Pursuant to 2017 Wisconsin Act 278, beginning August 1, 2018, prior to submitting an application for a credential, an individual may apply to the Department for a determination of whether the individual would be disqualified from obtaining the credential due to his or her conviction record.  To apply for a predetermination, please fill out Form #3085 and submit all required documentation specified on the form.  Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 111.335(4)(e), the offenses or kinds of offenses that may result in a refusal, bar, or termination of licensure are published under Additional Resources on the left side of this page.

License Information

Per Wis. Stat. § 440.08 (2), the required renewal date for the Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential is 02/28/odd years.  Should you receive your initial credential in the months leading up to this date, you are still required to renew your license by the statutorily defined date.

Fee Reduction

Pursuant to 2017 Wisconsin Act 319, beginning August 1, 2018, an applicant for an initial credential may apply for a reduction of the initial credential fee that is equal to 10% of the initial fee.  Qualification is based on the federal adjusted gross income being at or below 180% of the federal poverty guideline prescribed for the applicant's family household size by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. To determine eligibility please visit the United States Department of Health and Human Services website at https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines, prior to submitting Form 3217.

​Requirements

• Upon completion of education and after receiving certification as an advanced practice social worker or as an independent social worker, engage in at least 3000 hours of supervised clinical social work practice, including at least 1,000 hours of face-to-face client contact and including DSM diagnosis and treatment of individuals.
• Supervised clinical social work hours obtained in another state may be accepted towards the 3000 hours requirement.
• Clinical social work practice must be completed under the supervision of a supervisor approved by the Social Worker Section.
• Board reviews application and determines eligibility to sit for the national ASWB exam. The exam for this level is called the ASWB Clinical Examination.
• An applicant who is a board certified diplomate (BCD) of the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work need not take the exam, but the applicant will need to have the Board submit written verification directly to the Social Worker Section.
• Contact ASWB to register for the national exam.

Temporary License

An applicant for permanent certification may apply for a temporary certificate at the same time.

The temporary certificate may be issued to an individual who pays the required fee and meets all the qualifications for the permanent certificate except for passing the required national examination. The temporary credential expires upon notification of successful completion of the national examination or expiration of the 9 month period, whichever is earlier.

Pre-Credential Education

Applicants for licensure must have received a master's degree in social work from a program accredited by, or a pre-accreditation program of, the Council on Social Work Education or a doctoral degree in social work and, either as part of the master's or doctorate degree program or in post graduate studies, had a clinical social work concentration and completed supervised clinical field training.

Application for Licensure

Application for Substance Abuse Specialty

Pursuant to 2017 Wisconsin Act 262, as of April 11, 2018, Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Professional Counselors and Licensed Clinical Social Workers who practice as a substance abuse clinical supervisor or provide substance abuse counseling, treatment, or prevention services within the scope of their licensure are no longer required to obtain the substance abuse specialty or substance abuse credentials.

Renewal Information

Requirements

• FEE (See Renewal Dates and Fees)
• SIG (Signature regarding the completion of Continuing Education, included in on-line renewal and paper form see Continuing Education Information for details)
• If your legal status as a qualified alien or nonimmigrant lawfully present in the United States has changed since the issuance of your credential or your last renewal, please contact the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services at (608) 266-2112 or dsps@wisconsin.gov.
  

Renewal Methods

• Online Log In: License Renewal Online
• Request a Paper Renewal Form: (888) 506‑4239 or (608) 261‑4460 for the Madison area

Wisconsin Act 210 (effective June 1, 2012)

This Act extends the license of a service member if the license expires while they are on active duty from 90 days to 180 days from the date of discharge. The same applies to a spouse of a service member if the spouse does not practice under their license while the service member is on active duty and does not practice because the service member is on active duty.

This Act repeals a provision of prior law that required a service member to meet all of the requirements for license extension or renewal, except for continuing education requirements, in order to have the license extended.

Service members and spouses may request extensions of licenses beyond 180 days from discharge and may request a waiver or extension of time to complete continuing education requirements due to hardship.  Please view Active Duty/Discharge Renewal Extension Form #R210.