Updated for 2026

Utah LCSW & CSW Continuing Education Requirements

Utah clinical social workers must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW / CSW license, including 6 hours of ethics and 2 hours of suicide prevention.

40hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 40
6ethics
2suicide prevention

Next deadline: September 30, 2028The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of even years.

What the board saysUtah board rule
Social Work license renewals are due September 30th of even years1 and require the following: … Licensed Clinical Social Worker … 40 hours of continuing education (CE)1 directly related to your professional practice … 6 hours must be in professional ethics, law, or technology2 … 2 hours must be in suicide prevention3 … 10 hours of CE may be accrued from online, self-study courses4
What it means
  1. 40 hours every 2 years, due September 30 of even years
  2. 6 hours of ethics, law, or technology
  3. 2 hours of suicide prevention
  4. No more than 10 hours of online self-study
DOPL Social Work Renewal RequirementsLast verified October 2026Ruleset 2026.5How we verify
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Requirements

Utah LCSW & CSW requirements

Total

40 hoursYou need 40 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of even years.

Topic minimums, counted within the 40

The remaining 32 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Ethics
6
You need 6 hours each cycle.
Suicide Prevention
2
You need 2 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Home study / self-study
max 10 hrs
Lecture or instruction
max 5 hrs
Certifiable clinical reading
max 10 hrs
Direct clinical supervision provided
max 10 hrs
Professional leadership service
max 6 hrs
Volunteer mental health service
max 10 hrs
Peer case consultation
max 10 hrs
Peer direct observation
max 10 hrs
Carryover
max 10 hrs

Up to 10 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

Up to 10 unused hours can carry into the next cycle.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of even years.
New licensees
The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.
Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before September 30, 2028.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LCSW CE hours calculator

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

Full board policy details
  • Of the 40 hours per 2-year cycle, no more than 10 hours may be earned through asynchronous (non–real-time) distance learning. Synchronous online courses that are documented as real-time and interactive are not subject to the 10-hour asynchronous cap.
  • Course repeat restrictions: R156-60e-402.1(3)(b)(iii) limits instructor credit: a licensee who teaches the same course may claim CE for at most two presentations of that course per renewal cycle, up to 5 hours total. The rule does not impose a general attendee repeat-course prohibition.
  • Other activity limits per cycle are 10 hours each for certifiable clinical readings, direct clinical supervision provided, volunteer mental-health service, peer case consultation, and peer direct observation; and 6 hours for professional board, committee, or leadership service.
  • Division-approved clinical supervisors must complete 6 additional hours specifically related to supervision in every two-year cycle.
  • Approved providers: All CE must be approved, conducted, or sponsored by (i) an accredited institution of higher education; (ii) a county, state, or federal agency; (iii) a professional association related to clinical mental health therapy; or (iv) a mental health agency providing clinical services. Utah does not maintain a separate board-approved provider list.
  • License status, inactive/retired/lapsed: Utah does not define a distinct inactive or retired LCSW or CSW status with modified CE obligations. A licensee who does not renew is not required to complete CE during the lapse, but must meet current CE requirements upon renewal/reactivation. Under R156-60e-403.1, a license that has been expired for more than 5 years may require up to 40 hours of CE (as determined by the Board) to reinstate.
  • Conditional registration: Utah does not provide a conditional or provisional renewal for licensees short on CE. CE must be completed by the renewal deadline; otherwise the license expires and the licensee must pursue reinstatement.
  • First-renewal proration: R156-60e-402.1(6) increases or decreases the hours proportionately by the date of licensure within the two-year cycle. DOPL states it as 1.6 CE hours for each month licensed, based on the issue and expiration dates; the total, ethics and suicide-prevention requirements are each modeled as prorated so the dashboard shows the whole-cycle figure (for example 13 of 13 hours for an eight-month first cycle).

Utah LCSW & CSW CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Utah LCSW / CSW licensees need?

Utah requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW / CSW license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of even years.

How many ethics hours are required for Utah LCSW / CSW licensees?

Of the total, 6 hours must be in ethics.

How often do Utah LCSW / CSW licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by September 30 of even years.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Utah LCSW / CSW licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, Utah requires 2 hours of suicide prevention.

Can Utah LCSW / CSW licensees complete CE online or by home study?

Up to 10 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

Is the first renewal different for new Utah LCSW / CSW licensees?

The first renewal is different. New licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements, such as prorated hours or first-cycle-only rules, and we apply them automatically.

Sources and verification

State source
Utah board rule
Profession source
ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.5

We reviewed this page against the Utah 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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Utah 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.Utah mental health workforce data →18,620 active providers, or 526.2 per 100,000 residents, ranked 15 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Utah CE requirement pages

Utah LPCUtah LMFTUtah PsychologistUtah Addiction CounselorUtah PMHNP

LCSW CE requirements in other states