Kentucky LCSW Continuing Education Requirements
Kentucky clinical social workers must complete 30 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew their LCSW license, including 3 hours of code of ethics.
30
total hours / 3 years
3
code of ethics hours
Triennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's issue date.
Kentucky LCSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 30 hours every 3 years. |
| Renewal | Triennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary. |
| Code of Ethics | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply 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. |
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.
- 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.
We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Kentucky LCSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Kentucky LCSW CE free →Kentucky LCSW CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Kentucky LCSW licensees need?
Kentucky requires 30 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew a LCSW license. Triennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
How many ethics hours are required for Kentucky LCSW licensees?
Of the total, 3 hours must be in code of ethics.
How often do Kentucky LCSW licensees renew?
Triennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
Is the first renewal different for new Kentucky LCSW 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
- Kentucky board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Kentucky board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is informational only and not legal or board advice. Always verify requirements with your licensing board before you renew. See something wrong? Report it →
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