Updated for 2026

Louisiana LCSW Continuing Education Requirements

Louisiana clinical social workers must complete 20 continuing education hours per year to renew their LCSW license, including 10 hours of clinical content.

20hours per year
Topic minimums, counted within the 20
10clinical content

The renewal cycle is annual and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

What the board saysLouisiana board rule
asynchronous virtual learning (teleconferences, telecourses, home-study courses and pre-recorded or internet courses) … cannot exceed a total of 10 clock hours of the required 20 clock hours of continuing education required annually1 for renewal of social work credentials; … preparation of substantial written material with content applicable to social work practice … These activities may be counted for no more than five hours2 continuing education. … no social worker may receive more than ten hours of continuing education per collection period from attending meetings of the board or its committees3. … Social workers may carry over up to ten surplus hours4 of continuing education from one collection period into a subsequent collection period. … Social workers may not submit more than ten hours of continuing education via asynchronous virtual learning or teaching5 in any collection period
What it means
  1. 20 hours each year
  2. No more than 5 hours for substantial written material
  3. No more than 10 hours from board or committee meetings
  4. Up to 10 unused hours carry into the next year
  5. No more than 10 hours of asynchronous virtual learning or teaching
LAC 46:XXV.1305, 1311 and 1313Last verified October 2026Ruleset 2026.3How we verify
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Requirements

Louisiana LCSW requirements

Total

20 hoursYou need 20 hours per year. The renewal cycle is annual and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

Topic minimums, counted within the 20

The remaining 10 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Clinical Content
10
You need 10 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Asynchronous virtual or teaching
max 10 hrs
Substantial written material
max 5 hrs
Board or board committee meeting
max 10 hrs
Carryover
max 10 hrs

Up to 10 unused hours can carry into the next cycle.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is annual and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
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.
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 Louisiana LPC or LMFT license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Louisiana LPC and Louisiana LMFT requirements.

Louisiana LCSW required trainings and mandates

Beyond the 20-hour CE total, Louisiana requires specific trainings. Some are due once around initial licensure, and others run on their own recurring schedule.

Recurring mandates outside the 1-year cycle

  • You need 3 hours of ethics every 2 years.
Full board policy details
  • A maximum of 10 of the required 20 clock-hours per renewal may be obtained through the combined regulatory category of asynchronous virtual learning or teaching credit. This is not a cap on all remote learning.
  • Live-interactive online formats (webinars, teleconferences, internet courses) are treated as in-person learning when they are synchronous and interactive, and do not count toward the asynchronous-virtual/ teaching cap.
  • Acceptable CE includes courses sponsored by social work licensing bodies, state or national social work organizations, CSWE-accredited schools of social work, or ASWB-approved providers. Courses not pre-approved by such entities may still be claimed if the licensee follows the Board's Guide for Assessment of Continuing Education and retains documentation.
  • Course repeat restrictions: There is no blanket prohibition on a licensee taking the same course more than once for CE credit. A repeat course taught earns one-half of the credit available for the initial course unless the material was substantially changed or updated.
  • Inactive licensees must renew annually and maintain one-half of the CE required of active social workers. The engine has no inactive-renewal context, so this remains a manual status rule.
  • First renewal proration under LAC 46:XXV §1315: credentials received September-November require 20 hours; December-February require 15; March-May require 10; and June-August require 0 for the initial year.
  • Up to 10 surplus hours may carry into the next annual collection period, but carried ethics and BACS-supervision hours lose those topic designations and count only toward the general total.
  • Extensions: The Board may grant a time-extension for extenuating circumstances under §1317. There is no provisional or conditional credential pending completion of CE; failure to complete CE by August 31 results in license lapse or renewal denial under R.S. 37:2714(A)(2) until requirements are met.

Louisiana LCSW CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Louisiana LCSW licensees need?

Louisiana requires 20 continuing education hours per year to renew a LCSW license. The renewal cycle is annual and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

How often do Louisiana LCSW licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is annual and is tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Louisiana LCSW licensees?

Yes. Louisiana requires 10 hours of clinical content.

Is the first renewal different for new Louisiana LCSW 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
Louisiana board rule
Profession source
ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.3

We reviewed this page against the Louisiana 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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Louisiana 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.Louisiana mental health workforce data →21,407 active providers, or 463.5 per 100,000 residents, ranked 22 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Louisiana CE requirement pages

Louisiana LPCLouisiana LMFTLouisiana PsychologistLouisiana Addiction CounselorLouisiana PMHNP

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