Missouri LCSW, LMSW, LAMSW & LBSW Continuing Education Requirements
Missouri clinical social workers must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW / LMSW / LAMSW / LBSW license, including 3 hours of ethics, 3 hours of implicit bias diversity, and 2 hours of suicide assessment.
30
total hours / 2 years
3
ethics hours
2
suicide assessment hours
3
implicit bias diversity hours
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Missouri LCSW, LMSW, LAMSW & LBSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 30 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Ethics | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Implicit Bias Diversity | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Suicide Assessment | 2 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. |
| Approved providers | CE must be earned from a board-approved provider. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 30 hours can come from.
- instructor preparationmax 5 hrs
- supervisionmax 3 hrs
- carryovermax 10 hrs
Full board policy details
- The ordinary requirement is 30 hours. The first renewal uses the Committee's issue-month proration chart; the structured total uses the engine's first-cycle proration support.
- The 3 ethics, 2 suicide-assessment, and 3 bias/diversity hours apply in full to each renewal, including a prorated first renewal; they are not themselves prorated.
- Correspondence or self-study may supply no more than 50 percent of required hours. The 15-hour structured cap is exact for full cycles. The first-cycle proportional cap remains manual because the engine cannot cap against the prorated required total.
- Live, interactive webinars from approved sponsors count as live CE and do not use the correspondence allowance.
- The special correspondence-cap waiver applied to the 2022 and 2023 renewal periods only. The ordinary cap is restored for current and future cycles unless the Committee issues new relief.
- Initial preparation and presentation credit is capped at 5 hours and is unavailable for repetitive presentation of the same course. Qualifying supervision credit is capped at 3 hours. These restrictions do not create a blanket attendee repeat ban.
- Up to 10 excess hours may carry to the next renewal cycle.
- All CE must be sponsored by a listed acceptable organization or approved by the Committee.
- Inactive licensees owe no CE while inactive. Returning to active status requires the current renewal CE or Committee-approved relief.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Missouri LCSW / LMSW / LAMSW / LBSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Missouri LCSW / LMSW / LAMSW / LBSW CE free →Missouri LCSW, LMSW, LAMSW & LBSW CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Missouri LCSW / LMSW / LAMSW / LBSW licensees need?
Missouri requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW / LMSW / LAMSW / LBSW license. Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How many ethics hours are required for Missouri LCSW / LMSW / LAMSW / LBSW licensees?
Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.
How often do Missouri LCSW / LMSW / LAMSW / LBSW licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Missouri LCSW / LMSW / LAMSW / LBSW licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Missouri requires 3 hours of implicit bias diversity, 2 hours of suicide assessment.
Is the first renewal different for new Missouri LCSW / LMSW / LAMSW / LBSW 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
- Missouri board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Missouri 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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