Updated for 2026

Michigan LCSW, LMSW & LBSW Continuing Education Requirements

Michigan clinical social workers must complete 45 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew their LCSW / LMSW / LBSW license, including 5 hours of ethics, 2 hours of pain and symptom management, and 2 hours of human trafficking.

45hours every 3 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 45
5ethics
2pain and symptom management
2human trafficking

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

What the board saysMichigan board rule
Rule 61. (1) An applicant for license renewal who has been licensed for the 3-year period immediately preceding the expiration date of the license shall … accumulate not less than 45 continuing education contact hours1 that are approved by the board under R 338.2963 during the 3 years immediately preceding application for renewal1. … (2) At least 5 of the 45 continuing education contact hours in each renewal period must be in ethics2. (3) At least 2 of the 45 continuing education contact hours in each renewal period must be in pain and symptom management3. … (4) At least 2 of the 45 continuing education contact hours in each renewal period must be in human trafficking4. … Rule 63. (1) One half of the required continuing education contact hours must be completed in person or using a format that permits live, synchronous contact5.
What it means
  1. 45 contact hours every 3 years
  2. 5 hours of ethics
  3. 2 hours of pain and symptom management
  4. 2 hours of human trafficking
  5. At least half of the hours live or synchronous
Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2961 and R 338.2963Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.3How we verify
Start free trialExplore the demo →

It's free for 30 days, and you don't need a card.

Requirements

Michigan LCSW, LMSW & LBSW requirements

Total

45 hoursYou need 45 hours every 3 years. The renewal cycle is triennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

Topic minimums, counted within the 45

The remaining 36 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
5
You need 5 hours each cycle.
Pain and Symptom Management
2
You need 2 hours each cycle.
Human Trafficking
2
You need 2 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Home study / self-study
max 50%
Live
min 22.5 hrs
First time presentation
max 15 hrs
Publication
max 10 hrs

At most 50% of hours may be home study / self-study.

At least 22.5 hours must be earned live.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is triennial and is counted from your license anniversary.
Approved providers
CE must be earned from a board-approved provider.
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 Michigan LPC or LMFT license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Michigan LPC and Michigan LMFT requirements.

Michigan LCSW, LMSW & LBSW required trainings and mandates

Beyond the 45-hour CE total, Michigan 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

  • Michigan requires implicit bias training for all license renewals on or after June 1, 2022. The requirement is 1 hour of implicit bias training per year of the license cycle (3 hours for a 3-year renewal cycle). This training is mandated by R 338.7004 and is separate from the 45-hour CE total, although qualifying coursework may also count toward CE.
Full board policy details
  • At least 50% of the required 45 continuing education contact hours must be completed in person or using a format that permits live, synchronous contact (R 338.2963(1)). Live, interactive online courses qualify as live/synchronous. Equivalently, no more than 50% of hours may be asynchronous/self-study.
  • CE credits cannot be carried forward between renewal cycles (R 338.2963(2)).
  • Course repeat restriction: A licensee may not earn CE credit for completing the same course twice within the same renewal cycle (R 338.2963(3)). Instructor/presenter credit is available at 3 contact hours per hour taught for a board-approved program that is not part of regular job duties, capped at 15 hours per cycle, and credit for presenting the same program may only be claimed once per cycle.
  • All CE hours must be earned from board-approved sources listed in R 338.2963(4), including ASWB-approved providers, NASW (national or Michigan chapter), CSWE-accredited social work programs, and programs approved by other states' social work licensing boards.
  • License status: The administrative rules do not provide an automatic CE exemption for inactive or retired status. Only active licenses are renewed; CE is required at each renewal. To reactivate or reinstate a lapsed license, the licensee must demonstrate completion of the 45 CE hours for the prior 3-year period. No conditional or provisional renewal is available if CE is incomplete; a hardship waiver may be requested under MCL 333.16205 before the expiration date (R 338.2961(6)).
  • The 45-hour requirement applies when the licensee has held the license for the full three-year period immediately preceding expiration. The anniversary-cycle model therefore applies the full requirement to the ordinary first renewal after a full three-year license term.

Michigan LCSW, LMSW & LBSW CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Michigan LCSW / LMSW / LBSW licensees need?

Michigan requires 45 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew a LCSW / LMSW / LBSW license. The renewal cycle is triennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

How many ethics hours are required for Michigan LCSW / LMSW / LBSW licensees?

Of the total, 5 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Michigan LCSW / LMSW / LBSW licensees renew?

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

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Michigan LCSW / LMSW / LBSW licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, Michigan requires 2 hours of pain and symptom management, 2 hours of human trafficking.

Can Michigan LCSW / LMSW / LBSW licensees complete CE online or by home study?

At most 50% of hours may be home study / self-study. At least 22.5 hours must be earned live.

Sources and verification

State source
Michigan board rule
Profession source
ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.3

We reviewed this page against the Michigan 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

Make your next renewal easier.

Add your Michigan LCSW / LMSW / LBSW license and every requirement on this page becomes a checklist on your record.

Start free trialExplore the demo

30 days free, no credit card.

Michigan 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.Michigan mental health workforce data →51,204 active providers, or 505.6 per 100,000 residents, ranked 18 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Michigan CE requirement pages

Michigan LPCMichigan LMFTMichigan PsychologistMichigan PMHNP

LCSW CE requirements in other states