Virginia LSW Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Licensure as a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in West Virginia is governed by the West Virginia Board of Social Work and by Chapter 30, Article 30 of the West Virginia Code, along with Legislative Rule 25CSR1 (“Qualifications for the Profession of Social Work”). The LSW is the entry‑level “Level A – Social Worker” regular license. (wvsocialworkboard.org)

Importantly, West Virginia does not set a numeric pre‑licensure hour requirement (for example, 1,500 clinical hours) for someone who is earning an LSW through the usual bachelor’s‑degree route. The hours are embedded in your CSWE‑accredited BSW program and, if applicable, in four years of supervised employment under a provisional license.

Below is a step‑by‑step guide organized around the two main ways people become an LSW in West Virginia.

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1. Standard route: BSW graduate applying directly for an LSW

This is the primary pathway for new social work graduates.

1.1 Meet degree and education requirements

You must hold a bachelor’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The statute requires a “baccalaureate degree in social work from a program accredited by the council on social work education.” (code.wvlegislature.gov)

The Board describes the Level A LSW as an entry‑level license that “requires a BSW (Bachelor's degree in Social Work) from a CSWE accredited social work program.” (wvsocialworkboard.org)

There is no separate numeric practice‑hour requirement beyond the supervised field education that is part of your accredited BSW.

1.2 Take and pass the ASWB Bachelors exam

West Virginia requires you to pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Bachelors examination:

• The Level A license “requires…passage of the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Bachelors social work examination.” (wvsocialworkboard.org)
• Statute also requires that the applicant “have passed an examination approved by the board.” (code.wvlegislature.gov)

If you have not yet taken or passed the ASWB exam, the Board directs you to apply for a temporary permit while you test. (wvsocialworkboard.org)

1.3 Meet character and background requirements

Under §30‑30‑14 of the West Virginia Code, an applicant for a license to practice as a social worker must: (code.wvlegislature.gov)

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be of good moral character.
• Provide three letters of recommendation from persons not related to the applicant.
• Not be an alcohol or drug abuser as defined elsewhere in WV law (applicants in active recovery may be considered).
• Have no disqualifying criminal convictions, including:
  • No felony within five years that remains unreversed.
  • No misdemeanor or felony related to the practice of social work that remains unreversed.
• Meet any additional requirements established by the Board.

These are legal “fitness to practice” requirements rather than hour requirements.

1.4 Complete the LSW application

The Board directs prospective Level A licensees to complete the “Application for Social Work License (LSW/LGSW/LCSW)” and submit the required fee. (wvsocialworkboard.org)

If you have ever been licensed in another state, the Board requires: (wvsocialworkboard.org)

• Verification of licensure in good standing from that state’s social work board.
• An official score report from ASWB.

1.5 Receive LSW license and practice within scope

Once approved, you hold a Level A – LSW regular license. Your scope of practice, summarized from §30‑30‑15 and the Board’s Level A page, includes (among other functions): (wvsocialworkboard.org)

• All duties of a provisional social worker.
• Applying social work theory and methods in assessment, planning, intervention, counseling, evaluation, and case management supervision.
• Advocacy, community organization, program administration and development, and training activities.

There is no additional post‑licensure supervised‑hour requirement simply to hold the LSW itself.

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2. Alternative route: Converting a Provisional License to an LSW

Some people become LSWs by first holding a Provisional License (for critical‑shortage positions) and then converting to a regular LSW. This route does involve defined years of supervised employment and specific continuing‑education hours, but still not a numbered practice‑hour total like “3,000 hours.”

2.1 Becoming a provisionally licensed social worker (PLSW)

To obtain a provisional license, statute §30‑30‑16(a) requires, among other things: (code.wvlegislature.gov)

• At least 18 years of age.
• A bachelor’s degree in a related field (defined in legislative rule).
• Regular supervised employment or a reasonable promise of supervised employment in a critical social work workforce shortage position, not as an independent contractor or sole practitioner.
• Three non‑relative recommendation letters, no disqualifying substance abuse or criminal history, and other Board‑set requirements.

This provisional license allows you to work in designated shortage settings under supervision.

2.2 Educational and CE hour requirements during provisional licensure

Legislative Rule 25CSR1, effective July 1, 2022, clarifies the education and CE requirements for provisional licensees: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• The provisional licensee must complete twelve (12) credit hours of “core social work study” from a CSWE‑accredited program (post‑bachelor courses) within the four‑year provisional period.
• The rule also requires the provisional licensee to earn an additional twenty (20) hours of Board‑approved continuing social work education every two years, with up to ten (10) of those hours allowed through Board‑approved online education.

These are education and CE hours, not practice hours.

2.3 Supervised employment requirement (practice‑time requirement)

To convert a provisional license to a full LSW, statute and rule require four years of supervised social work employment, but again, not specified in terms of counted practice “hours”:

• §30‑30‑16(c)(1) states that a provisionally licensed social worker must “be continuously employed for four years as a social worker and supervised”, with limited allowances for Board‑approved interruptions. (code.wvlegislature.gov)
• The legislative rule (25CSR1 §3.3.8.b) requires documented proof of “four years of continuous, supervised employment in the field of social work” in the form of an official employer letter during the provisional license tenure. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

Key point:
West Virginia uses calendar years of supervised employment, not a specific numeric total (such as “4,000 hours”), for this route to LSW. The law and rule do not break that four‑year requirement into exact hour counts (direct vs. indirect practice, etc.); it is based on documented continuous supervised employment.

2.4 Final conversion requirements

Before a provisional license can convert to a regular LSW, the licensee must demonstrate to the Board that all requirements have been met. 25CSR1 §3.3.8 requires documented proof that the provisional licensee has: (apps.sos.wv.gov)

• Passed an examination approved by the Board (the ASWB Bachelors exam).
• Completed and documented four years of continuous, supervised social work employment.
• Completed the twelve (12) hours of core social work classes at a CSWE‑accredited program.
• Earned the required continuing social work education contact hours totaling at least twenty (20) hours every two years during the provisional period.

Once these are documented and approved, the provisional license may be converted to a regular LSW license.

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3. Hour requirements related to continuing education (after you are licensed)

Although there is no numeric pre‑licensure practice‑hour requirement for an LSW via the BSW route, there are specific hour requirements for continuing education (CE) once you are licensed.

3.1 CE hours for regular LSWs

Effective July 1, 2022, the Board requires that all regular licensees (including LSWs) complete: (wvsocialworkboard.org)

• 30 hours of Board‑approved continuing social work education every two‑year licensing period.
• At least 20 hours must be Category I (Board‑approved providers), and at least 10 of those 20 must be face‑to‑face or synchronous.
• At least 1 of the 20 Category I contact hours must be in social work ethics.
• Up to 10 hours may be Category II independent professional activities (e.g., self‑study, certain readings or non‑approved workshops), subject to Board limits.

These CE hours are for license renewal, not for initial licensure.

3.2 CE hours for provisional licensees (on the path to LSW)

As noted above, 25CSR1 §3.3.6 requires provisional licensees to earn 20 hours of Board‑approved CE every two years, with up to 10 of the 20 hours allowed as online education. (apps.sos.wv.gov)

This is in addition to the 12 credit hours of core social work study.

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4. Supervision requirements connected to an LSW (after licensure)

While an LSW does not need supervised post‑licensure hours simply to keep the license, supervision becomes relevant if you want to supervise provisional licensees:

• §30‑30‑15(b) and the Board’s Level A page state that a licensed social worker with a BSW or MSW from a CSWE‑accredited program and two years of experience may supervise a provisionally licensed social worker. (code.wvlegislature.gov)

Again, this is framed in years of experience, not a specific numeric hour requirement.

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5. Summary of “hour” and experience requirements for a West Virginia LSW

To consolidate the information around hours and experience:

• Standard BSW → LSW route

  • No numeric pre‑licensure practice hours are specified by the Board or statute beyond completing a CSWE‑accredited BSW and its required practicum.
  • Must pass the ASWB Bachelors exam, meet character/fitness requirements, and submit the LSW application.

• Provisional License → LSW route

  • Must complete four years of continuous, supervised employment as a social worker (documented by employer letter).
  • Must complete 12 credit hours of core social work study in a CSWE‑accredited program.
  • Must earn 20 hours of Board‑approved CE every two years during provisional licensure (up to 10 online).
  • Must pass the ASWB Bachelors exam.

• After licensure as an LSW

  • Must complete 30 hours of CE every two years (at least 20 Category I; at least 10 face‑to‑face/synchronous; at least 1 ethics hour).
  • After two years of experience as an LSW with a CSWE‑accredited BSW or MSW, you may supervise provisional licensees.

In contrast to some other states, West Virginia does not frame LSW licensure in terms of “X hours of direct experience plus Y hours of supervised experience.” It relies instead on completion of accredited education (BSW), passing the ASWB exam, and—when coming from a provisional license—four documented years of supervised employment plus specified education and CE requirements.