Georgia LCSW & LMSW Continuing Education Requirements
Georgia clinical social workers must complete 35 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW / LMSW license, including 5 hours of professional ethics and 15 hours of social work core.
35
total hours / 2 years
5
professional ethics hours
15
social work core hours
Biennial renewal · calculating the next statewide deadline
Georgia LCSW & LMSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 35 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: CE due by September 30 of even years. |
| Professional Ethics | 5 hours required each cycle. |
| Social Work Core | 15 hours required each cycle. |
| Format limits | Up to 10 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. |
| Format limits | At least 5 hours of professional ethics must be earned live. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 35 hours can come from.
- professional ethics via livemin 5 hrs
- related mental healthmax 15 hrs
- home study / self-studymax 10 hrs
- independent studymax 5 hrs
Full board policy details
- A maximum of 10 hours of asynchronously delivered (self-paced internet or recorded) CE may be applied toward the 35-hour biennial requirement. Asynchronous activities are those accessed on the licensee's own schedule without live interaction.
- A maximum of 5 hours of independent study (e.g., reading, writing, or preparing presentations) may be applied toward the 35-hour biennial requirement. Independent study is an activity category separate from asynchronous delivery and is enforced through the category field.
- The 5-hour Professional Ethics requirement must be obtained through synchronous (live) activities only. Live-interactive online activities such as webinars or video conferences with real-time interaction are classified as synchronous.
- Course repeat restrictions: No more than 20 hours of CE credit may be claimed from any one continuing education course, workshop, or presentation, regardless of how many times it is taken. This 20-hour per-activity cap does NOT apply to multi-session professional conferences that offer numerous separate presentations; such conferences are not limited by the 20-hour-per-activity rule. The Board's rules do not otherwise prohibit repeating the same course within a cycle.
- Instructor presentation credit: Licensees who present approved CE activities receive credit classified as independent study, and is therefore subject to the SAME 5-hour-per-cycle independent study cap described above (it is not a separate, additional 5-hour allowance). Instructor presentation credit cannot count toward the 5-hour Professional Ethics requirement or toward core social work content hour requirements.
- License status rules — Inactive: A licensee on inactive status is not required to renew the license or satisfy biennial CE requirements while inactive (Rule 135-6-.06(2)). Georgia does not define a separate "retired" license status.
- License status rules — Reactivation from inactive (within 5 years): Requires submission of proof of 35 CE hours obtained within the two years immediately preceding the reactivation application, along with the reactivation fee. If the license has been inactive or expired for more than 5 years, reinstatement requires 35 hours per missed cycle, with at least 35 of those hours earned within the two years before reinstatement.
- Conditional renewal: If a CE audit identifies a deficiency, the license may be renewed conditionally provided the licensee obtains the missing hours within 6 months of notice. Failure to cure the deficiency within that period subjects the license to discipline.
- First renewal exemption: If the license is first issued on or after October 1 of an odd-numbered year (the second year of the biennial cycle), no CE hours are required at the first renewal. Full 35-hour requirements apply at every subsequent renewal. The rule denies this exemption when an LMSW is superseded by an LCSW; that transition remains manual because the engine has no superseded-license context field.
- Provider approval: The Georgia Composite Board does not maintain a list of approved CE providers. CE must be sponsored or approved by entities identified in Rule 135-9-.01, including professional social work associations, accredited academic programs, allied mental health associations, licensing boards, and government agencies or hospitals.
- Documentation retention: Licensees must retain documentation of CE completion (certificates, transcripts, or other proof of attendance and hours) and must produce such records for submission to the Board upon request during a CE audit.
- External legal mandate (not a CE requirement): LCSWs are mandatory reporters of child abuse under O.C.G.A. §19-7-5. The Board does not require or award CE credit for mandated reporter training, human trafficking awareness, or implicit bias training.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Georgia LCSW / LMSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Georgia LCSW / LMSW CE free →Georgia LCSW & LMSW CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Georgia LCSW / LMSW licensees need?
Georgia requires 35 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW / LMSW license. Biennial cycle: CE due by September 30 of even years.
How many ethics hours are required for Georgia LCSW / LMSW licensees?
Of the total, 5 hours must be in professional ethics.
How often do Georgia LCSW / LMSW licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: CE due by September 30 of even years.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Georgia LCSW / LMSW licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Georgia requires 15 hours of social work core.
Can Georgia LCSW / LMSW licensees complete CE online or by home study?
Up to 10 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. At least 5 hours of professional ethics must be earned live.
Is the first renewal different for new Georgia LCSW / LMSW licensees?
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Georgia board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Georgia board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is for guidance only, not legal or board advice. Always confirm requirements with your licensing board before renewing. See something wrong? Report it →
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