South-carolina LBSW Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Licensing as a Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW) in South Carolina

South Carolina’s LBSW credential is the entry-level social work license issued by the South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners under Title 40, Chapter 63 of the South Carolina Code. It authorizes “baccalaureate social work” practice in organized settings such as social, medical, or governmental agencies, but does not permit independent or private practice. (scstatehouse.gov)

A central point for this level: South Carolina does not require a specified number of post‑degree practice hours (direct or supervised) to become an LBSW. The Board’s requirements for LBSW licensure focus on education, age, examination, application materials, and (as of 2025) criminal background checks—not on accumulating set numbers of supervised hours. (llr.sc.gov)

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1. Snapshot of LBSW requirements in South Carolina

To be admitted to the LBSW exam and ultimately licensed, an applicant must:

• Be at least 21 years of age. (llr.sc.gov)
• Hold a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or one whose standards are substantially similar. (llr.sc.gov)
• Pass the ASWB Bachelor’s (Baccalaureate) Examination approved by the Board. (llr.sc.gov)
• Submit a completed LBSW application, including a non‑refundable $45 application fee and all required documents. (llr.sc.gov)
• Arrange for official transcripts and ASWB exam scores to be sent directly to the Board. (llr.sc.gov)
• Provide license verifications from any other state where they are or have been licensed as a social worker, if applicable. (llr.sc.gov)
• Undergo state (SLED) and national (FBI) fingerprint‑supported criminal history checks as part of initial social work licensure, with costs paid by the applicant. (scstatehouse.gov)

Pre‑licensure practice hour requirement for LBSW in South Carolina: 0 specified hours.
The LBSW requirements documents and the exam page do not prescribe any minimum number of hours of direct client contact or supervised practice to obtain this license, unlike the independent (LISW) levels that require 3,000 hours of supervised practice. (llr.sc.gov)

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2. Education requirement

The Board states that “an applicant for licensure as a Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker must have a baccalaureate degree from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).” (llr.sc.gov)

Key points:

• The degree must be in social work, not a related field.
• The program must be CSWE‑accredited (or judged substantially similar). Applicants are directed to CSWE to verify accreditation. (llr.sc.gov)
• Any field placement or practicum hours are governed by the educational program and CSWE standards; the Board itself does not assign a numeric practicum‑hour requirement beyond accepting the accredited degree. (llr.sc.gov)

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3. Age, exam eligibility, and type of exam

Age requirement

For initial licensure examinations, the Board specifies that the applicant:

• “Is at least twenty‑one years of age”
• Has the appropriate social work degree from a CSWE‑accredited or substantially equivalent program
• Successfully passes an examination prescribed by the Board (llr.sc.gov)

Type of exam

For LBSW, the “specific education requirements” to sit for the exam are summarized as:

• “LBSW – Bachelor’s degree in social work” (llr.sc.gov)

The required test is the ASWB Bachelors Examination, with a listed exam fee of $230. (llr.sc.gov)

Timing of the exam for students

The LBSW requirements document notes that students may be allowed to sit for the ASWB Bachelors exam in the final semester of their BSW program if they provide a letter from their dean confirming this status. (llr.sc.gov)

However, a license is not issued until the Board receives:

• A passing exam score, and
• A final transcript reflecting conferral of the BSW degree in social work. (llr.sc.gov)

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4. Application components and Board language

The Board’s LBSW requirements sheet lays out the application elements. Summarized and paraphrased: (llr.sc.gov)

1. Application & Fee

   • Submit the LBSW application and a $45 non‑refundable application fee. (llr.sc.gov)

2. Identification & Legal Documentation
   For all credential types, the Board requires: (llr.sc.gov)

   • Copy of a valid driver’s license, state ID, passport, or military ID
   • Copy of your Social Security card
   • Legal documentation for any name change, if applicable

3. Official Transcripts

   • Official transcript reflecting the degree in social work must be sent directly from the school to the Board office. (llr.sc.gov)

4. ASWB Exam Scores

   • If you have already passed the ASWB Bachelors exam, have your test score sent directly from ASWB to the Board. (llr.sc.gov)
   • If you have not yet taken it, once your file and eligibility are approved, the Board will authorize you to sit for the exam and you register with ASWB. (llr.sc.gov)

5. Out‑of‑state Licensure Verification (if applicable)

   • Send the Board’s “Verification of Social Work License” form (or a similar verification form from the other state) to each jurisdiction where you are or have been licensed as a social worker. The Board accepts another state board’s verification form. (llr.sc.gov)

6. “Yes” Answers to Application Questions

   • If any screening questions (e.g., related to discipline, criminal history, or other issues) are answered “Yes,” the Board will consider the application case‑by‑case. Applicants must submit:
     • A written personal explanation for each “Yes” answer
     • Copies of formal complaint pleadings, if any
     • Copies of final actions, dispositions, or settlements, if any
     • Any further information the Board requests
     • Agreement to appear before the Board if requested (llr.sc.gov)

7. Criminal Background Check

   • Under Section 40‑63‑32, effective May 22, 2025, any person applying for initial social work licensure must undergo:
     • A state criminal records check, supported by fingerprints, conducted by SLED
     • A national criminal records check, supported by fingerprints, conducted by the FBI
   • The statute explicitly states that “costs of conducting a criminal history background check must be borne by the applicant.” (scstatehouse.gov)

8. Application Status

   • The Board directs applicants to check their application status online via the LLR application status portal once materials have been submitted. (llr.sc.gov)

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5. What the Board does not require for LBSW

Because your question specifically asks about hours, it is important to clarify what is not required:

• No specified number of post‑BSW practice hours

  • The LBSW requirements document and the exam eligibility page include no language requiring a fixed number of hours (e.g., “1,500 hours of direct experience” or “1,500 hours of supervised experience”) for LBSW licensure. (llr.sc.gov)

• Contrast with independent (LISW) levels

  • In the same exam policy, the Board explicitly requires “satisfactory completion of three thousand hours of social work practice under clinical supervision” for the LISW‑CP and a similar 3,000‑hour requirement under advanced practice supervision for LISW‑AP. (llr.sc.gov)
  • The absence of any analogous language in the LBSW section is deliberate and indicates that the Board does not impose a numeric supervised‑hours requirement at the baccalaureate licensing level.

• No independent or private practice authority

  • The Practice Act defines the “Practice of Baccalaureate Social Work” and clearly states that BSW‑level practitioners “may not be practiced independently or privately” and that they are “not qualified to diagnose and treat mental illness nor provide psychotherapy services.” (scstatehouse.gov)
  • Thus, the license is oriented to generalist practice in organized settings, rather than toward accumulating supervised hours for independent practice; that step occurs at the LISW levels.

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6. After you are licensed: continuing education (for completeness)

While this is not part of initial licensure, it becomes a requirement to keep the license active:

• Social work licenses in South Carolina renew biennially (every two years). (llr.sc.gov)
• Licensees must complete 40 hours of continuing education during each renewal period, with specific rules on content and providers. (llr.sc.gov)

These CE hours are post‑licensure maintenance requirements, not prerequisites for becoming an LBSW.

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7. Summary focused on hours and Board language

For the LBSW (Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker) in South Carolina:

• Education: BSW from a CSWE‑accredited social work program (or substantially similar), as stated in the Board’s LBSW Requirements document and exam page. (llr.sc.gov)

• Age: At least 21 years old to be admitted to the licensure exam. (llr.sc.gov)

• Exam: Pass the ASWB Bachelors Examination approved by the Board (fee currently $230). (llr.sc.gov)

• Application & Documentation:

  • Completed LBSW application and $45 non‑refundable fee
  • Official transcript showing conferral of the social work degree
  • ASWB exam scores sent directly from ASWB (if already taken)
  • Verification of any out‑of‑state social work licenses
  • Explanations and supporting documents for any “Yes” answers on fitness‑to‑practice questions
  • State and FBI fingerprint‑based criminal background checks, paid by the applicant (llr.sc.gov)

• Pre‑licensure practice hours:

  • No Board‑mandated minimum number of direct practice hours
  • No Board‑mandated minimum number of supervised hours
  • Numeric supervised‑practice hour requirements (e.g., 3,000 hours under supervision) apply only at the licensed independent (LISW‑CP/AP) levels, not to LBSW. (llr.sc.gov)

In other words, becoming an LBSW in South Carolina is driven by degree + age + exam + application and background check, rather than by accumulating a specific tally of supervised or direct service hours after graduation.