South-dakota SWA Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Licensure as a Social Work Associate (SWA) in South Dakota is governed primarily by the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners, SD Codified Laws chapter 36‑26, and Administrative Rules of South Dakota (ARSD) chapter 20:59. As of November 23, 2025, the requirements for an SWA do not include a fixed number of pre‑licensure practice hours (such as “1,500 direct hours”). Instead, the hour‑based requirements are:

• Ongoing supervision hours after licensure (at least four contact hours per month), and
• Continuing education hours for renewal (30 contact hours every two years, including 6 hours in ethics).

Below is a step‑by‑step guide with the relevant board and rule language highlighted.

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1. Basic eligibility: education and license type

The Board’s own licensing information page describes the Social Work Associate license as follows:

• Education requirement – For a Social Work Associate, the Board requires either:

  • A baccalaureate degree in a nonsocial work field or discipline, or
  • An associate of arts degree in the human services in a program approved by the Board from a junior college, college, or university approved by the Board. (dss.sd.gov)

• Examination requirement – In addition to the degree, the applicant must have “passed an examination prepared by the Board for this purpose.” The exam is administered through the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the Board notes that examinations are scheduled with ASWB and that social work associates and social workers take the same exam with a lower passing score permitted for associates. (dss.sd.gov)

Secondary licensure guides specify that this exam is the ASWB Associate‑level exam, but the controlling requirement from the Board is that you pass the Board‑approved ASWB exam used for SWA/SW licensure. (dss.sd.gov)

No pre‑licensure practice‑hour requirement

For SWA licensure, the Board’s official criteria list only:

1. Approved degree, and
2. Passing the Board‑approved ASWB exam,

plus submission of the application, fee, and supporting documents. There is no statutory or regulatory requirement for a fixed number of pre‑licensure “direct practice” or “supervised” hours (e.g., 1,500 hours) to obtain the SWA license. (dss.sd.gov)

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2. Application package and process

The Board’s “Applications and Forms” page provides one general Application for Licensure used for all social work license types, along with an instruction checklist. (dss.sd.gov) Current licensure guides summarizing the Board’s checklist indicate that an SWA applicant typically submits: (socialworkerlicense.com)

• Signed and notarized Application for Licensure
• Signed Application for Licensure Cover Letter
• $90 application fee for a Social Work Associate license (dss.sd.gov)
• Official college transcripts sent directly from the institution
• Three professional references, preferably from different agencies

The Board’s licensing procedures then work as follows: (dss.sd.gov)

1. Submit application and supporting materials (form, transcripts, references, fee) to the Board.
2. The Board reviews your materials.
3. Once approved, the Board notifies you that you may schedule the ASWB examination at a testing location of your choice.
4. After you sit for the exam, ASWB transmits your scores directly to the Board.
5. When the Board receives confirmation of a passing score, it issues your SWA license.

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3. Legal requirement to practice under supervision

South Dakota law makes supervision mandatory for all social work associates:

• SDCL 36‑26‑10 states that it is a misdemeanor to practice social work without a license and further provides that “[n]o social work associate may practice except under the supervision of a certified social worker or social worker.” (law.justia.com)

The administrative rules define “supervision” and “supervisor” specifically in relation to social work associates:

• “Supervision” is defined as overseeing or directing the activities of a social work associate, or of a CSW‑PIP candidate. (law.cornell.edu)
• A “supervisor” is a person experienced and active in social work who oversees a social work associate (or CSW‑PIP candidate). (law.cornell.edu)

This supervision requirement applies after you are licensed as an SWA; it is not a pre‑licensure hours prerequisite, but a condition of legal practice as an associate.

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4. Supervision hour requirements for SWAs

The critical “hour” requirement for SWAs comes from ARSD 20:59:05:01 and is reinforced on the Board’s own supervision validation form.

4.1. Minimum monthly supervision contacts

Administrative Rule 20:59:05:01 (Supervision of a social work associate) states that:

• Supervision of a social work associate by a licensed social worker or licensed certified social worker “must include at least four contact hours each month.” (law.cornell.edu)

The rule also makes the associate responsible for ensuring that the supervisor submits an annual report to the Board on a Board‑provided form. (law.cornell.edu)

4.2. Board supervision validation form

The Board’s official PDF form titled “Required Supervision Validation to Meet Social Work Associate Licensing” further clarifies how supervision is documented: (dss.sd.gov)

• SWAs must have each supervisor for the previous calendar year complete the form.
• The supervisor must state:
  • Dates of employment,
  • Approximate hours per week,
  • Type of supervision (individual, peer, group, other),
  • “The length and frequency of such supervision is ____ hours per ____ (list month or week).”
• The form then explicitly notes that “Law requires a minimum of 4 hours per month.”

In practical terms, this means:

• You and your supervising licensed social worker or certified social worker must arrange supervision so that you reach at least four contact hours of supervision every calendar month.
• Those hours can be configured as, for example:
  • About one hour per week, or
  • Several longer sessions that total at least four hours over the month.

The rule does not impose a total number of supervised hours (e.g., “1,500 supervised hours over two years”) for SWAs. Instead, the requirement is ongoing: no month should fall below four contact hours of documented supervision so long as you are practicing as an SWA.

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5. Continuing education hours for license renewal

For all levels of social work licensure, including Social Work Associates, the Board imposes a separate set of “hours” for continuing education, tied to renewal:

• Licenses expire on December 31 of the second year after issuance. (dss.sd.gov)
• To renew, a licensee must: (dss.sd.gov)
  1. Complete the renewal application,
  2. Pay the renewal fee, and
  3. Provide certificates of successful completion of 30 contact hours of continuing education within the previous two‑year license period.
• The Board’s licensing page specifies that six of the 30 hours must be in social work ethics, a requirement confirmed by the 2024 rule update to ARSD 20:59. (dss.sd.gov)

These are continuing education hours, not supervised practice hours. They are required every two years after you are licensed, so they function differently from the monthly supervision contacts.

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6. Fees and other key points

While not “hours,” a few other details help complete the picture:

• Application fee for SWA: $90 (non‑refundable). (dss.sd.gov)
• Renewal fee for SWA (biennial): $90, with a $45 late fee if renewed after the July 1 grace‑period deadline. (dss.sd.gov)
• Exam administration: The Board contracts with ASWB to administer the licensing exams; candidates schedule through ASWB once the Board has approved their application. (dss.sd.gov)

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7. Summary of hour‑based requirements for a South Dakota SWA

Putting the “hours” in one place:

1. Pre‑licensure practice hours

   • None specified. South Dakota does not require a fixed number of direct client hours or supervised practice hours to obtain an SWA license. Eligibility is based on education + exam, not on pre‑licensure field hour totals. (dss.sd.gov)

2. Post‑licensure supervision hours (practice condition)

   • You may not practice as a social work associate except under the supervision of a licensed social worker or certified social worker. (law.justia.com)
   • Supervision “must include at least four contact hours each month” with your supervising social worker. (law.cornell.edu)
   • This is an ongoing monthly requirement, not a one‑time total of hours.

3. Continuing education hours (renewal requirement)

   • 30 contact hours of approved continuing education every two years,
   • Including 6 hours specifically in social work ethics. (dss.sd.gov)

Those three elements—no pre‑licensure hour quota, monthly supervised contact, and biennial CE hours—capture the hour‑related requirements for becoming and remaining licensed as a Social Work Associate through the South Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners.