New-mexico LMSW Requirements & Hours Tracker

Licensure as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in New Mexico

The New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners regulates social work licensure under Title 16, Chapter 63 of the New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC). For the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), the Board focuses on education and examinations rather than counting specific post‑graduate practice hours.

A key point at the outset:
New Mexico does not require a set number of post‑graduate practice or supervision hours to obtain the LMSW license.
Hour‑based requirements (e.g., 3,600 practice hours and 90 supervision hours) apply only when using the LMSW to move up to the independent/clinical level (LCSW/LISW), not for initial LMSW licensure. (srca.nm.gov)

The sections below walk through the requirements and then detail how hours and supervision are defined by the Board.

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1. Core Legal Requirements for LMSW Licensure

The minimum requirements for a Licensed Master Social Worker are set out in 16.63.10.8 NMAC (Master Social Worker – Qualification for Licensure). Applicants for LMSW must: (srca.nm.gov)

1. Age Requirement

   • Be at least 18 years of age.

2. Education Requirement

   • Hold a master’s degree in social work (MSW) from a graduate social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). (srca.nm.gov)

   The Board does not separately prescribe a number of practicum/field hours for licensure; instead, it relies on CSWE accreditation. CSWE‑accredited MSW programs commonly require around 900 hours of field education, but that hour total comes from CSWE standards and program design, not from the New Mexico Board’s rules. (online.simmons.edu)

3. Examinations Required

   • ASWB Master’s Exam: Applicants must successfully pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Master’s‑level examination. (srca.nm.gov)
   • New Mexico Jurisprudence Exam: Applicants must also pass a jurisprudence examination covering New Mexico laws and rules related to social work. The jurisprudence test is completed online as part of the application and must be passed with a minimum score specified by the Board (currently 70%). (srca.nm.gov)

4. New Mexico Cultures Requirement

   • Applicants must document completion of the required course in New Mexico cultures. The rules refer to this as a “required course in New Mexico cultures,” typically satisfied by a 3‑hour course, workshop, seminar, or by passing a Board‑approved New Mexico cultural exam. (srca.nm.gov)

5. Criminal Convictions Disclosure

   • Applicants must provide proof of any disqualifying criminal convictions as defined in 16.63.13.9 NMAC. (srca.nm.gov)

No additional experiential hours (such as “1,500 direct + 1,500 supervised”) are listed anywhere in 16.63.10 NMAC for LMSW licensure. The Board’s own rule for LMSW qualifications stops with age, CSWE‑accredited MSW, the two exams, the New Mexico cultures requirement, and criminal‑history disclosure. (srca.nm.gov)

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2. Application Process and Documentation

While the question is focused on hours, it is helpful to understand how the Board expects you to document eligibility.

2.1. Submitting the LMSW Application

New Mexico has moved to an online licensing portal for all social work applications. As of 2025, LMSW applicants must: (msweducation.org)

• Create an account in the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (NMRLD) online portal.
• Choose “Board of Social Work Examiners → Licensed Master Social Worker” and complete the online application.
• Pay the LMSW application fee (approximately $100), as listed in recent fee schedules and guidance. (careersinpsychology.org)

2.2. Typical Supporting Documents

Based on Board‑linked guidance and licensure overviews, an LMSW application package usually includes: (msweducation.org)

• Official graduate transcript sent directly from your CSWE‑accredited MSW program.
• A recent passport‑style 2×2 photograph.
• Two personal character references.
• Completed jurisprudence examination (embedded in the online application).
• Any required criminal background or conviction documentation if applicable.

Once the Board approves your application, it notifies the ASWB that you are authorized to sit for the Master’s exam. Some summaries of Board practice also indicate that a provisional LMSW license may be issued while you are completing the exam requirement and, if needed, the New Mexico cultures requirement, but the details of provisional status can change and should be verified in current Board FAQs and forms at the time you apply. (online.simmons.edu)

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3. Scope of Practice for LMSWs and Supervision Expectations

3.1. LMSW Scope of Practice

Under 16.63.10.9 NMAC, the Board describes the LMSW as a master’s‑level social worker who can provide a wide range of services, including diagnostic, preventive, and treatment services using advanced social work theory and methods with individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities. (law.cornell.edu)

At this level:

• LMSWs may engage in clinical social work, but only under “appropriate clinical social work supervision” defined by the Board. (law.cornell.edu)
• LMSWs may not practice independently as a private practitioner; independent practice is reserved for the LCSW/LISW level. (law.cornell.edu)

3.2. “Appropriate Supervision” – Board Definition

“Appropriate supervision” for master’s‑level social workers is defined in 16.63.1.7 NMAC. In summary: (srca.nm.gov)

• Supervision must be provided by an individual qualified by the Board of Social Work Examiners.
• For LMSWs who are working toward independent clinical licensure (LCSW/LISW), supervision must be by a LISW or LCSW engaged in direct clinical practice, or another licensed clinical professional approved by the Board.
• For LMSWs practicing clinical social work who are not pursuing independent licensure, supervision must still be by an LISW or LCSW (or other Board‑approved supervisor) engaged in direct clinical practice.
• The supervisor–supervisee relationship is intended to foster professional skills, integration of theory and practice, development of intervention techniques, and adherence to professional ethics.

These definitions matter because they frame how post‑licensure hours will later be counted toward LCSW/LISW, even though those hours are not required to obtain the LMSW itself.

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4. Hour‑Based Requirements: Where They Actually Apply

The Board’s hour‑count requirements appear in the rules for independent/clinical licensure (LCSW/LISW), not in the LMSW section. The relevant rule is 16.63.11.8 NMAC – “Qualification for Licensure” (Clinical Social Worker). (law.cornell.edu)

To understand the hours and the Board’s own wording, it helps to separate initial LMSW licensure from using the LMSW to qualify for independent clinical licensure.

4.1. No Hour Requirement for Initial LMSW License

• The LMSW rule (16.63.10.8 NMAC) does not list any required number of hours of direct experience, indirect experience, or supervision to obtain the LMSW license. (srca.nm.gov)
• The only “hours” implicitly involved at this stage are the field/practicum hours built into your CSWE‑accredited MSW program, which are required by CSWE, not enumerated by the Board. (online.simmons.edu)

In other words, New Mexico does not have a requirement such as:

• “1,500 hours of direct practice and 1,500 hours of supervised experience”

for LMSW licensure itself. Any such hour splits apply only after you have your LMSW and are working toward independent/clinical licensure.

4.2. Hour Requirements While an LMSW Working Toward LCSW/LISW

Once you hold an LMSW and want to become an independent/clinical social worker (LCSW/LISW), New Mexico imposes detailed, hour‑based requirements. Under 16.63.11.8 NMAC and Board FAQs: (law.cornell.edu)

• You must first possess an LMSW license.

• You must complete at least two years of post‑graduate direct/clinical social work experience under “appropriate supervision.”

• In quantitative terms, the Board requires you to:

  • Accumulate 3,600 hours of licensed master’s‑level social work experience (post‑graduate),
  • Within no more than 60 months (5 years), and
  • This period cannot be completed in less than two years. (law.cornell.edu)

• During those 3,600 practice hours, you must also obtain 90 hours of supervision, broken down as follows: (law.cornell.edu)

  • Supervision must occur at a rate of at least 1 hour of supervision for every 40 hours worked.
  • At least 70 of the 90 hours must be direct (individual) supervision.
  • No more than 20 of the 90 hours may be gained through group supervision, and groups are capped at six supervisees at a time.
  • No more than 30 of the 90 hours may be obtained through interdisciplinary supervision (i.e., supervision by approved clinicians outside social work, when permitted).

The Board’s FAQ restates this in more plain language: you must complete a minimum of 3,600 hours of post‑graduate social work experience and 90 hours of supervision as an LMSW, accumulated over no more than 60 months and not in less than two years, with supervision documented at least once per 40 hours worked. (rld.nm.gov)

These hours are what many candidates informally think of as:

• “Post‑graduate practice hours” (3,600 total hours as an LMSW), and
• “Supervision hours” (90 hours, with Board‑specified limits and distributions).

But again, they are not prerequisites for initial LMSW licensure; they are the post‑LMSW path to independent practice.

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5. How to Think About “Direct Experience” vs. “Supervised Experience” in New Mexico

Your example asked for clarity such as “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience.” New Mexico’s rules don’t split the hours exactly that way, but the concepts map approximately as follows:

• Practice / Experience Hours (3,600 hours)

  • This is the total licensed master’s‑level social work experience you accrue as an LMSW providing social work services under appropriate supervision. The rule characterizes it as post‑graduate direct/clinical social work experience under appropriate supervision, not as a separate “direct” vs. “indirect” numerical split. (law.cornell.edu)

• Supervision Hours (90 hours)

  • These are structured, documented meetings with a Board‑approved supervisor (typically an LISW or LCSW) where your clinical or advanced practice is reviewed, guided, and evaluated. The rules require at least 70 hours of direct (individual) supervision, with limited use of group or interdisciplinary supervision. (law.cornell.edu)

New Mexico therefore separates “experience” (3,600 practice hours) from “supervision” (90 hours) and prescribes the supervision ratio (1:40) and types of supervision allowed, rather than carving out different numeric pools of “direct” and “supervised” experience hours for LMSW licensure.

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6. Practical Summary Focused on LMSW

For someone focused specifically on becoming an LMSW in New Mexico, the hour‑related picture looks like this:

1. To obtain LMSW:

   • No Board‑mandated minimum of post‑graduate practice hours or supervision hours.
   • You must:
     • Be at least 18.
     • Earn an MSW from a CSWE‑accredited program (which will include substantial field hours, but those hours are set by CSWE/program, not the Board).
     • Complete the New Mexico cultures requirement.
     • Pass the New Mexico jurisprudence exam.
     • Pass the ASWB Master’s exam.
     • Submit the online LMSW application with required documents and fees. (srca.nm.gov)

2. While practicing as an LMSW (if you want to become LCSW/LISW):

   • Accrue 3,600 hours of post‑graduate licensed master’s‑level social work experience over at least 2 and no more than 5 years.
   • Complete 90 hours of Board‑compliant supervision (1 per 40 work hours, with specific limits on group and interdisciplinary supervision). (law.cornell.edu)

Understanding that distinction—no hour requirement for initial LMSW licensure, but very specific hour and supervision requirements for later independent/clinical licensure—is the key to interpreting New Mexico’s rules as written by the Board of Social Work Examiners.