Updated for 2026

Kentucky LCSW & CSW Continuing Education Requirements

Kentucky clinical social workers must complete 30 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew their LCSW / CSW license, including 3 hours of code of ethics.

30hours every 3 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 30
3code of ethics

The renewal cycle is triennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

What the board saysKentucky board rule
Each certified social worker and licensed clinical social worker shall complete a minimum of thirty (30) continuing education hours during the three (3) year period1 for renewal … Each renewal period, as part of the required continuing education hours, each licensee shall complete a board approved minimum three (3) hour course on the Kentucky Code of Ethical Conduct2 … A licensee who presents relevant programs or academic courses shall earn full continuing education credit … not to exceed one-half (1/2) of the continuing education renewal requirements3. … A licensee or board member may earn continuing education hours for renewal by attending a board meeting4, in person, … up to a maximum of six (6) hours4 per three (3) year renewal period.
What it means
  1. 30 hours every 3 years
  2. 3 hours on the Kentucky Code of Ethical Conduct
  3. Teaching counts for no more than half the hours (15)
  4. No more than 6 hours for attending board meetings
201 KAR 23:075Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.3How we verify
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Requirements

Kentucky LCSW & CSW requirements

Total

30 hoursYou need 30 hours every 3 years. The renewal cycle is triennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

Topic minimums, counted within the 30

The remaining 27 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Code of Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Instructor credit
max 15 hrs
Board meeting attendance
max 6 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is triennial and is counted from your license anniversary.
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.
Provisional renewal
The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 12 months (renewable) before full compliance is required. The Kentucky Board of Social Work may grant a CE extension of up to one year for documented illness, disability, or undue hardship under 201 KAR 23:075(5). Additional extensions may be requested if warranted.
Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before your renewal.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LCSW CE hours calculator

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

Kentucky LCSW & CSW required trainings and mandates

Beyond the 30-hour CE total, Kentucky requires specific trainings. Some are due once around initial licensure, and others run on their own recurring schedule.

Recurring mandates outside the 3-year cycle

  • You need 6 hours of suicide assessment treatment management every 6 years.
  • You need 1.5 hours of pediatric abusive head trauma every 6 years.
Full board policy details
  • Under the amended 201 KAR 23:075, there is no overall cap on technology-mediated or home-study CE hours. All required CE may be earned in person or through technology-mediated learning, including the mandatory ethics and clinical supervision courses.
  • The proposed telehealth-training mandate was deleted before adoption. The current Board page expressly says it was removed because the legislation did not pass; no telehealth hours are required for renewal.
  • Board approval: CE programs from preapproved sponsors (ASWB, NASW and state chapters, Clinical Social Work Association, APA, ACA, NBCC, and CSWE-accredited schools) are automatically accepted. Programs from other sources must be submitted to the Board for approval. Ethics and clinical supervision courses must always be individually Board-approved.
  • Course repeat restrictions: A licensee may claim instructor credit for teaching CE courses (up to half of the CE requirement), but credit shall not be issued for repeated instruction or attendance of the same course content or program within the same renewal period, unless the content has been substantially revised (201 KAR 23:075 §3(2)(c)).
  • Inactive status: Kentucky does not exempt inactive licensees from CE. To go inactive or renew an inactive license, the licensee must submit CE certificates showing completion of all required CE hours, the same as for active renewal (201 KAR 23:055).
  • Reactivation from inactive: A licensee may request return to active status within three years of going inactive by submitting a written request, payment, and CE certificates demonstrating that required CE was completed during the inactive period. If the inactive license is allowed to expire (over three months past renewal), the licensee must reapply under the initial licensure requirements of 201 KAR 23:051.
  • Retired status: Kentucky does not establish a separate retired license category. A licensee who stops practicing must either go inactive or let the license expire; there is no retired-status CE exception.
  • CE extension: Under 201 KAR 23:075(5), a licensee unable to meet CE due to documented illness, disability, or undue hardship may apply for an extension of up to one year. Statutorily mandated CE topics (e.g. pediatric abusive head trauma) remain required and cannot be waived.
  • Instructor credit is limited to one-half of the renewal total and is not available for repeated instruction unless the program was substantially revised. Board-meeting attendance is limited to 6 hours per cycle. Article-authorship awards differ by license type and remain a manual credit-conversion check.

Kentucky LCSW & CSW CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Kentucky LCSW / CSW licensees need?

Kentucky requires 30 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew a LCSW / CSW license. The renewal cycle is triennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

How many ethics hours are required for Kentucky LCSW / CSW licensees?

Of the total, 3 hours must be in code of ethics.

How often do Kentucky LCSW / CSW licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is triennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

Is the first renewal different for new Kentucky LCSW / CSW 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
Kentucky board rule
Profession source
ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.3

We reviewed this page against the Kentucky 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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Kentucky 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.Kentucky mental health workforce data →18,646 active providers, or 404.7 per 100,000 residents, ranked 29 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Kentucky CE requirement pages

Kentucky LPCKentucky LMFTKentucky PsychologistKentucky Addiction CounselorKentucky PMHNP

LCSW CE requirements in other states