Updated for 2026

Ohio LISW, LISW-S & LSW Continuing Education Requirements

Ohio clinical social workers must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LISW / LISW-S / LSW license, including 3 hours of ethics.

30hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 30
3ethics

The renewal cycle is biennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

What the board saysOhio board rule
(C) Except as required by paragraph (D) of this rule, all persons who hold a license in social work as a condition of renewal of their license shall complete thirty clock hours1 of continuing professional education in social work … (1) For all renewals three of the thirty hours shall be taken in the area of ethics2 continuing education.
What it means
  1. 30 clock hours each renewal
  2. 3 of the 30 hours in ethics
Ohio Admin. Code 4757-9-01Last verified October 2026Ruleset 2026.6How we verify
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Requirements

Ohio LISW, LISW-S & LSW requirements

Total

30 hoursYou need 30 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

Topic minimums, counted within the 30

The remaining 27 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
3
You need 3 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

First time presentation
max 10 hrs
Journal article
max 10 hrs per activity
Book publication
max 30 hrs per activity
Qualifying volunteer service
max 6 hrs

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial and is counted from your license anniversary.
Renewal fee
Renewal fees by license status
Status / feeAmount and conditions
LISW active renewal$100. Biennial board fee; portal charges are separate.
Board fee schedule
LSW active renewal$80. Biennial board fee; portal charges are separate.
Board fee schedule
Active late renewal surcharge$40. Additional charge.
Board fee schedule

Amounts exclude eLicense transaction charges and CE courses. Inactive fees differ.

We verified these fees on 2026-09-30. Board fee schedule.

Approved providers
CE must be earned from a board-approved provider.
Late renewal
A late renewal adds a $40 late fee.
Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before your renewal.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LCSW CE hours calculator

Also hold a Ohio LPC or LMFT license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Ohio LPC and Ohio LMFT requirements.

Full board policy details
  • No self-study or distance-learning cap applies. OAC 4757-9-04(F) permits social workers to earn the full 30-hour renewal requirement through distance learning, with no minimum number of live or in-person hours.
  • Live, interactive videoconference courses are NOT classified as distance learning under Ohio's definitions and count as live CE hours, treated the same as in-person courses.
  • Course repeat restrictions: A licensee who teaches a CE program receives credit only for the FIRST presentation of that program (1.5 credit hours per hour taught, up to 10 hours per renewal cycle per OAC 4757-9-04(C)). Subsequent presentations of the same course in the same renewal period yield no additional credit. Courses previously taken are eligible again only when updated after five years; the engine cannot enforce that cross-cycle five-year lookback.
  • Inactive status: Licensees on inactive status are exempt from CE requirements while inactive (OAC 4757-7-01(B), per ORC 4757.321). Inactive licensees do not need CE to maintain inactive status.
  • Retired status: Ohio does not define a separate "retired" license category; only "inactive" status is available. No separate retired-CE rules apply.
  • Reactivation from inactive: Within the two years prior to applying for restoration to active status (OAC 4757-7-03), the applicant must complete: (a) at least 30 CE hours including 6 hours of ethics if inactive 5 years or less; (b) at least 45 CE hours including 6 hours of ethics if inactive more than 5 but not more than 10 years; (c) at least 45 CE hours plus a professional development plan (mentorship, training, etc.) if inactive more than 10 years. Reactivation hours cannot be double-counted toward the next renewal cycle.
  • No conditional or provisional renewal: If CE requirements are not met by the renewal date, the license expires (OAC 4757-7-01(C)) and must be formally restored only after completing the required CE. There is no provisional active status or grace extension for completing missing CE.
  • Banking ended July 1, 2026. Hours from a prior renewal period may no longer be carried forward.
  • Social work assistant certificate holders are subject to a reduced 15-hour-per-cycle CE requirement under ORC 4757.33(B), not the 30-hour requirement applicable to LSW/LISW/LISW-S.

Ohio LISW, LISW-S & LSW CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Ohio LISW / LISW-S / LSW licensees need?

Ohio requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LISW / LISW-S / LSW license. The renewal cycle is biennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

How many ethics hours are required for Ohio LISW / LISW-S / LSW licensees?

Of the total, 3 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Ohio LISW / LISW-S / LSW licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial and is counted from your license anniversary.

How much does Ohio LISW / LISW-S / LSW license renewal cost?
Renewal fees by license status
Status / feeAmount and conditions
LISW active renewal$100. Biennial board fee; portal charges are separate.
Board fee schedule
LSW active renewal$80. Biennial board fee; portal charges are separate.
Board fee schedule
Active late renewal surcharge$40. Additional charge.
Board fee schedule

Amounts exclude eLicense transaction charges and CE courses. Inactive fees differ.

We verified these fees on 2026-09-30. Board fee schedule.

Sources and verification

State source
Ohio board rule
Fee schedule
Ohio board fee schedule
Profession source
ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.6

We reviewed this page against the Ohio board source, and we refresh it 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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Ohio guides & data

What to keep for a CE audit →Learn what boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, and what the notice looks like, then use the printable checklist.Ohio mental health workforce data →63,778 active providers, or 535.9 per 100,000 residents, ranked 14 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Ohio CE requirement pages

Ohio LPCOhio LMFTOhio PsychologistOhio Addiction CounselorOhio PMHNP

LCSW CE requirements in other states