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Division of
Professional Regulation

Clinical Social Worker Licensure



Types of Applications and When to Apply

You are required to reapply for a license if you:

  • previously held a Delaware license that has been expired for over one year or held a Delaware inactive license that has been expired for over three years.

Apply by examination if you:

  • are requesting approval to take the national Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) licensing examination, OR
  • have already passed the ASWB licensing examination but you do not hold a current, clinical social work license in another jurisdiction (state, U.S. territory or District of Columbia).

Apply by reciprocity if you:

  • have already passed the national ASWB licensing examination,  AND
  • hold a current, clinical social work license in another jurisdiction (state, U.S. territory or District of Columbia).

Apply by upgrade if you:

  • hold a current active license as a Licensed Bachelors or Masters Social Worker in Delaware and
  • the license was obtained by examination or grandfather provision.
  • If you obtained your license by Reciprocity, you do not qualify for an upgrade.

IMPORTANT:

The upgrade process allows you to transition to a higher level of licensure providing you meet ALL licensure requirements for that license level. For example, if you hold an active Bachelor’s social work license by grandfather provision, you MUST meet the education, experience, AND examination requirements for the clinical social work level.


Applying for a License in DELPROS

Welcome to Delaware Professional Regulation Online Services, DELPROS. This online licensing portal provides clear instructions to guide you through a simpler application process. For licensure requirements, see the profession’s License Law and Rules and Regulations.

To apply for a license you must create your DELPROS user account. Go to the DELPROS online portal, and then click on Apply/Manage a License and Service Requests, then click the REGISTER button. As a new user, to create an account you must use either of the options below:

  • If you have not previously applied for a Delaware license and do not have a login through the portal, select the “My Information Not Found” option; or
  • If you currently hold or previously applied for a Delaware license, enter your application or license number, then follow the registration prompts to complete the process.

If you are already an existing DELPROS portal user, log in with your unique email address and password under the “Existing User” section.

Once you have created your user account you will be logged into your DELPROS e-License Dashboard.

Note: During the application process, you are required to either “upload” a required document or “acknowledge” a required “third-party” form for licensure.

  • Upload means you attach the required document directly to the online application.
  • Acknowledge means that you must verify to having arranged for the document(s) to be mailed directly to the Board office.
  • Third-party forms are documents such as transcripts from schools; employment verifications from a supervisor; or license verifications from another state that require a seal or notary. These forms cannot be uploaded directly to the online application but must be mailed directly to the Board office.

DELPROS allows you to save your incomplete application and return to it later to finish the process. You only have six (6) months to submit your application once you begin.

  • If you do not submit your application within six months of starting it, you will be required to restart the entire online application again.

You may check the status of your application online throughout the entire application process by using the “View Application Status” feature in DELPROS on your e-License dashboard.


Requirements for All Applicants

In addition to submitting the application and fee in DELPROS, you must submit:

  • A State of Delaware and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal background check (CBC). Go to the Criminal Background Check Process page to find the Service Code required to obtain a State of Delaware and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal background check. Once you have your Service Code, you will be directed to the IdentoGO website for instructions to complete the fingerprinting process.
    • Criminal background checks completed for any other purpose (e.g., employment, licensure in other states) will not meet this requirement.
  • State/Jurisdiction Licensure Verification(s) sent directly to the Board office from each state or jurisdiction in which you currently hold or have ever held a social work license.
  • An official score verification sent directly from ASWB to the Board office verifying you have passed the clinical level exam. To request the score verification, see Score Transfer on the ASWB web site.


Additional Requirements for Examination or Upgrade Applicants

In addition to submitting the application, fee, and supporting documentation required in the Requirements for All Applicants section, you must also submit:

  • U.S. Educated : An official transcript of your completed degree sent directly to the Board office from your college or university. The college or university must be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) (www.cswe.org/Accreditation).
  • Foreign Educated: A copy of a credential evaluation sent directly from the International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service (ISWDRES) to the Board office. To request a credential evaluation, see the application instructions for the International Degree Review at www.cswe.org/International-Degree-Review.

NOTE: You do not have to submit your official transcript again if you are applying to upgrade your license.

  • A Supervisory Reference Form signed by your direct clinical supervisor(s).
    • The form must document at least 1,600 hours under professional supervision acceptable to the Board.
    • The supervisor(s) must be a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed master’s level social worker (LMSW), licensed psychologist, or a licensed psychiatrist.
    • If no LCSW is (or was) available to supervise you, complete and submit a Documentation of Attempts to Secure LCSW Supervision form. For additional information, see Section 4.1.1 of the Board’s Rules and Regulations.
  • If you have not passed the ASWB clinical examination, the Board office will notify you when you are approved to take the exam. To register online with ASWB, see ASWB Registration Information.
    • For information about the examination, the Candidate Handbook is available on the ASWB web site. The Board office does not provide Candidate Handbooks.
    • Once you are approved to sit for the examination, you have two years from the date of your application to pass. If you have not yet passed when the two years elapse, you must re-apply.
    • When the Board office receives the passing exam scores from ASWB and have verified you have met all other license requirements, your license will be issued.


Additional Requirements for Reciprocity Applicants

In addition to submitting the application, fee, and supporting documentation required in the Requirements for All Applicants section, you must also submit:

  • An official ASWB exam score verification sent directly from ASWB sent directly to the Board office. To request the score verification, see Score Transfer on the ASWB web site.
  • A copy of the laws and regulations in each jurisdiction where you hold a current license in the same license type for which you are applying. The Board will determine if the license standards are substantially similar to Delaware’s license standards.
    • If the jurisdiction’s license standards where you hold a current license of the same license type are not substantially similar to Delaware, you must have practiced for at least five years in the past seven years.

 


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