Updated for 2026

Indiana LCSW, LBSW & LSW Continuing Education Requirements

Indiana clinical social workers must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW / LBSW / LSW license.

40hours every 2 years

Next deadline: March 31, 2028The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.

What the board saysIndiana board rule

Category II is defined as continuing education that is self-directed … Research and publication¹ of research results … earns ten (10) CEUs¹, but may only be claimed for the initial publication of the information. … A renewal period is defined as the two (2) year period beginning with April 1 of even-numbered years². … A licensee who renews a license as a social worker, clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, marriage and family therapist associate, mental health counselor, mental health counselor associate, addiction counselor, or clinical addiction counselor shall complete not less than twenty (20) CEUs per year³, in compliance with section 1(b) of this rule, for a total of forty (40) CEUs for the two (2) year renewal period³.

What it means

A publication counts for no more than 10 hours
A 2-year period from April 1 of an even year, so CE is due by March 31 of the next even year
At least 20 hours a year, 40 hours per 2-year renewal

839 IAC 1-6-1, 1-6-3Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.4How we verify

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Requirements

Indiana LCSW, LBSW & LSW requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Publication: max 10 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal: The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.
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: Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by national professional association, state professional association, accredited university, and governmental agency and recognized associations in social work, counseling, mft, and psychology.
Recordkeeping: Keep CE documentation for 4 years after the end of each cycle.
Board audit: The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.

To keep your proof in order, see what to keep for a CE audit, which covers every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.

Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before March 31, 2028.

Total hours completedof 40

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LCSW CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details

Pre-approved provider organizations: courses offered or approved by recognized national social-work and behavioral-health associations, including the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and the American Counseling Association (ACA), are deemed board-approved and count as Category I CE without separate prior review by the Indiana board. Indiana recognizes these national associations (and their state chapters, e.g. NASW-Indiana) as approved Category I sponsors. The is_board_approved_ provider flag should be treated as satisfied for courses from these named organizations.
ASWB ACE acceptance: continuing education delivered by providers approved under the ASWB Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program is acceptable for Indiana LSW/LCSW renewal and is treated as equivalent to Indiana board-approved Category I CE. ASWB ACE-approved providers satisfy the must be approved provider / is board approved provider requirement; no separate Indiana board approval of the provider is required.
Indiana requires 20 CE hours in each licensure year, including at least 10 Category I hours. Category I/II are regulatory activity classes, not delivery formats: approved home study can be Category I, while an in-person office in-service can be Category II.
One hour of ethics, professional conduct, and boundary issues must be earned as Category I in each licensure year, totaling two hours over a full biennium.
Indiana rules do not impose a general attendee repeat-course ban. For instructors, faculty teaching a course earn CE credit only the first time they teach the course within the same semester (839 IAC 1-6-1(d)(8)). For Category II, an instructor or presenter earns credit only for the initial presentation of a seminar or workshop (839 IAC 1-6-1(d)(4)).
License status rules - inactive: Indiana does not define a separate inactive license status for social workers, so no formal CE exemption exists for inactive licensees. A license that is not renewed simply expires and is governed by reinstatement rules.
License status rules - retired: Licensees holding retired status are not required to maintain CE while retired. To return to active practice, the Board requires CE as part of reinstatement, tiered by time retired: 0-3 years requires 20 hours (with 2 in ethics); 3-6 years requires 40 hours (with 2 in ethics); 6-10 years requires 60 hours (with 2 in ethics); more than 10 years as determined by the Board.
License status rules - reinstatement after expiration: A license expired more than 3 years requires 40 hours of CE for reinstatement, in addition to other Board requirements.
First renewal proration: A licensee with less than 12 months of licensure at first renewal is exempt from CE. A licensee with 12 to less than 24 months of licensure at first renewal must complete half of the usual CE (20 hours, with at least 10 from Category I and 1 hour of ethics). After the first renewal, the full 40-hour biennial requirement applies.
Conditional registration: Indiana does not provide a conditional or provisional renewal option for CE deficiency. Licensees must complete the required CE to renew, or allow the license to lapse and meet reinstatement requirements.

Indiana LCSW, LBSW & LSW CE: frequently asked questions

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

Indiana requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW / LBSW / LSW license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.

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

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by March 31 of even years.

Is the first renewal different for new Indiana 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: Indiana board rule
Profession source: ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified: August 2026
Ruleset version: 2026.4

We reviewed this page against the Indiana 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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Indiana 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.Indiana mental health workforce data →19,727 active providers, or 282.9 per 100,000 residents, ranked 46 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Indiana CE requirement pages

Indiana LPC Indiana LMFT Indiana Psychologist Indiana Addiction Counselor Indiana PMHNP