt the ASWB exam within six (6) months from the date your application was received, your application is considered abandoned and a new application (with new fees) is required.

Step 6 – After you pass the exam, obtain your license

ASWB sends official scores directly to the Board. Once the Board confirms that: (sos.ms.gov)

• You have a verified BSW from a CSWE‑ or SACS‑accredited program,
• You have passed the ASWB Bachelors exam,
• Your background checks are acceptable, and
• Your fees are paid,

the Board will vote to issue your LSW license at a regular meeting (licenses are issued by Board action, not solely by staff). (sos.ms.gov)

You will receive an electronic license card and certificate via the Board’s licensee portal rather than mailed paper documents, per the Board’s renewal and portal instructions. (swmft.ms.gov)

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6. Maintaining Your LSW License

Once you are licensed:

• The LSW license is renewed every two years, with an expiration date tied to the Board’s renewal cycles. (law.cornell.edu)
• You must complete 40 hours of approved continuing education per renewal period, after your first renewal, including:
  • 4 hours ethics
  • 2 hours cultural diversity
  • 1 hour mandated reporting
  • No more than 20 hours via distance/online learning. (law.cornell.edu)

Failure to complete or properly document CE can result in a probationary license status or non‑renewal under Rule 2.6. (sos.ms.gov)

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Summary of Hour‑Related Requirements for Mississippi LSW Applicants

• Post‑degree supervised or direct practice hours required for initial LSW licensure:
  • None specified by the Mississippi Board of Examiners in statute or rule.
• Exam requirement:
  • Pass the ASWB Bachelors (basic) examination approved by the Board. (sos.ms.gov)
• Continuing education after licensure:
  • 40 CE hours every two years, including 4 ethics, 2 cultural diversity, and 1 mandated reporting; at least 20 hours must be face‑to‑face. (law.cornell.edu)

If you see references elsewhere to specific numbers like 1,000 hours of supervised experience, note that those refer to LCSW‑level post‑master’s supervision, not to the LSW license. Mississippi does not assign a numerical hour requirement for initial LSW licensure beyond the field education embedded in your accredited BSW program.