Updated for 2026

Hawaii LCSW, LBSW & LSW Continuing Education Requirements

Hawaii clinical social workers must complete 45 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew their LCSW / LBSW / LSW license, including 3 hours of ethics.

45hours every 3 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 45
3ethics

Next deadline: June 30, 2028The renewal cycle is triennial, and CE is due by June 30 every 3 years (2025, 2028, ...).

What the board saysHawaii board rule
All Social Worker licensees on “active” status must complete at least 45 hours of Continuing Education (CE) credits1, 3 credit hours of which must be in ethics courses2. … and must be completed within the three-year period preceding the renewal date1 pursuant to HRS § 467E-11.
What it means
  1. 45 hours every 3 years
  2. 3 hours of ethics
HRS § 467E-11Last verified July 2026Ruleset 2026.2How we verify
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Requirements

Hawaii LCSW, LBSW & LSW requirements

Total

45 hoursYou need 45 hours every 3 years. The renewal cycle is triennial, and CE is due by June 30 every 3 years (2025, 2028, ...).

Topic minimums, counted within the 45

The remaining 42 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is triennial, and CE is due by June 30 every 3 years (2025, 2028, ...).
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.
Approved providers
CE must be earned from a board-approved provider.
Your hours

Check where you stand

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

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LCSW CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details
  • Hawaii statute does not impose any cap on self-study or home-study CE hours and does not mandate a minimum number of live or in-person hours. Any course approved by NASW or ASWB (live, online, or home-study) may be applied toward the 45-hour triennial requirement.
  • All CE credits must be approved by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) or the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Courses lacking NASW or ASWB approval do not count toward the 45-hour requirement.
  • Course repeat restrictions: Hawaii statute (HRS §467E-11) is silent on whether the same course may be taken more than once for credit within a renewal period and is silent on instructor/teaching credit. National NASW/ASWB policies generally discourage duplicative credit for identical content within a single cycle, but Hawaii law itself imposes no explicit prohibition.
  • License status rules, Inactive: Hawaii statutes do not codify a CE exemption for inactive social worker licensees, but because an inactive licensee may not practice, CE is generally not required to maintain inactive status. To reactivate, the licensee must fulfill all requirements in effect at the time of the reactivation application, which in practice means completing the current 45-hour (3-hour ethics) triennial CE requirement.
  • License status rules, Retired: Hawaii does not have a distinct retired license status for social workers under HRS Chapter 467E.
  • First renewal exemption: Per HRS §467E-11(d), a first-time licensee is exempt from the CE requirement at the first renewal. The full 45-hour (3-hour ethics) requirement applies beginning with the second renewal.
  • Conditional renewal: Hawaii law contains no provision for conditional or provisional renewal based on incomplete CE. A licensee who has not completed the required 45 hours by the June 30 renewal deadline cannot renew on time and must follow standard restoration procedures.

Hawaii LCSW, LBSW & LSW CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Hawaii LCSW / LBSW / LSW licensees need?

Hawaii requires 45 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew a LCSW / LBSW / LSW license. The renewal cycle is triennial, and CE is due by June 30 every 3 years (2025, 2028, ...).

How many ethics hours are required for Hawaii LCSW / LBSW / LSW licensees?

Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Hawaii LCSW / LBSW / LSW licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is triennial, and CE is due by June 30 every 3 years (2025, 2028, ...).

Is the first renewal different for new Hawaii LCSW / LBSW / LSW 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
Hawaii board rule
Profession source
ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified
July 2026
Ruleset version
2026.2

We reviewed this page against the Hawaii 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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Hawaii 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.Hawaii mental health workforce data →5,688 active providers, or 397 per 100,000 residents, ranked 31 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Hawaii CE requirement pages

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