Updated for 2026

Virginia LCSW Continuing Education Requirements

Virginia clinical social workers must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW license, including 6 hours of ethics standards law and 20 hours of category I.

30hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 30
20category I
6ethics standards law

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

What the board saysVirginia board rule
Licensed clinical social workers shall be required to have completed a minimum of 30 contact hours1 of continuing education … A minimum of six of those hours2 for licensed clinical social workers … must pertain to ethics or the standards of practice2 for the behavioral health professions or to laws governing the practice of social work in Virginia … Category I. Formally Organized Learning Activities. A minimum of 20 hours3 for licensed clinical social workers … shall be documented in this category … Category II. Individual Professional Activities. A maximum of 104 of the required 30 hours for licensed clinical social workers … Individual or group study5 including listening to audio tapes, viewing video tapes, or reading professional books or articles. (Activity will count for a maximum of five hours5.)
What it means
  1. 30 contact hours each renewal
  2. 6 hours of ethics, standards of practice, or Virginia law
  3. At least 20 hours of formally organized learning (Category I)
  4. No more than 10 hours of individual professional activities (Category II)
  5. No more than 5 hours of individual or group self-study
18VAC140-20-105Last verified August 2026Ruleset 2026.3How we verify
Start free trialExplore the demo →

It's free for 30 days, and you don't need a card.

Requirements

Virginia LCSW requirements

Total

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

Topic minimums, counted within the 30

The remaining 4 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Category I
20
You need 20 hours each cycle. Category I (Formally Organized Learning) — at least 20 of the 30 hours must come from qualifying academic courses, CSWE-accredited programs, agency workshops or seminars, or courses offered by the organizations listed in 18VAC140-20-105. Category I is not synonymous with live delivery.
Ethics Standards Law
6
You need 6 hours each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Category II
max 10 hrs
Home study / self-study
max 5 hrs
Pro bono service
max 2 hrs
Academic coursework
max 15 hrs per activity
ASWB item writing
max 2 hrs
Book or course preparation
max 10 hrs
Article or inservice
max 5 hrs
CE program delivery
max 2 hrs per activity
Field instruction
max 2 hrs
Professional association service
max 2 hrs
Formal staffing
max 5 hrs

Up to 5 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by June 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.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 3 years after each renewal.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Provisional renewal
The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 12 months before full compliance is required. The Board may grant an extension of up to one year to complete CE requirements for good cause. Only one extension period is provided for; after that, the extension expires.

To keep your proof in order, see what to keep for a CE audit, which covers every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.

Your hours

Check where you stand

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

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Open the full LCSW CE hours calculator

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

Virginia LCSW required trainings and mandates

Beyond the 30-hour CE total, Virginia requires specific trainings. Some are due once around initial licensure, and others run on their own recurring schedule.

Recurring mandates outside the 2-year cycle

  • Virginia Code § 63.2-1509 designates licensed social workers as mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect, and requires any mandated reporter without prior training to complete a state-approved training on recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect. This training is a statutory obligation and does NOT count toward the 30-hour CE total. Typically completed once upon qualifying as a mandated reporter.
  • Virginia Code § 63.2-1606 designates licensed health providers (including social workers) as mandated reporters of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of adults. No specific training hours or recurrence are imposed by statute, and this duty is separate from CE.
Full board policy details
  • Category I (Formally Organized Learning), at least 20 of the 30 hours must come from qualifying academic courses, CSWE-accredited programs, agency workshops or seminars, or courses offered by the organizations listed in 18VAC140-20-105. Category I is not synonymous with live delivery.
  • Category II (individual professional activities), capped at 10 hours total. Within Category II, individual study (audio/video/reading) is further capped at 5 of the 30 hours.
  • Live interactive online courses (real-time webinars/seminars by an approved sponsor) are generally treated as Category I structured learning, not as self-study/home-study.
  • Course repeat restrictions: The regulations do not explicitly prohibit a licensee from retaking the same course for credit within a single renewal period, but duplicate content is generally not creditable. For instructors, teaching a CE program is creditable up to 2 hours maximum, and the program will be accepted only one time, an instructor may not claim credit again by teaching the identical program a second time within the cycle.
  • License status, inactive: A licensee may place the license on inactive status by paying half the renewal fee. While inactive, the licensee may not practice and is not required to complete CE. To reactivate, the licensee must document the applicable competency hours for each year inactive, not to exceed four years. Because the quantity varies with inactive duration, it remains a manual status rule rather than a fixed 30-hour conditional requirement.
  • License status, retired: Virginia's social work regulations do not define a separate "retired" status. Licensees are either active or inactive; a fully lapsed license must be reinstated under §140-20-110, which similarly requires CE hours equal to the number of years lapsed.
  • Reactivation from inactive: Submit fees and documentation of applicable competency hours equal to the years inactive (capped at four years). After reactivation, normal 30-hour-per-cycle CE rules resume.
  • First renewal exemption: Per 18VAC140-20-100(B), newly licensed individuals are not required to document CE on the first renewal date following initial licensure. The full 30-hour requirement applies beginning with the second renewal (and only at even-year renewals).

Virginia LCSW CE: frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do Virginia LCSW licensees need?

Virginia requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by June 30 of even years.

How many ethics hours are required for Virginia LCSW licensees?

Of the total, 6 hours must be in ethics standards law.

How often do Virginia LCSW licensees renew?

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

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Virginia LCSW licensees?

Yes. In addition to ethics, Virginia requires 20 hours of category I.

Can Virginia LCSW licensees complete CE online or by home study?

Up to 5 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.

Is the first renewal different for new Virginia LCSW 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
Virginia board rule
Profession source
ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
Last verified
August 2026
Ruleset version
2026.3

We reviewed this page against the Virginia 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

Make your next renewal easier.

Add your Virginia LCSW license and every requirement on this page becomes a checklist on your record.

Start free trialExplore the demo

30 days free, no credit card.

Virginia 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.Virginia mental health workforce data →29,924 active providers, or 337 per 100,000 residents, ranked 39 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Virginia CE requirement pages

Virginia LPCVirginia LMFTVirginia PsychologistVirginia Addiction CounselorVirginia PMHNP

LCSW CE requirements in other states