Minnesota Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW)
AKA: Minnesota LGSW License
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The Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW) is Minnesota’s graduate-level social work license for people who have finished a qualifying graduate social work degree and want a state credential recognized by employers, clients, and payers. Many people pursue it soon after earning an MSW (or another qualifying graduate social work degree), and it is often the first Minnesota social work license held after graduation.
The Minnesota Board of Social Work regulates licensing. The standard route is straightforward: complete a qualifying graduate social work degree, pass the required ASWB exam, complete the required criminal background check for initial licensure if it applies to you, and file your application through the state’s online portal. Minnesota law and the Board’s licensing materials spell out what qualifies as acceptable education, which exam you need, and what materials you will submit with your application.
Minnesota’s LGSW education requirement is simple: you need a master’s-level social work degree or higher from an appropriately accredited program.
Minnesota law says an applicant has received a graduate degree in social work from an approved program. In practice, that usually means your transcript should clearly show a completed master’s degree in social work, typically an MSW. The same statute also says a doctorate in social work from an accredited university satisfies the education requirement.
Your graduate social work program must be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work, or a similar accreditation body that the Board designates. To verify a U.S. program, CSWE’s accreditation directory is the usual reference point: CSWE Accreditation.
The Minnesota Board of Social Work posts licensing information and legal references here if you need clarification on a less common education history: laws and regulations.
To qualify for Minnesota’s LGSW, you need a passing score on the ASWB master’s or equivalent exam required by law. For the standard Minnesota LGSW path, that means the ASWB Masters exam.
For the LGSW, Minnesota uses the ASWB Masters exam level. When ASWB offers multiple social work exam levels, select the Masters exam for this license type.
Minnesota’s licensing requirements are based on having already passed the required exam, so plan your test date with your application timing in mind. Waiting too long to test can delay the point when your file is complete enough for licensure review.
If you need clarification about what Minnesota would accept as an “equivalent” exam, start with the Board’s laws and regulations page: laws and regulations.
Minnesota does not list a separate post-degree supervised-experience requirement to obtain the LGSW by examination. The state’s LGSW-by-examination requirements focus on education, exam passage, background check, ethics standards, fees, and the application process, rather than a set number of pre-licensure supervision hours.
That means most LGSW applicants do not need to document a fixed number of supervised work hours for initial licensure. An employer may still require supervision, and Minnesota places supervision requirements on certain types of licensed practice after you are licensed, but those are separate from the initial LGSW-by-examination requirements.
For the legal requirements tied to LGSW licensure by examination, see Minn. Stat. § 148E.055. For broader licensing laws and scope information maintained by the Board, use the Board’s laws and regulations page.
To avoid delays, handle the LGSW application in order: line up third-party items first, then submit through the Minnesota Board of Social Work’s online system. The most common delays come from transcripts, exam records, criminal background check timing, and identifying information that does not match across records.
File the LGSW application in the Board’s online portal: Online Services. General licensing information and contact details are available from the Minnesota Board of Social Work.
The Minnesota Board says getting a standard license generally takes at least three months, and often longer. Initial application review usually takes 30 to 60 days from the date the Board receives the application. If your file is missing items or the Board needs clarification, the process can take longer.
If questions come up during the process, especially about documenting education, exam passage, or the background check, use the Board’s contact options instead of guessing and risking a resubmission.
Renew by the deadline and keep clear continuing education records. Most renewal issues come from late submissions, missing CE hours, or being unable to document compliance if you are audited.
Minnesota social work licenses renew on a two-year cycle. Spread your CE across the full term to avoid a last-minute rush.
State law requires 40 hours of continuing education for each two-year renewal term. Within those 40 hours, Minnesota requires:
Up to 50% of the total may be completed through independent learning. These category hours count within the overall 40-hour total, so it helps to track them separately as you go.
Keep all CE records together throughout the renewal term so they are easy to produce if requested. A practical record set usually includes:
Complete renewal online through the state licensing portal at Online Services. The process usually includes confirming your license details, attesting that you met renewal requirements, paying any required fees, and submitting the renewal for processing.
A lapse can affect employment and practice quickly, so treat renewal as a firm compliance deadline. If you miss a due date or need to change your status, follow the Board’s renewal guidance instead of guessing: License Renewal.
Regional complications usually come up when Minnesota-based work crosses state lines, especially near borders or when tele-services involve out-of-state clients.
A Minnesota LGSW is still a Minnesota license. If a job serves clients in neighboring states, confirm early whether the employer expects additional authorization in the state where the client is located.
Tele-services can turn a Minnesota-based role into a multi-jurisdictional issue quickly. Before continuing services with a client who has relocated or is temporarily outside Minnesota, confirm what rules apply and whether additional licensure steps are needed.
Minnesota has adopted the Social Work Licensure Compact in state law. That matters most for people near state borders or in jobs built around multistate service delivery, but applicants should still confirm current implementation details and employer expectations before assuming compact-based practice rights are available for a specific role.
If a job description mentions regional coverage, tri-state service, or telehealth, confirm in writing which state’s rules apply and whether additional licensure will be required.
Many delays come down to mismatched documents. Keep the same legal name on your ASWB account, graduate transcript, background-check records, and Minnesota Board of Social Work application. If your name has changed, be ready to provide any documentation the Board requests so your file can be matched cleanly.
Hospitals, schools, and large health systems may begin their own credentialing process while licensure is still pending. Even if an employer is ready to hire, some onboarding steps may wait until your license number is issued. Checking your status in the Board’s portal can help you avoid last-minute surprises.
Minnesota offers a Jurisprudence-Online Learning Module. It is not listed as a standard requirement for initial LGSW licensure by examination, but it is required for some status changes, such as certain reactivations, and may be optional in other circumstances.
These FAQs cover common Minnesota LGSW licensing questions about degree, exam, supervision, application timing, renewal, scope, and where to confirm rules.
Minnesota requires a graduate degree in social work from a qualifying accredited program, or a doctorate in social work from an accredited university. For most applicants, that means an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
The required exam is the ASWB Masters exam for the standard LGSW-by-examination path. Register and review exam details through ASWB.
No separate post-degree supervised-experience requirement appears in Minnesota’s LGSW-by-examination statute. Most applicants qualify by meeting the education, exam, background check, and application requirements.
Submit your application through the Minnesota Board of Social Work’s online portal. To prevent delays, line up your transcript, exam records, background-check requirements, and legal name information before you submit.
The Minnesota Board says standard licensing generally takes at least three months, and often longer. Initial review usually takes 30 to 60 days from the date the Board receives your application.
Not for clinical social work practice. The Minnesota Board states that an LGSW may engage in clinical social work practice only under the supervision of an LICSW or a licensing supervisor approved by the Board. Before accepting a role that expects independent clinical practice, confirm the license level the job actually requires.
Renewal runs on a two-year cycle and requires 40 hours of continuing education, including 2 hours in social work ethics and 4 hours in cultural responsiveness. Up to half of the total may be completed through independent learning.
No separate jurisprudence exam is listed as a standard requirement for initial LGSW licensure by examination. Minnesota does offer a Jurisprudence-Online Learning Module, but that is used in more limited situations such as certain status changes.
