Nevada LCSW & LISW Continuing Education Requirements
Nevada clinical social workers must complete 36 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW / LISW license, including 4 hours of ethics, 12 hours of field of practice, and 6 hours of cultural diversity equity inclusion.
36
total hours / 2 years
4
ethics hours
6
cultural diversity equity inclusion hours
12
field of practice hours
Biennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's issue date.
Nevada LCSW & LISW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 36 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary. |
| Ethics | 4 hours required each cycle. |
| Field of Practice | 12 hours required each cycle. |
| Cultural Diversity Equity Inclusion | 6 hours required each 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 | Per NRS 641B.282, clinical social workers must report at each renewal their training in the treatment of mental and emotional trauma immediately following an emergency or disaster (short-term and long-term trauma) and their willingness to respond. This is a reporting requirement only; no specific hours are mandated and it does not count toward CE totals. |
Total hours
36 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
Ethics
4 hours required each cycle.
Field of Practice
12 hours required each cycle.
Cultural Diversity Equity Inclusion
6 hours required each 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
Per NRS 641B.282, clinical social workers must report at each renewal their training in the treatment of mental and emotional trauma immediately following an emergency or disaster (short-term and long-term trauma) and their willingness to respond. This is a reporting requirement only; no specific hours are mandated and it does not count toward CE totals.
Full board policy details
- Nevada imposes no fixed cap or percentage on self-study/home-study courses. NAC 641B.189 allows any combination of approved activities, including live or recorded workshops/conferences, live-interactive online presentations, online courses with verification, publication authorship, one-time presentations, accredited academic courses, and Board-sponsored events. There is no minimum live/in-person hour requirement. Live-interactive internet courses are treated as workshops/conferences via electronic means, not as self-study. Online courses must include some verification/exam to be accepted.
- COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS: Per NAC 641B.187(4), a licensee may not take a program of continuing education which presents the same material as a program taken during the immediately preceding reporting period. In effect, the same CE content cannot be repeated within a four-year window.
- INSTRUCTOR CREDIT: Per NAC 641B.189(1)(d), a licensee may claim credit for a one-time presentation (e.g., teaching a course, workshop, or seminar) once, for up to 15 hours. Teaching the same course again in a later cycle would violate the no-repeat rule unless the content is substantively different.
- LICENSE STATUS RULES — Inactive: Licensees may place their license on inactive status under NRS 641B.295 if not practicing. While inactive, no CE is required. The Board permits inactive status for up to 5 years without CE.
- LICENSE STATUS RULES — Reactivation: To reactivate from inactive status, the licensee must submit a full collection cycle's worth of CEUs (36 hours for LCSW/LISW) before returning to active practice, in addition to other Board requirements.
- LICENSE STATUS RULES — Retired: A licensee age 60 or over who is retired may request a retirement exception at renewal. This waives all CE requirements except the legislatively mandated topics — the 2-hour suicide prevention training (where still required by statute) and the 6-hour cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion training every 2 years. The license remains current with just those hours plus the renewal fee.
- CONDITIONAL REGISTRATION: Nevada law and regulations do not provide for a conditional or provisional license pending CE completion. If a licensee fails to complete required CE by renewal, the license becomes delinquent (and then expired if not corrected) per NRS 641B.290.
- FIRST CYCLE: Per NAC 641B.186, the first reporting period runs from initial licensure through the second renewal date. No CE total is enforced at the first renewal; the full 36-hour requirement applies beginning at the second renewal (the end of the first 2-year cycle).
- APPROVED PROVIDERS: Per NAC 641B.187(2) and NAC 641B.189, all CE hours must be from Board-approved programs. Courses are automatically deemed approved if offered by NASW, ASWB, any state board under chapters 641–641D, or a nationally recognized behavioral-health association. All other providers must be approved through the Board's process.
- LEGISLATIVE NOTE: Effective July 1, 2026, the revised NRS 641B.280 omits the 2-hour suicide prevention training requirement, leaving only the 6-hour cultural diversity requirement as a statutory mandate every 2 years. The Board is expected to amend NAC accordingly.
- NRS 641B.282 REPORTING: Clinical social workers must report at each renewal their training in the treatment of mental and emotional trauma (short-term and long-term) following an emergency or disaster, and their willingness to respond. This is a reporting datapoint only and does not count toward the CE total or impose specific training hours.
We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Nevada LCSW / LISW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Nevada LCSW / LISW CE free →Nevada LCSW & LISW CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Nevada LCSW / LISW licensees need?
Nevada requires 36 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW / LISW license. Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
How many ethics hours are required for Nevada LCSW / LISW licensees?
Of the total, 4 hours must be in ethics.
How often do Nevada LCSW / LISW licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: counted from your license anniversary.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Nevada LCSW / LISW licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Nevada requires 12 hours of field of practice, 6 hours of cultural diversity equity inclusion.
Is the first renewal different for new Nevada LCSW / LISW 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
- Nevada board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Nevada 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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