Updated for 2026

Maine LCSW, LMSW & LSW Continuing Education Requirements

Maine clinical social workers must complete 25 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW / LMSW / LSW license, including 4 hours of social work ethics.

25hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 25
4social work ethics

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

What the board saysMaine board rule
no license will be renewed unless the licensee has completed 25 contact hours1 of continuing professional education directly related to the practice of social work during the preceding biennial license term1 … For all other licensees at least 4 of the 25 contact hours must be earned in social work ethics2. … At least 15 hours3 of educational activities, including seminars, workshops, institutes, academic courses, and in-service training sessions, in which immediate interaction with the instructor is available3. … A maximum of 10 hours total4 is permitted to be earned through continuing professional education contained within subsections 2 and 3 below.
What it means
  1. 25 hours every two years
  2. 4 hours of social work ethics
  3. At least 15 hours live, with the instructor available
  4. No more than 10 hours from home study, teaching, writing, or independent study
02-416 C.M.R. Chapter 14Last verified October 2026Ruleset 2026.4How we verify
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Requirements

Maine LCSW, LMSW & LSW requirements

Total

25 hoursYou need 25 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

Topic minimums, counted within the 25

The remaining 21 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Social Work Ethics
4
You need 4 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Live
min 15 hrs
Home study / self-study
max 10 hrs

Up to 10 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

At least 15 hours must be earned live.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial and is counted from your license anniversary.
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 Maine LPC or LMFT license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Maine LPC and Maine LMFT requirements.

Maine LCSW, LMSW & LSW required trainings and mandates

Beyond the 25-hour CE total, Maine requires specific trainings. Some are due once around initial licensure, and others run on their own recurring schedule.

One-time requirements

  • One-time 12-hour training in family or intimate partner violence required for all licensees renewing on or after January 1, 2020. Hours count toward the 25-hour biennial CE total. The Board may accept equivalent IPV training or practice experience completed before January 1, 2020 in satisfaction of this requirement. (12 hours, one time).

Recurring mandates outside the 2-year cycle

  • Maine law requires licensed social workers, as mandated reporters of child abuse/neglect and abuse of incapacitated/dependent adults, to complete the State's mandated reporter training every 4 years. This training is required by law but does NOT count toward the 25-hour biennial CE total.
Full board policy details
  • All 25 contact hours of continuing education must be directly related to the practice of social work. CE content must meet the Board's content criteria under 02-416 C.M.R. Ch. 14 and be relevant to social work practice in order to be admissible toward the 25-hour cycle total.
  • At least 15 of the 25 contact hours must be earned in activities with immediate interaction with the instructor (Category 1). Live in-person and live virtual (e.g., interactive webinar or Zoom) courses where immediate interaction with the instructor is available qualify as live interactive training.
  • A maximum of 10 contact hours per renewal cycle may be earned in non-interactive or independent study formats (combined Category 2 and Category 3 activities, including self-study, teaching, and writing).
  • Course repeat restrictions: Credit for teaching a CE course may be claimed only the first time the course is presented. Independent or self-study credit for a specific course may be claimed only once per renewal period, repeating the same course or substantially similar independent study within the same renewal period does not earn additional credit.
  • License status rules: Licensees who are no longer practicing and who hold inactive status are exempt from the 25-hour CE requirement under 32 M.R.S. §7060, but must still renew and pay the applicable fee. Maine does not define a separate "retired" status for social workers. Reactivation of an inactive or lapsed license requires meeting the current renewal CE requirement (25 hours). Maine allows late renewal within 90 days of expiration with payment of a late fee; if a license has been expired for more than 90 days, the applicant must reapply as a new candidate.
  • Provider approval: Maine law requires CE to be "approved by the board," but the Board does not publish an approved-provider list or fixed approved-provider percentage. CE must meet the Board's content and format criteria under 02-416 C.M.R. Ch. 14.
  • Conditional/provisional registration: Maine does not provide a formal conditional registration period for licensees with incomplete CE. Aside from the 90-day late-renewal grace window (with fee), CE must be completed before renewal is granted.
  • LSX (Licensed Social Worker, Conditional) licensees are subject to different topic requirements (6 hours ethics and 6 hours psychosocial assessment per renewal, 02-416 C.M.R. Ch. 14 §1(2)). This rule file applies to LSW, LMSW and LCSW holders, who all owe 25 hours including 4 hours of social work ethics (Ch. 14 §1(3)).

Maine LCSW, LMSW & LSW CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Maine LCSW / LMSW / LSW licensees need?

Maine requires 25 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW / LMSW / LSW license. The renewal cycle is biennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

How many ethics hours are required for Maine LCSW / LMSW / LSW licensees?

Of the total, 4 hours must be in social work ethics.

How often do Maine LCSW / LMSW / LSW licensees renew?

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

Can Maine LCSW / LMSW / LSW licensees complete CE online or by home study?

Up to 10 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. At least 15 hours must be earned live.

Sources and verification

State source
Maine board rule
Profession source
ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.4

We reviewed this page against the Maine 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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Maine 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.Maine mental health workforce data →9,452 active providers, or 668 per 100,000 residents, ranked 6 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Maine CE requirement pages

Maine LPCMaine LMFTMaine PsychologistMaine Addiction CounselorMaine PMHNP

LCSW CE requirements in other states