Updated for 2026

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.

35hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 35
15social work core
5professional ethics

Next deadline: September 30, 2028The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of even years.

What the board saysGeorgia board rule
Thirty-five (35) hours1 of continuing education are required to be obtained within the two (2) year biennial licensure cycle1 to renew each license … A minimum of five (5)2 of the thirty-five (35) hours shall be specifically designated as continuing education in professional ethics2 … Ethics hours shall be obtained through synchronous activities only. (c) Of the remaining thirty (30) hours, a minimum of fifteen (15) shall be core hours3 and not more than fifteen (15) shall be related hours4. (d) A maximum of ten (10) hours5 of continuing education may be obtained asynchronously5 for each two-year renewal period … Independent Study is limited to five (5) hours6.
What it means
  1. 35 hours every two years
  2. 5 hours of professional ethics
  3. At least 15 core hours in your own specialty
  4. No more than 15 related hours from other specialties
  5. No more than 10 hours of asynchronous (self-paced) study
  6. No more than 5 hours of independent study
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 135-9-.01Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.4How we verify
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Requirements

Georgia LCSW & LMSW requirements

Total

35 hoursYou need 35 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of even years.

Topic minimums, counted within the 35

The remaining 15 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Social Work Core
15
You need 15 hours each cycle.
Professional Ethics
5
You need 5 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Professional ethics via live
min 5 hrs
Related mental health
max 15 hrs
Home study / self-study
max 10 hrs
Independent study
max 5 hrs
Single activity
max 20 hrs per activity

Up to 10 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

At least 5 hours of professional ethics must be earned live.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of even years.
Renewal fee
Renewal fees by license status
Status / feeAmount and conditions
Active renewal$100. Biennial base fee; mailed forms add $10.
Board fee schedule
Late renewal total$150. October 1–31 total; mailed forms add $10.
Board fee schedule

CE course costs are separate. Late renewal does not authorize practice on an expired license.

We verified these fees on 2026-09-30. Board fee schedule.

New licensees
The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.
Late renewal
A late renewal adds a $50 late fee.
Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before September 30, 2028.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LCSW CE hours calculator

Also hold a Georgia LPC or LMFT license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Georgia LPC and Georgia LMFT requirements.

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.

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. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is 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?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of even years.

How much does Georgia LCSW / LMSW license renewal cost?
Renewal fees by license status
Status / feeAmount and conditions
Active renewal$100. Biennial base fee; mailed forms add $10.
Board fee schedule
Late renewal total$150. October 1–31 total; mailed forms add $10.
Board fee schedule

CE course costs are separate. Late renewal does not authorize practice on an expired license.

We verified these fees on 2026-09-30. Board fee schedule.

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?

The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.

Sources and verification

State source
Georgia board rule
Fee schedule
Georgia board fee schedule
Profession source
ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.4

We reviewed this page against the Georgia board source, and we refresh it 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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Georgia guides & data

What to keep for a CE audit →Learn what boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, and what the notice looks like, then use the printable checklist.Georgia mental health workforce data →27,494 active providers, or 243.3 per 100,000 residents, ranked 49 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Georgia CE requirement pages

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