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.
40
total hours / 2 years
Biennial renewal · calculating the next statewide deadline
Indiana LCSW, LBSW & LSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: CE due by March 31 of even years. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply 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. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.
- publicationmax 10 hrs
Keeping the proof in order: what to keep for a CE audit, with every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.
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.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Indiana LCSW / LBSW / LSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Indiana LCSW / LBSW / LSW CE free →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. Biennial cycle: CE due by March 31 of even years.
How often do Indiana LCSW / LBSW / LSW licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: CE due by March 31 of even years.
Is the first renewal different for new Indiana LCSW / LBSW / LSW 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
- Indiana board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.3
Reviewed against the Indiana 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 →
Track your Indiana LCSW / LBSW / LSW CE without the spreadsheet.
Log your hours, watch every category pace toward your biennial renewal, and keep your certificates in one record. Free to start, no credit card required.
Create your free recordIndianaguides & data
What to keep for a CE audit
What boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, what the notice looks like, and a printable checklist.
Indiana mental health workforce data
19,727 active providers, or 282.9 per 100,000 residents, ranked 46 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.