NJ LCSW and LSW continuing education and license renewal

How many credits

• LCSW: 40 credits each biennial period, at least 20 directly related to clinical practice; of the other 20, 5 in ethics and 3 in social and cultural competence. Up to 8 extra credits carry into the next period (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.2(a)1)
• LSW: 30 credits, 5 in ethics and 3 in social and cultural competence. Up to 6 extra credits carry over (6.2(a)2)
• CSW: 20 credits, 5 in ethics and 3 in social and cultural competence; up to 4 carry over (6.2(a)3)

The opioid hour

“Commencing with the biennial renewal period beginning on September 1, 2018, a licensee shall complete at least one of the prescribed contact hours of continuing education ... in topics concerning prescription opioid drugs, including the risks and signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion” (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.2(e)). It counts within your total, not on top of it.

Licensed in the second year of a period

Half the credits. An LSW (or CSW) completes 3 in ethics and 2 in social and cultural competence; an LCSW at least 10 of 20 in clinical practice and, of the other 10, 3 in ethics and 2 in social and cultural competence (6.2(b)).

What counts

• One credit is an instructional hour: a 60-minute hour with at least 50 minutes of content; a program must be at least an hour long (6.4(a))
• Content areas that count: human behavior and the social environment; practice knowledge and skills; research and evaluation; management, administration and policy; and ethics. Personal development and supervisory sessions don't count (6.3)
• A course counts toward clinical practice or ethics, not both (6.2(d))
• Social and cultural competence includes the cultural context of relationships and issues and trends in a diverse society, among other topics (6.2(c))

Where credits can come from

• Providers approved by ASWB or NASW, and ASWB and NASW themselves, one credit per hour of attendance
• The New Jersey DCF Child Welfare Training Academy, accredited universities and CSWE-accredited programs
• In-service training, for up to half of your credits, from an organization licensed by or under contract with DCF, DCA, DOH or DHS to provide social work-related services, or accredited by CWLA, COA, CARF, FSAA or the Joint Commission, on a subject related to your setting; staff meetings, job training, training on administrative procedures or policies, quality assurance or case reviews, and case management don't count (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.4(c)11 and 12)
• Programs approved by other states' social work boards, and by New Jersey's marriage and family therapy, counselor and alcohol and drug counselor boards
• Publishing (9 credits), teaching a new course (15), and a new presentation (1.5 credits per hour, up to 9)
• The Board added providers approved by NASW and ASWB by amendments adopted April 15, 2024, and voted to accept them for applications and audits on or after September 1, 2022 (the Board's Additional Information page)

Keep your certificates for five years

Keep each certificate, with the course title, category, date, location, your name, the credits and who signed it, for five years after the renewal period it counted toward (6.5). The Board can waive the requirement for hardship such as illness, disability or military service, if you ask in writing (6.6).

Renewing your license

• Licenses are issued for two-year periods; renew before yours expires (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-7.1)
• Within 30 days after it expires you can still renew, with a late fee; after 30 days the license is automatically suspended, and practicing on it is unlicensed practice
• The fees in the regulation: LCSW renewal $160, LSW $120, CSW $70; late fee $100; reinstatement $150 (14.1). Your renewal notice shows the fee charged
• Inactive for less than five years: reinstate with the fee, the credits for each inactive period and an employment affidavit; more than five years: apply again (7.2)

When is the next New Jersey renewal?

We haven't found a Board page that states the current renewal period's dates. The regulation counts periods from one that began September 1, 2018, but that is our reading, not the Board's statement. Check your renewal notice, or ask the Board at SocialWork@dca.njoag.gov.