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.

45

total hours / 3 years

5

ethics hours

2

pain and symptom management hours

2

human trafficking hours

Triennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's issue date.

Michigan LCSW, LMSW & LBSW requirements

RequirementNotes
Total continuing education45 hours every 3 years.
RenewalTriennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
Ethics5 hours required each cycle.
Pain and Symptom Management2 hours required each cycle.
Human Trafficking2 hours required each cycle.
Format limitsAt most 50% of hours may be home study / self-study.
Format limitsAt least 22.5 hours must be earned live.
Approved providersCE must be earned from a board-approved provider.
Other mandatesMichigan 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.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Board caps and floors on where the 45 hours can come from.

  • home study / self-studymax 50%
  • livemin 22.5 hrs
  • first time presentationmax 15 hrs
  • publicationmax 10 hrs
Total hours
45 hours every 3 years.
Renewal
Triennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
Ethics
5 hours required each cycle.
Pain and Symptom Management
2 hours required each cycle.
Human Trafficking
2 hours required each cycle.
Format limits
At most 50% of hours may be home study / self-study.
At least 22.5 hours must be earned live.
Approved providers
CE must be earned from a board-approved provider.
Other mandates
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.

Michigan LCSW, LMSW & LBSWrequired trainings & mandates

Beyond the 45-hour CE total, Michigan requires specific trainings — some once around initial licensure, some on their own recurring schedule.

Recurring mandates outside the 3 years 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.

We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Michigan LCSW / LMSW / LBSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.

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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. Triennial cycle: 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?

Triennial cycle: 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 & verification

Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.2

Reviewed against the Michigan 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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Michiganguides & data

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Other Michigan CE requirement pages

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LCSW CE requirements in other states

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