Minnesota LICSW Continuing Education Requirements
Minnesota clinical social workers must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LICSW license, including 2 hours of social work ethics, 12 hours of clinical content, and 4 hours of cultural responsiveness.
40
total hours / 2 years
2
social work ethics hours
4
cultural responsiveness hours
12
clinical content hours
Biennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's birth month.
Minnesota LICSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month. |
| Social Work Ethics | 2 hours required each cycle. |
| Clinical Content | 12 hours required each cycle. |
| Cultural Responsiveness | 4 hours required each cycle. |
| Format limits | At most 50% of hours may be home study / self-study. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 1 year after the end of each cycle. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.
- home study / self-studymax 50%
Keeping the proof in order: what to keep for a CE audit, with every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.
Full board policy details
- Independent learning (self-study) is capped at 50% of the required CE hours per cycle (i.e., no more than 20 of the 40 hours). Independent learning includes online courses without live interaction, research, publications, presentations, and professional development activities done without live instruction.
- Live, interactive online courses (e.g., live webinars with real-time instruction and Q&A) count as interactive/live CE and do NOT count toward the 50% independent-learning cap. The statute expressly allows live webinars as CE activities and the Board distinguishes them from "online without live interaction" (which is independent learning).
- Provider approval: Minnesota does not require pre-approval of CE activities. CE activities given by a Board-approved provider, ASWB- approved program, or NASW-approved program are automatically accepted. Other CE may be claimed if it meets the content and activity criteria defined in Minn. Stat. §148E.130. There is no minimum percentage of hours that must come from approved providers.
- Course repeat restrictions: Minnesota law and Board guidance do not explicitly prohibit repeating the same CE course or claiming credit multiple times for the same activity. Acceptable activities include courses, workshops, webinars, staff training, academic credit, and independent learning. Instructors may claim credit for teaching educational workshops or staff trainings, and there is no stated limit on how often a course may be taken or taught for credit. Any repeated activity must still meet the content requirements for the category being claimed.
- Inactive status: While on inactive status, licensees are not required to complete the 40-hour CE requirement. CE only applies when renewing an active license.
- Emeritus (retired) status: Emeritus/retired licensees are not required to complete CE while in that status. The 40-hour CE requirement only applies to active license renewal.
- Reactivation from inactive or emeritus status: Per Minn. Stat. §148E.080 Subd.4, a licensee returning to active status must complete 2 hours of social work ethics CE and pass the Board's jurisprudence exam. No other clock hours are required for reactivation; the remaining renewal CE requirements are effectively waived at the time of reactivation.
- First renewal / prorated CE: New licensees whose first renewal term is shorter or longer than 24 months have all required CE hours (including ethics, cultural responsiveness, clinical content, and supervision where applicable) prorated proportionately based on the length of the first term, per Minn. Stat. §148E.130 Subd.1(b).
- The Board may grant a one-time extension to complete missing CE at renewal, but Minn. Stat. §148E.130 does not state a fixed extension duration. No 24-month conditional-registration period is encoded.
- Chapter 260E imposes a mandatory-reporting duty; it does not impose a recurring training requirement on every social worker. Employer- or program-specific human-trafficking training is likewise not a universal license-renewal mandate.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Minnesota LICSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Minnesota LICSW CE free →Minnesota LICSW CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Minnesota LICSW licensees need?
Minnesota requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LICSW license. Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
How many ethics hours are required for Minnesota LICSW licensees?
Of the total, 2 hours must be in social work ethics.
How often do Minnesota LICSW licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Minnesota LICSW licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Minnesota requires 12 hours of clinical content, 4 hours of cultural responsiveness.
Can Minnesota LICSW licensees complete CE online or by home study?
At most 50% of hours may be home study / self-study.
Is the first renewal different for new Minnesota LICSW 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
- Minnesota board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Minnesota 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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What to keep for a CE audit
What boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, what the notice looks like, and a printable checklist.
Minnesota mental health workforce data
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