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.
20
total hours / year
10
clinical content hours
Annual · renewal date varies by licensee.
Louisiana LCSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 20 hours per year. |
| Renewal | Annual cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Clinical Content | 10 hours required each cycle. |
| Carryover | Up to 10 unused hours can carry into the next 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. |
| Other mandates | 3 hours of ethics required every 2 years. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 20 hours can come from.
- asynchronous virtual or teachingmax 10 hrs
- substantial written materialmax 5 hrs
- board or board committee meetingmax 10 hrs
- carryovermax 10 hrs
Louisiana LCSWrequired trainings & mandates
Beyond the 20-hour CE total, Louisiana requires specific trainings — some once around initial licensure, some on their own recurring schedule.
Recurring mandates outside the 1 year cycle
- 3 hours of ethics required 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.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Louisiana LCSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Louisiana LCSW CE free →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. Annual cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How often do Louisiana LCSW licensees renew?
Annual cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Louisiana LCSW licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Louisiana requires 10 hours of clinical content.
Is the first renewal different for new Louisiana 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
- Louisiana board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Louisiana 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 →
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