News

Compact
  • The Association of Social Work Boards, the Clinical Social Work Association, and the National Association of Social Workers have ex officio members on the Executive Committee of the Social Work Licensure Compact Commission. At a recent meeting of the Executive Committee, representatives from the three organizations drafted an update on the progress and current status […]

  • The Social Work Registry, a service established by ASWB in 2004, will wind down operations over the coming twelve months. The Registry was developed as a tool for professional mobility in social work, a function that is being subsumed by the Social Work Licensure Compact, which has been adopted in 30 U.S. states.
  • Twenty-eight states have adopted the Social Work Licensure Compact as of June 2025. Compact Commission committees are meeting regularly to develop proposed rules, consider financial resources and needs, and plan next steps for implementation.
    A photograph of a check list with all of the boxes checked. There is a pen on the right side and a Social Work Licensure Compact logo on the bottom left.
  • Twenty-two delegates convened via Zoom for the first meeting of the Social Work Licensure Compact Commission on Tuesday, September 17. The meeting focused on governance of the Commission itself, with commissioners discussing bylaws, data systems, ex officio members, and initial operating funds.
  • Seven states have now enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, triggering the implementation of multi-state licensure for social workers.
    Map of U.S. states and territories showing the status of the social work licensure compact legislation. Washington state, Utah, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Virginia are shown in dark blue because they have adopted the compact. Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana are shown in light blue to indicate that compact legislation has been introduced in the legislature. The remainder of the states and territories are gray, indicating no action on the compact has been taken.
  • The Council of State Governments and partners have announced that language is finalized for the Social Work Licensure Compact. The compact must be enacted into state law by at least seven states. At that time, the Social Work Compact Commission will be created and additional infrastructure established, and then multistate licenses will begin to be issued.

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