West-virginia Emeritus Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

West Virginia’s Board of Social Work treats the Emeritus Status License as a special designation for long‑serving, now‑retired social workers who want to maintain a limited practice. It is not a new level of regular licensure (like LSW, LGSW, LCSW, LICSW), but a different status you move into once you meet specific criteria.

Below is what the Board and the state rules require, including the exact years and hours they specify. Sources: 25CSR1 (Qualifications, effective July 1, 2022), 25CSR5 (Continuing Education, effective July 1, 2022), 25CSR3 (Fee Schedule, effective October 9, 2026) and the Board's Application for Special Status Privileges (updated August 2025).

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1. How West Virginia Defines “Emeritus Status”

The West Virginia Code of State Rules gives a formal definition:

• “Emeritus status” is a social work license held by someone the Board has formally recognized as having more than twenty (20) years of social work practice and who is retired from the active practice of social work. (law.cornell.edu)

The Board’s own website restates this in plain language: emeritus status is for active regular licensed social workers in good standing who have retired from full‑time social work practice and have at least twenty years of social work experience. (wvsocialworkboard.org)

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2. License Type: Who Can Hold Emeritus Status

West Virginia recognizes three broad license “types”: Regular License, Temporary Permit, and Provisional License. Emeritus is a special designation available only to regular licensees. (wvsocialworkboard.org)

To be eligible for an Emeritus Status License, you must:

1. Hold an active Regular License (Level A–D: LSW, LGSW, LCSW, or LICSW).

   • The Board explicitly labels emeritus as “for Regular Licensees ONLY.” (wvsocialworkboard.org)

2. Be in good standing.

   • The Board’s emeritus page specifies that it is for active regular licensed social workers in good standing. (wvsocialworkboard.org)

3. Have at least 20 years of social work practice experience.

   • The rule requires documentation of twenty (20) years of social work practice experience. (law.cornell.edu)
   • The Board's application form words this as at least 20 years of employment as a licensed social worker, and says a letter from your employer or a résumé is enough to document it.

4. Be retired from active/full‑time practice.

   • The rule requires documentation of retirement from the active practice of social work, and the Board’s site describes this as retired from full‑time social work practice. (law.cornell.edu)

5. Not hold only a temporary or provisional license.

   • The rule (25CSR1 §3.1) states that a provisional licensee is not eligible for an emeritus status license. (law.cornell.edu)
   • The Board’s emeritus page adds: “Not available to Temporary Licensed Social Workers.” (wvsocialworkboard.org)

6. Not be delinquent.

   • The continuing education rule says a licensee may not apply for emeritus (or inactive) status while the license is delinquent, and must submit all accrued continuing education with the application (25CSR5 §3.7.3 and §3.7.4).

In other words, emeritus is something you move into after a career as a fully licensed (regular) social worker, not something you use to get into practice.

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3. Experience and “Hours” Requirements

For emeritus status, West Virginia does not define the requirement in terms of a specific number of practice hours (such as “1,500 hours direct practice plus 1,500 supervised hours”).

Instead, the experience requirement is expressed as years:

• You must document twenty (20) years of social work practice experience. (law.cornell.edu)

There is no separate requirement for:

• A set number of supervised hours, or
• A breakdown of direct vs. indirect hours,
  for the purpose of obtaining Emeritus Status.

The only “hours” figure tied directly to emeritus in the rule is a limit on how much you may practice once you hold the emeritus license, not a pre‑licensure accumulation requirement.

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4. Practice Limits Once You Have Emeritus Status

After the Board approves you for emeritus status in writing:

• You may engage in active social work practice, including supervision, for up to twenty (20) hours per week. (law.cornell.edu)

Practically, that means:

• You can still see clients and provide services, but
• You must keep your total professional social work activity at or below 20 hours per week.
• The rule expressly counts supervision as practice you may do under emeritus status, so supervision hours fall inside the same 20‑hours‑per‑week cap. The rule does not say more about which kinds of supervision an emeritus licensee may provide, so check with the Board if you plan to keep supervising.

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5. Continuing Education and Renewal Obligations

A significant benefit of emeritus status in West Virginia is reduced maintenance requirements compared with a regular license.

Continuing education

• Regular licensees (LSW, LGSW, LCSW, LICSW) must complete 30 hours of Board‑approved continuing education every two‑year license period. (wvsocialworkboard.org)
• Regular licensees with Emeritus status are not required to pursue continuing social work education. (wvsocialworkboard.org)

So once you are moved into emeritus status, there is no CE hour requirement to maintain that status.

Fees

• The Board states that emeritus licensees pay a reduced renewal fee compared to regular licensees. (wvsocialworkboard.org)
• Under the current fee rule (25CSR3 §3.2.6, effective October 9, 2026), biennial renewal of an emeritus status license is $45, compared with $76 for a regular biennial renewal (§3.2.2).
• The application form states that no fee is due until renewal when you apply for emeritus status.
• Fees can change, so confirm the current amount with the Board before you pay.

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6. Step‑by‑Step: How to Apply for Emeritus Status

Based on the Board’s rules and website, the application process can be understood as follows.

Step 1 – Confirm basic eligibility

Before you apply, make sure that:

• You currently hold an active regular West Virginia social work license (LSW, LGSW, LCSW, or LICSW). (wvsocialworkboard.org)
• Your license is in good standing (no unresolved discipline or restrictions that would block a status change). (wvsocialworkboard.org)
• You are retired from active/full‑time social work practice and intend to limit any ongoing practice to no more than 20 hours per week. (law.cornell.edu)
• You can document at least 20 years of social work practice experience. (law.cornell.edu)

Step 2 – Gather documentation

The rule requires documentation of twenty (20) years of social work practice experience and retirement from the active practice of social work. (law.cornell.edu)

In practice, this usually means collecting:

• Employment history showing your roles and dates of employment in social work positions, adding up to at least 20 years. The Board's form says a letter from your employer or a résumé will suffice.
• Evidence of retirement from active or full‑time practice (such as a retirement letter, HR notice, or a clear statement on the application that you are retired from full‑time practice).

Step 3 – Complete the Board’s application form

The Board instructs applicants to use a specific form:

• Download the “Application for Special Status Privileges” (this is the form used for emeritus and other special statuses) from the Emeritus Status License page. (wvsocialworkboard.org)

The form will require you to:

• Identify your current license level and number.
• Indicate the special status you are requesting (Emeritus Status License).
• Provide information or attach documentation supporting your 20+ years of practice and your retired status.

Step 4 – Submit the application to the Board

The Board requires that completed emeritus applications be mailed (not emailed) to:

WV Board of Social Work
PO Box 5459
Charleston, WV 25361 (wvsocialworkboard.org)

Include:

• Your completed Application for Special Status Privileges.
• Any supporting documentation (practice history, retirement documentation, any other items specified in the form).
• No fee is due with the emeritus application; the reduced renewal fee ($45 under the current fee rule) is paid at renewal.

Step 5 – Wait for Board review and written approval

The rules state that once you have made a formal application and provided the required documentation, the Board considers your request. Upon approval:

• The Board will issue written approval of emeritus status. (law.cornell.edu)
• From that point forward, you hold an Emeritus Status License, are exempt from continuing education, and may practice (including supervision) up to twenty (20) hours per week under your emeritus license. (law.cornell.edu)

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7. Summary of Key Requirements (Focused on Years/Hours)

For the Emeritus Status Social Work License under the West Virginia Board of Social Work:

• Baseline license: Must be a regular licensee (LSW, LGSW, LCSW, or LICSW) in good standing, and the license must not be delinquent.
• Experience: Must document 20+ years of social work practice experience. This is measured in years, not in a specific number of hours. (law.cornell.edu)
• Retirement: Must be retired from the active or full‑time practice of social work. (law.cornell.edu)
• Ineligible license types: Provisional licensees cannot obtain emeritus status under the rule, and the Board's website adds that it is not available to Temporary Permit holders. (law.cornell.edu)
• Practice cap after approval: Once emeritus is granted, you may practice, including providing supervision, up to 20 hours per week. (law.cornell.edu)
• Continuing education: No CE hours are required for regular licensees with emeritus status (25CSR1 §3.1.2; 25CSR5 §3.3). (wvsocialworkboard.org)
• Fee: none at application; $45 biennial emeritus renewal (25CSR3 §3.2.6, effective October 9, 2026).

There is no requirement in the current rules that you complete a set number of direct practice hours or supervised hours specifically to qualify for emeritus status. The key quantitative thresholds are twenty (20) years of practice to qualify, and twenty (20) hours per week as the maximum practice allowed once emeritus is granted.