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
8
carryover cap
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
New Jersey LCSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
Full board policy details
- New Jersey does not recognize self-study or home-study courses for CE credit. All CE hours must be earned through attendance at approved programs, courses, seminars, conferences, or other activities listed in N.J.A.C. 13:44G-6.4(c). There is no separate cap on self-study because self-study is not an approved category.
- No minimum number of in-person hours is specified. Live interactive courses, including live webinars, are treated like any approved attendance-based program. Truly asynchronous courses with no live contact likely do not qualify.
- 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 all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) 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: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
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: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
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
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the New Jersey 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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