New Jersey LCSW Continuing Education Requirements
New Jersey clinical social workers must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW license, including 5 hours of ethics, 20 hours of clinical practice, 3 hours of social and cultural competence, and 1 hour of prescription opioid abuse.
40
total hours / 2 years
20
clinical practice hours
5
ethics hours
3
social and cultural competence hours
1
prescription opioid abuse hours
Biennial renewal · calculating the next statewide deadline
New Jersey LCSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: CE due by August 31 of even years. |
| Ethics | 5 hours required each cycle. |
| Clinical Practice | 20 hours required each cycle. |
| Social and Cultural Competence | 3 hours required each cycle. |
| Prescription Opioid Abuse | 1 hour required each cycle. |
| Carryover | Up to 8 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. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 5 years after each renewal. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Other mandates | New Jersey statute N.J.S.A. 45:15BB-11.1 requires at least one hour of education on prescription opioid drugs — risks, signs of abuse, addiction, and diversion — for every social work license renewal beginning September 1, 2018. This statutory mandate is satisfied by the 1-hour prescription_opioid_abuse CE category requirement, which counts toward the 40-hour total. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.
- carryovermax 8 hrs
- non cswe academic courseworkmax 20 hrs
- qualifying in service trainingmax 20 hrs
- first time presentationmax 9 hrs
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.
New Jersey LCSWrequired trainings & mandates
Beyond the 40-hour CE total, New Jersey requires specific trainings — some once around initial licensure, some on their own recurring schedule.
Recurring mandates outside the 2 years cycle
- New Jersey statute N.J.S.A. 45:15BB-11.1 requires at least one hour of education on prescription opioid drugs — risks, signs of abuse, addiction, and diversion — for every social work license renewal beginning September 1, 2018. This statutory mandate is satisfied by the 1-hour prescription_opioid_abuse CE category requirement, which counts toward the 40-hour total.
Full board policy details
- New Jersey does not award credit for free-form individual study as a stand-alone activity. It does allow courses and programs from the recognized sources in N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.4(c), including approved online offerings. The rule states no separate online or asynchronous cap.
- No minimum number of in-person or live hours is specified. Delivery format does not replace the requirement that the program or course come from a recognized source and satisfy the content rules.
- Approved CE sources include: ASWB or ASWB-approved providers; NASW (national or state chapter) or NASW-approved providers; NJ Department of Children and Families Child Welfare Training Academy programs; social work association conferences requiring social work membership; accredited academic institutions and CSWE-accredited degree programs; in-service training by state-licensed social service agencies (up to half of required CE); programs approved by other states' social work boards or related boards (Counselor, MFT, etc.); and limited self-credits for publishing scholarly articles or teaching new courses.
- A single course that could fit two categories (e.g. ethics and clinical) is credited in only one category. No double-crediting of the same course toward multiple required topic areas (per N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.2(d)).
- COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS — Instructor credit (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.4(c)(17)): An LCSW who teaches workshops or seminars receives 1.5 credits per hour of teaching, but only for a "new" course. "New" means a course or workshop the instructor has not previously taught in any educational setting. Instructors cannot claim CE credit for teaching the same course more than once. In-service training categories explicitly exclude routine staff meetings, administrative training, case reviews, and case management for CE credit.
- LICENSE STATUS RULES — Inactive status: Licensees may elect inactive status at renewal (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-7.1). Inactive licensees may not practice and are effectively exempt from CE while inactive. New Jersey has no separate "retired" license category for social work.
- LICENSE STATUS RULES — Reactivation (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-7.2): To reactivate from inactive status of less than 5 years, the licensee must (1) pay applicable fees, (2) complete the CE hours that would have been required for each biennial period spent inactive (e.g. 40 hours per missed biennium for an LCSW), and (3) submit an employment affidavit for the inactive period. Inactive 5 years or more is treated as new licensure and requires meeting initial licensure requirements.
- LICENSE STATUS RULES — No conditional or provisional renewal: New Jersey does not provide conditional or provisional renewals pending CE completion. There is no grace period and no provisional license. All CE must be completed by the renewal date. A license unrenewed past 30 days is suspended.
- Content limitations (N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.3): CE content is limited to social work practice topics. Personal development courses and purely supervisory sessions are explicitly excluded from CE credit.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your New Jersey LCSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track New Jersey LCSW CE free →New Jersey LCSW CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do New Jersey LCSW licensees need?
New Jersey requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW license. Biennial cycle: CE due by August 31 of even years.
How many ethics hours are required for New Jersey LCSW licensees?
Of the total, 5 hours must be in ethics.
How often do New Jersey LCSW licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: CE due by August 31 of even years.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for New Jersey LCSW licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, New Jersey requires 20 hours of clinical practice, 3 hours of social and cultural competence, 1 hour of prescription opioid abuse.
Is the first renewal different for new New Jersey LCSW 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
- New Jersey board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.3
Reviewed against the New Jersey 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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