Clinical Social Worker License in Florida

Florida licenses Clinical Social Workers under Florida Statute 491, administered by the Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling. The LCSW requires an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program, passage of the ASWB Clinical exam, and completion of supervised clinical experience. Continuing education is required for biennial renewal, typically 30 hours including ethics. Notably, Florida does not list specific criminal conviction prohibitions for social work licensure, though the board retains discretion to deny applications based on character and fitness. Florida also licenses Registered Clinical Social Worker Interns (RCSWIs) who are completing their supervised experience. The state has enormous demand for social workers due to its large and growing population, particularly in behavioral health, child welfare, elder services, and disaster response. Florida's diverse population requires multilingual and culturally competent practitioners. The state has shown interest in the Social Work Licensure Compact to address workforce needs.