New York LCSW & LMSW Continuing Education Requirements
New York clinical social workers must complete 36 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew their LCSW / LMSW license.
36
total hours / 3 years
Triennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's birth month.
New York LCSW & LMSW requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 36 hours every 3 years. |
| Renewal | Triennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month. |
| Format limits | Up to 12 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. |
| New licensees | The registration period in which a social worker is first licensed in New York is exempt from CE. |
| Approved providers | CE must be earned from a board-approved provider. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 6 years after each course's completion date. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Other mandates | Mandated reporters, including LMSWs and LCSWs who completed earlier training, must complete the updated child-abuse curriculum addressing children with intellectual or developmental disabilities by November 17, 2026. |
| Provisional renewal | The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 12 months before full compliance is required. NYSED may issue a nonrenewable conditional registration for up to one year while the licensee remedies a CE deficiency and completes the additional monthly requirement. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 36 hours can come from.
- home study / self-studymax 12 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 York LCSW & LMSWrequired trainings & mandates
Beyond the 36-hour CE total, New York requires specific trainings — some once around initial licensure, some on their own recurring schedule.
Recurring mandates outside the 3 years cycle
- Mandated reporters, including LMSWs and LCSWs who completed earlier training, must complete the updated child-abuse curriculum addressing children with intellectual or developmental disabilities by November 17, 2026.
Full board policy details
- No more than one-third of a registration period's required hours may be self-study; that is 12 hours in a standard 36-month period.
- Three hours of professional-boundaries coursework from an approved provider are required for every registration period beginning on or after April 1, 2023.
- Teaching credit is available only for the first presentation of a course. A first peer-reviewed article or book chapter earns two hours, and a first book earns five.
- CE does not carry forward. A shorter nonexempt registration period is generally calculated at one hour per month.
- A return after lapsed registration can require the last registered period's CE plus one hour per lapsed month, up to 36, as well as the new period's ordinary requirement.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your New York LCSW / LMSW record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track New York LCSW / LMSW CE free →New York LCSW & LMSW CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do New York LCSW / LMSW licensees need?
New York requires 36 continuing education hours every 3 years to renew a LCSW / LMSW license. Triennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
How often do New York LCSW / LMSW licensees renew?
Triennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
Can New York LCSW / LMSW licensees complete CE online or by home study?
Up to 12 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.
Is the first renewal different for new New York LCSW / LMSW licensees?
The registration period in which a social worker is first licensed in New York is exempt from CE.
Sources & verification
- State source
- New York board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the New York 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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