Mississippi LCSW Continuing Education Requirements
Mississippi clinical social workers must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW license, including 4 hours of professional ethics, 2 hours of cultural diversity, and 1 hour of mandated reporting.
40
total hours / 2 years
4
professional ethics hours
2
cultural diversity hours
1
mandated reporting hours
20
home study / self-study hours cap
20
in person hours minimum
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Mississippi LCSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| Professional Ethics | 4 hours required each cycle. |
| Cultural Diversity | 2 hours required each cycle. |
| Mandated Reporting | 1 hour required each cycle. |
| Format limits | Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. |
| Format limits | At least 20 hours must be earned in person. |
| Approved providers | CE must be earned from a board-approved provider. |
| Provisional renewal | The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 12 months before full compliance is required. Mississippi allows a one-time extension (conditional status) to complete missing CE hours. The rule does not prescribe a fixed maximum duration; extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis. The license remains active during the extension period. The Board will not grant a second consecutive extension in the next renewal period. Failure to complete required CE by the end of the extension results in the license being placed on inactive status automatically. |
Total hours
40 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Professional Ethics
4 hours required each cycle.
Cultural Diversity
2 hours required each cycle.
Mandated Reporting
1 hour required each cycle.
Format limits
Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.
At least 20 hours must be earned in person.
Approved providers
CE must be earned from a board-approved provider.
Provisional renewal
The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 12 months before full compliance is required. Mississippi allows a one-time extension (conditional status) to complete missing CE hours. The rule does not prescribe a fixed maximum duration; extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis. The license remains active during the extension period. The Board will not grant a second consecutive extension in the next renewal period. Failure to complete required CE by the end of the extension results in the license being placed on inactive status automatically.
Full board policy details
- A maximum of 20 hours (50%) of the 40-hour biennial CE requirement may be earned through remote/self-study/distance/online courses. At least 20 hours must be earned through live, in-person training. Live, interactive webinars or videoconferences (e.g., Zoom, WebEx) count as in-person credit. Prerecorded or non-interactive online courses count toward the remote/self-study limit.
- The 4-hour professional ethics and 2-hour cultural diversity requirements are required each renewal period and may not be carried over to the next cycle. Other unused CE hours may be carried forward by the licensee.
- Required CE topics (4 hours ethics, 2 hours cultural diversity, 1 hour mandated reporting) recur every renewal cycle and count toward the 40-hour total. There is no waiver for having completed these topics at initial licensure.
- LCSW first renewal is NOT exempt or reduced. LCSWs must complete and report the full 40 hours (including ethics, diversity, and mandated reporting) at first renewal, just as in subsequent renewals. (LSWs and new LMSWs may receive first-renewal exemptions, but LCSWs do not.)
- Course repeat restrictions: Instructors of graduate social work courses may claim CE credit (10 hours per credit-hour taught) only the FIRST time they teach a particular class; repeated teaching of the same course does not earn additional credit. Field internship supervisors may earn up to 5 hours per intern, with a maximum of 20 hours per renewal cycle. Board-Approved LCSW Supervisors may also claim CE credit for supervising interns.
- Provider approval: All CE must come from Board-approved offerings. The Board's Designated Providers (DPs) have standing approval. Automatically approved organizations include NASW and NASW state chapters, AAMFT, CSWE-accredited schools, ASWB, and IASSW/IFSW. All other courses must be prior-approved by the Board's CE Committee.
- Inactive status: A licensee may go inactive only after meeting all licensure requirements including CE. While inactive, no CE accrues and CE is effectively waived. Upon return to active status, the licensee must document the hours they would have been required to earn while inactive; the Board may waive up to half of those hours.
- Retired status: To obtain retired designation, a licensee must be in good standing and have completed all CE up to that point. While retired, no further CE is required so long as no practice occurs. A retiree returning to active practice (within 4 years) must apply for reinstatement and complete a full 40-hour CE requirement for the licensure period in question.
- Conditional/extension status: A licensee short on CE hours may request a one-time extension of time to complete required hours. The license remains active during the extension period. The Board will not grant a second consecutive extension in the next renewal period. If required CE is not completed by the end of the extension, the license is automatically placed on inactive status.
We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Mississippi LCSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Mississippi LCSW CE free →Mississippi LCSW CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Mississippi LCSW licensees need?
Mississippi requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW license. Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How many ethics hours are required for Mississippi LCSW licensees?
Of the total, 4 hours must be in professional ethics.
How often do Mississippi LCSW licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Mississippi LCSW licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Mississippi requires 2 hours of cultural diversity, 1 hour of mandated reporting.
Can Mississippi LCSW licensees complete CE online or by home study?
Up to 20 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. At least 20 hours must be earned in person.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Mississippi board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Mississippi board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is informational only and not legal or board advice. Always verify requirements with your licensing board before you renew. See something wrong? Report it →
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