New-jersey LCSW Requirements & Hours Tracker

New Jersey’s Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) credential is governed by the State Board of Social Work Examiners through the Social Workers’ Licensing Act and the New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C. 13:44G). The key regulation for LCSW eligibility is N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑4.1, with definitions in N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑1.2. (regulations.justia.com)

Below is a step‑by‑step guide focused on the exact hour requirements and how the Board defines them.

---

1. Baseline Education Requirements

To be eligible for LCSW, the Board requires that you: (regulations.justia.com)

1. Hold one of the following:

   • A master’s degree in social work (MSW) from a program accredited or in candidacy for accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); or
   • A doctorate in social work from an accredited institution.

2. Have 12 semester hours of graduate‑level coursework in methods of clinical social work practice, exclusive of field placement, from a CSWE‑accredited (or candidate) MSW program. These 12 credits must be in any combination of the following areas: (regulations.justia.com)

   • Diagnosis and assessment in clinical social work practice
   • Models of psychotherapy or clinical practice (e.g., psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, crisis intervention, task‑centered, psychosocial, etc.)
   • Clinical supervision and consultation
   • Intervention with special populations

---

2. Licensure Level While Gaining Experience (LSW or Exempt Setting)

The Board requires proof that when you earned your clinical hours you were either: (regulations.justia.com)

• Licensed as a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in New Jersey, or
• Practicing in a setting where licensure is exempt under N.J.S.A. 45:15BB‑5 (for example, some government or specific exempt roles).

In practical terms for most applicants:

• You complete your MSW,
• Obtain your LSW (by passing the ASWB Masters exam and applying to the Board),
• Then work in a job that allows you to perform “clinical social work services” under an LCSW supervisor.

Clinical social work is defined by the Board as the professional application of social work methods and values in the assessment and psychotherapeutic counseling of individuals, families, or psychotherapy groups. (regulations.justia.com)

Clinical social work services are clinical activities that may only be performed by an LCSW or by an LSW under supervision (for example: clinical assessment, clinical consultation, psychotherapeutic counseling, and clinical supervision of individuals). (regulations.justia.com)

---

3. Supervised Clinical Experience: Exact Hour Requirements

The central experience rule is in N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑4.1(a). For applicants who began accruing hours on or after September 17, 2018 (current standard), the Board defines:

“Two years of full‑time clinical social work” means 3,000 hours under direct supervision … completed in no less than two years and no more than four years. At least 1,920 hours shall be in face‑to‑face client contact, and half of these 1,920 hours shall be in psychotherapeutic counseling. The other 1,080 hours may include time in supervision or other social work services. (regulations.justia.com)

Broken down:

• Total supervised clinical social work hours:

  • 3,000 hours of post‑MSW clinical social work experience
  • Must be “under direct supervision” according to N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑8.1
  • Must be completed in a continuous period of at least 2 years and no more than 4 years after earning the MSW

• Face‑to‑face clinical hours (a subset of the 3,000):

  • At least 1,920 hours must be face‑to‑face client contact
  • These face‑to‑face hours must meet the Board’s definition of “clinical social work services” (e.g., clinical assessment, psychotherapeutic counseling). (regulations.justia.com)

• Psychotherapeutic counseling hours (a subset of the face‑to‑face hours):

  • At least half of the 1,920 face‑to‑face hours (i.e., at least 960 hours) must be in psychotherapeutic counseling as that term is defined in the regulations. (regulations.justia.com)

• Remaining hours (non–face‑to‑face portion):

  • Up to 1,080 hours of the total 3,000 may be spent in:
    • Supervision (individual or group) with your LCSW supervisor
    • Other social work services (e.g., documentation, case records, certain related tasks consistent with the social work scope of practice) (regulations.justia.com)

NASW‑NJ’s licensing FAQ, which tracks current Board rules, summarizes this the same way: 3,000 total hours in 2–4 consecutive years, with at least 1,920 hours of face‑to‑face clinical social work, at least 960 of those hours in psychotherapeutic counseling, and up to 1,080 hours in supervision or related social‑work activities. (naswnj.socialworkers.org)

Transitional rule (for those who started hours before September 17, 2018)

N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑4.1(c) includes a grandfather clause: if you began supervised clinical social work experience before September 17, 2018, you are deemed to have completed “two years of full‑time clinical social work” if you completed 1,920 hours of face‑to‑face client contact (without the newer 3,000‑hour structure). (regulations.justia.com)

---

4. Nature of the Work That Counts Toward the Hours

The hours must involve clinical social work services as defined by the Board, not just any social work tasks.

From N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑1.2 and related guidance: (regulations.justia.com)

• Clinical social work services include:

  • Clinical assessment (differential, individualized evaluation of psychosocial/behavioral problems to plan psychotherapeutic counseling)
  • Psychotherapeutic counseling of individuals, families, or psychotherapy groups
  • Clinical consultation
  • Clinical supervision of others (if you are appropriately licensed; as an LSW you may receive supervision but cannot provide it)

• Social work services (non‑clinical) can count toward the 1,080 “other” hours, but not toward the 1,920 clinical face‑to‑face requirement.

The Board will look at your official job description and actual duties to determine whether your work meets these definitions when counting hours toward LCSW. (naswnj.socialworkers.org)

---

5. Supervision Requirements (Direct Supervision)

All 3,000 hours must be performed “under direct supervision” consistent with N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑8.1. (regulations.justia.com)

The regulations and Board‑aligned guidance specify that:

• Your clinical supervisor must be an LCSW, and
• Must meet additional Board criteria (including specific training in supervision).

NASW‑NJ explains that in New Jersey a clinical supervisor must be an LCSW who has practiced as an LCSW for at least 3 years and has completed at least 20 continuing education credits in supervision‑related coursework before supervision begins. (naswnj.socialworkers.org)

Supervision time itself can be counted toward the 1,080 “other” hours, but not toward the 1,920 face‑to‑face requirement.

You will ultimately need a supervisor’s certification (the Board’s form) verifying that you completed the required hours, under appropriate supervision, within the required time frame. (regulations.justia.com)

---

6. Application, Documentation, and Examination

Once education and supervised experience requirements are met, N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑4.1(b) requires that you submit the following to the Board: (regulations.justia.com)

1. Completed LCSW application (on Board forms), including detailed educational and experience history.
2. Application fee per the fee schedule in N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑14.1.
3. Official transcripts showing:
   • Your qualifying MSW or DSW degree; and
   • The required 12 graduate credits in clinical social work practice methods.
4. Supervisor’s certification documenting that you acquired two years of full‑time clinical social work experience (i.e., the 3,000‑hour/1,920‑hour structure) after completion of your MSW. This experience must have been completed no more than five years before submitting your application.
5. Proof of passing the ASWB Clinical examination.
6. Proof that you were an LSW while gaining the experience (or documentation of practice in an exempt setting where licensure is not required).
7. Signed consent form allowing a criminal history background check as a prerequisite to licensure.

In current practice, you generally: (socialworkerlicense.com)

• Apply to the Board for authorization to sit for the ASWB Clinical exam,
• Take and pass the exam, and
• Then complete the full LCSW application (including your supervisor certification and transcripts) so the Board can issue the license.

---

7. Hour Requirements at a Glance (Current Standard)

For someone starting supervised experience today (i.e., under the post‑September 17, 2018 rules), the New Jersey Board of Social Work Examiners requires, after the MSW and under proper LCSW supervision:

• 3,000 hours total of clinical social work experience

  • Timeframe: completed in no less than 2 years and no more than 4 consecutive years
  • Setting: after your MSW, while licensed as an LSW or working in a legally exempt setting

• Within those 3,000 hours:

  • At least 1,920 hours of face‑to‑face client contact providing clinical social work services
  • Of the 1,920 face‑to‑face hours, at least 960 hours must be psychotherapeutic counseling
  • Up to 1,080 hours may be spent in supervision and other social work services (e.g., documentation, case‑related tasks), which do not count as face‑to‑face client contact

These hour types and figures are drawn directly from N.J.A.C. 13:44G‑4.1 and the Board‑aligned NASW‑NJ licensing guidance, and they represent the current standard for LCSW licensure in New Jersey as of mid‑2025. (regulations.justia.com)