Illinois LCSW & LSW Continuing Education Requirements
Illinois clinical social workers must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW / LSW license, including 3 hours of ethics and 3 hours of cultural competence.
Next deadline: November 30, 2027The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of odd years.
An LSW or LCSW is required to complete 30 hours1 of continuing education each license cycle (except for the first license cycle, when no CE is required.) The CE must be completed during the 24 months1 before the expiration date printed on the license. The CE must include the following topics/categories: • 3 hours Social Work Practice Ethics2 • 3 hours Cultural Competence3 … Authoring papers, publications, dissertations, or books, OR preparing presentations and exhibits in the field of social work. The presentation must be before a professional audience. 5 CE hours4 may be claimed only for the first time the material is presented4.
- 30 hours every 2 years
- 3 hours of social work ethics
- 3 hours of cultural competence
- Up to 5 hours for a first-time publication or presentation
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Illinois LCSW & LSW requirements
Total
Topic minimums, counted within the 30
- Ethics
- 3
- You need 3 hours each cycle.
- Cultural Competence
- 3
- You need 3 hours each cycle.
Limits on how the hours are earned
- First time authorship or presentation
- max 5 hrs
Cycle and record rules
- Renewal
- The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of odd years.
- Renewal fee
Renewal fees by license status Status / fee Amount and conditions Active renewal $60. Two-year renewal amount. Expired-license restoration charge $50. Expired less than five years: plus lapsed renewal fees. Statutory restoration waivers may apply. Restoration is distinct from ordinary renewal; inactive-status and waiver provisions may differ. CE course costs are separate.
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.
- Approved providers
- CE must be earned from a board-approved provider.
Check where you stand
Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before November 30, 2027.
Your result appears here as you enter hours.
Open the full LCSW CE hours calculatorAlso hold a Illinois LPC or LMFT license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Illinois LPC and Illinois LMFT requirements.
Illinois LCSW & LSW required trainings and mandates
Beyond the 30-hour CE total, Illinois requires specific trainings. Some are due once around initial licensure, and others run on their own recurring schedule.
Recurring mandates outside the 2-year cycle
- One hour on diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, required once every three renewal periods and countable within the 30-hour total.
- LCSWs must complete six hours of clinical-supervision training on the second renewal after initial licensure, beginning with the renewal ending November 30, 2027. The engine cannot evaluate completed-renewal count, so this remains a manual requirement rather than a date-only one-time proxy.
- One-hour sexual harassment prevention training required for all Illinois licensees subject to CE. This hour may count toward the 30-hour CE requirement.
- One-hour implicit bias awareness training required for all Illinois licensees subject to CE. This hour may count toward the 30-hour CE requirement.
- Mandated reporter training (including implicit bias section) required for social workers as mandated child-abuse reporters under 325 ILCS 5/4. Initial training within 3 months of starting practice, and at least every 3 years thereafter. May count toward CE hours.
Full board policy details
- Illinois imposes no numerical cap or percentage limit on self-study, online, or remote CE courses, and no minimum live/in-person hours. Any approved format will count toward the 30-hour requirement.
- Remote programs (including self-study and online courses) must be offered by an approved CE sponsor and must include an examination for each course.
- In-person courses must be given by approved CE sponsors. University coursework may also be used at 15 CE credits per semester hour.
- Course repeat restriction: teaching credit is available only the first time material is presented or taught. The current Department fact sheet does not impose a general repeat-course ban on attendees.
- License status rules: Illinois does not provide CE exemptions for inactive or retired licensees while in those statuses. Restoration of an expired or inactive license (whether expired/inactive five years or less, or more than five years) requires 30 hours of CE earned within the two years preceding the restoration application.
- One CE hour equals 50 minutes of instruction. All Illinois LSW and LCSW licensees, including those practicing out of state, must comply with Illinois CE requirements.
- Sexual Harassment Prevention Training (1 hour) and Implicit Bias Awareness Training (1 hour) are required for all Illinois licensees subject to CE; both may count toward the 30-hour CE total rather than being additional hours.
Illinois LCSW & LSW CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Illinois LCSW / LSW licensees need?
Illinois requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW / LSW license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of odd years.
How many ethics hours are required for Illinois LCSW / LSW licensees?
Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.
How often do Illinois LCSW / LSW licensees renew?
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by November 30 of odd years.
How much does Illinois LCSW / LSW license renewal cost?
| Status / fee | Amount and conditions |
|---|---|
| Active renewal | $60. Two-year renewal amount. |
| Expired-license restoration charge | $50. Expired less than five years: plus lapsed renewal fees. Statutory restoration waivers may apply. |
Restoration is distinct from ordinary renewal; inactive-status and waiver provisions may differ. CE course costs are separate.
We verified these fees on 2026-09-30. Board fee schedule.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Illinois LCSW / LSW licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Illinois requires 3 hours of cultural competence.
Is the first renewal different for new Illinois LCSW / 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
- Illinois board rule
- Fee schedule
- Illinois board fee schedule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.5
We reviewed this page against the Illinois 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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Illinois guides & data
Other Illinois CE requirement pages
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