Ohio LSW-TEMP Requirements & Hours Tracker

Ohio offers a short-term “LSW‑TEMP” credential for social workers who have essentially finished their education and passed the licensing exam but are waiting on their degree to be officially awarded. This designation is controlled by the Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSWMFT).

Below is a breakdown of what “LSW‑TEMP” means, how you qualify, and what the state rules say about hours.

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1. What “LSW‑TEMP” Means in Ohio

Ohio’s Administrative Code defines the official abbreviations that licensees may use. Under Rule 4757‑3‑02:

• “LSW” means a Social Worker.
• “LSW‑TEMP” means a Social Worker with a temporary license. (codes.ohio.gov)

In practice, LSW‑TEMP is simply the Licensed Social Worker credential in a temporary, short‑term form while you are waiting on your degree to be formally conferred and your full LSW license to be issued.

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2. Baseline: Requirements for a Regular LSW (Permanent License)

Because the temporary license is tied to the regular LSW license, you first have to be an “otherwise qualified applicant” for LSW under Rule 4757‑19‑01 and related provisions. The Board’s requirements include: (codes.ohio.gov)

2.1 Education

You must have (or be about to have) one of the following in social work from an appropriately accredited institution:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW/BASW/BSSW or equivalent), or
• Master’s degree in social work (MSW/MSSA/MASSA or equivalent), or
• Doctoral degree in social work.

If the program is CSWE‑accredited, it is automatically treated as a qualifying social work degree. If not, the degree must show coursework in:

• Human development and behavior
• Social work practice courses (methods of intervention such as casework, group work, community organization, administration, and social work research)
• Social welfare and policy
• Social work theory (bio‑psycho‑social interventions)
• A supervised practicum and/or field experience that meets CSWE requirements, with a primary focus on social intervention and coordinated by someone with an advanced social work degree. (codes.ohio.gov)

Note: the rule does not assign a specific number of practicum or field hours (e.g., 400, 900, etc.). It defers to CSWE’s requirements.

2.2 Application and Examination

For the regular LSW license, the Board requires that you: (codes.ohio.gov)

• Submit the official licensure application (under oath) with all requested information.
• Provide official transcripts documenting the qualifying degree.
• Pay the required application fee (as set in Rule 4757‑1‑05).
• Provide documentation necessary for examination approval under the Board’s “social worker examination policy” (Rule 4757‑19‑04).
• Pass the required social work licensing examination within seven years of your application date.

Those standards are what the Board uses to decide whether you are qualified for LSW and, by extension, qualified to hold an LSW‑TEMP.

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3. Specific Rules for the Temporary Social Work License (LSW‑TEMP)

The temporary license rules are laid out in Rule 4757‑19‑06, “Requirements for social work applicants wishing to obtain a temporary social work license.” (codes.ohio.gov)

3.1 Who the Temporary License Is For

The Board can issue a temporary license to:

• An “otherwise qualified” applicant for licensure as a social worker
• Who has completed the educational requirements for licensure
• But is “awaiting the actual awarding of the degree.”

So you must be finished with all coursework and degree requirements; the degree just hasn’t been formally conferred yet.

3.2 Application Requirements for LSW‑TEMP

To receive the temporary social work license:

1. Submit the standard licensure application

   • “Applicants who wish to obtain a temporary license shall submit a completed licensure application, as provided by the board.” (codes.ohio.gov)

2. Submit the temporary license application and fee

   • “The temporary application shall be submitted with the required fee” set in Rule 4757‑1‑05(D). (codes.ohio.gov)

3. Board review of your qualifications

   • The Board reviews your application to determine whether you “appear to have the appropriate degrees and/or experience” to meet the requirements for the actual LSW license you are seeking. (codes.ohio.gov)

4. Pass the LSW examination before the temporary license is issued

   • The rule is explicit: “The applicant shall have passed the examination for the license which they seek prior to the issuance of the temporary license.” (codes.ohio.gov)

5. Supply documentation from your academic institution
   To qualify under the “awaiting degree” provision, you must submit a letter from your school stating:

   • You “have met all the academic requirements for the degree”, and
   • When the degree will be or was conferred. (codes.ohio.gov)

Once the Board decides you appear to meet the requirements, they can issue the temporary LSW license.

3.3 Duration and Renewal Limits

The temporary social work license:

• Is issued for up to 90 days.
• May be renewed only once, for another period not to exceed 90 days.
• Is valid from the date of issuance until the earliest of:
  1. The date your full LSW (or LISW) license is issued under the Revised Code,
  2. Ninety days after the temporary license was issued, or
  3. The date you withdraw your application for licensure. (codes.ohio.gov)

Put differently: at absolute maximum, you can hold an LSW‑TEMP for roughly 180 days (two 90‑day periods), and it ends sooner if your permanent license is issued or your application is withdrawn.

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4. Hour Requirements: What Ohio Does and Does Not Specify

You asked specifically about the kinds and amounts of hours required—e.g., whether Ohio demands a set number of direct practice vs supervised hours for LSW‑TEMP. The key points from the Ohio rules:

4.1 Hours Specifically Tied to LSW‑TEMP

• There is no numeric “practice hours” requirement in the rule for obtaining an LSW‑TEMP.
• The temporary license relies on:
  • Your having completed the educational requirements for LSW (which include a practicum/field experience that meets CSWE requirements), and
  • Having already passed the social work licensure exam. (codes.ohio.gov)

Ohio’s Administrative Code does not say anything like “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience” for an LSW‑TEMP. It simply does not break it down that way.

4.2 Practicum/Field Hours in the Degree

For the standard LSW degree requirement, the Board does reference practicum/field experience, but again without a numeric hour count:

• The degree must include “a supervised practicum and/or field experience that meets CSWE requirements,” with a primary focus on social intervention and coordination by an individual with an advanced social work degree. (codes.ohio.gov)

The number of practicum hours is effectively governed by CSWE accreditation standards and your school’s program, not by a specific hour figure in Ohio’s licensing rules.

4.3 The Only Explicit Numeric Practice Hours in This Chapter

The one place Ohio does spell out a specific number of practice hours in this set of rules is for Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) applicants, not for LSW or LSW‑TEMP.

Rule 4757‑19‑02 defines the supervised experience requirement this way: (codes.ohio.gov)

• LISW candidates must complete “two years of supervised social work experience.”
• “Two years employment experience” is defined as at least 3,000 hours of work for a fee, salary, or other consideration, during which the applicant:
  • Was engaged in the practice of social work, and
  • Held licensure as a social worker.
• No more than 1,500 hours may be credited in any twelve‑month period.

That 3,000‑hour requirement applies to moving from LSW to LISW, not to obtaining an LSW‑TEMP. It is included here only to clarify where Ohio does talk about hours and how that language looks.

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5. Summary of What You Need for LSW‑TEMP in Ohio

Putting the rules together:

1. Be an otherwise qualified LSW applicant

   • Have completed all educational requirements for a qualifying social work degree (BSW, MSW, or DSW/PhD in social work), including the practicum/field requirements of a CSWE‑accredited program or its equivalent.

2. Pass the required social work licensing exam

   • The Board must have proof you passed the social worker exam before they issue the temporary license.

3. Submit the required applications and fees

   • File the standard licensure application.
   • File the temporary license application and pay the temporary license fee.

4. Provide a school letter about your degree

   • The academic institution must state that you have met all academic requirements for the degree and indicate when the degree will be or was conferred.

5. Receive Board approval

   • The Board reviews your education and experience to determine that you appear to meet the requirements for the full LSW.
   • If satisfied, the Board issues an LSW‑TEMP license.

6. Observe the time limits

   • Initial temporary license: up to 90 days.
   • One possible renewal: up to another 90 days.
   • License ends earlier if your regular LSW (or LISW) license is issued or if you withdraw your application.

Critically, Ohio does not impose a separate, numeric practice‑hour requirement specific to LSW‑TEMP. The hours that matter are:

• The CSWE‑standard practicum/field hours embedded in your social work degree (not numerically defined in the Board’s rules); and
• Later, if you pursue LISW, the 3,000 hours of supervised social work employment spread over at least two years, with no more than 1,500 hours credited in any 12‑month period. (codes.ohio.gov)

Those LISW hours are not required to obtain the LSW‑TEMP itself.