Arkansas requirements

LCSW requirements in Arkansas

What it takes to become a Licensed Certified Social Worker in Arkansas: 4,000 supervised hours over at least 24 months, plus supervision, time limits, exams and whether you can be supervised by video. Every figure is sourced to the state board and dated.

Sourced to Arkansas Social Work Licensing BoardChecked September 25, 2026Not individually reviewed by a clinicianAbout this site

Licensed Certified Social Worker (clinical social worker) · Arkansas · regulated by Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board · high confidence

Pre-license credentialLicensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) or provisional LMSW (PLMSW)
Supervised experienceTwenty-four (24) months post-master's social work experience; and Four thousand (4,000) hours in a supervised master's-level social work position
Supervisionat least 100 direct supervision hours during the 24-month period
Minimum time24 months
ExamsASWB Clinical examination

Supervision

  • How much: at least 100 direct supervision hours during the 24-month period
  • How often: No more than 2 hours counted in any one-week period; guidelines: direct contact with supervisor at least 1 hour per week
  • Group supervision: Max 4 in a group; group ≤ one-half of total supervisory time
  • Who may supervise: LCSW (or Board-determined equivalent) fully licensed for 3 years; may be inside or outside the agency

When hours count and what to keep

  • Before your degree: Not counted: post-master's experience in a licensed master's-level (clinical) position
  • Paperwork: Supervision Plan (Board form) within 60 days of start; LCSW Supervision Evaluation Form within 60 days of end of each plan

Can you be supervised remotely in Arkansas?

Yes. Required supervision can be done entirely by live video, with no in-person minimum.

  • Video supervision: The rule assumes supervision may use technology: social workers using technology to facilitate supervision must protect confidentiality, citing the NASW/ASWB/CSWE/CSWA technology standards. The board's supervision log has "Face-to-Face (in person)" and "Via Telehealth" check-boxes. No in-person share is set.
  • Supervisor licensed in Arkansas? other: an LCSW (or a social worker the Board deems equivalent), fully licensed for 3 years. The rule does not say the license must be from Arkansas.
  • Supervisee cap: Group supervision: at most 4 supervisees per group, and no more than half of total supervision time
  • Board approval first: Not prior. The supervision plan must reach the Board within 60 days after supervision begins. A new or updated plan is needed on any change of job, supervisor or duties.

The client’s location decides which state’s rules apply. This is not legal advice; confirm with the board before building a program. Compare every state on the remote-supervision map.

Where the rules are unclear

Arkansas’s own documents disagree or are silent on these points. Ask the board if they affect you:

  • Must the LCSW supervisor hold an Arkansas license, or may an LCSW licensed elsewhere supervise an Arkansas LMSW?

In the board’s own words

“Four thousand (4,000) hours in a supervised master's-level social work position.” — 17 CAR § 100-106(c)(2)(A)(ii)✓ matched in the source
“the applicant must have at least one hundred (100) direct supervision hours, with no more than two (2) hours occurring in any one-week period.” — 17 CAR § 100-106(c)(3)(A)✓ matched in the source
“Twenty-four (24) months post-master's social work experience” — 17 CAR § 100-106(c)(2)(A)(i)✓ matched in the source
“Social workers who use technology to facilitate supervision shall use appropriate precautions to protect the confidentiality of those communications.” — 17 CAR § 100-106 Supervision (Code of Arkansas Rules)✓ matched in the source
“an LCSW or a social worker whom the Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board determines to have the qualifications equivalent of those required of an LCSW” — 17 CAR § 100-106 Supervision (Code of Arkansas Rules)✓ matched in the source
“The supervisor may be from inside or outside the agency where the applicant obtains their experience.” — 17 CAR § 100-106 Supervision (Code of Arkansas Rules)✓ matched in the source
“you must attach a letter from the agency supervisor or administrator stating that the supervisor has access to the pertinent records and policies.” — ASWLB LCSW Supervision Guidelines (eff. July 1, 2020; rev. 01/2023), pp. 1-5✓ matched in the source
“There is a maximum of four (4) in a group; and” — 17 CAR § 100-106 Supervision (Code of Arkansas Rules)✓ matched in the source
“must be currently employed in a licensed master’s level clinical position for the supervision to be applied.” — ASWLB LCSW Supervision Guidelines (eff. July 1, 2020; rev. 01/2023), pp. 1-5✓ matched in the source
“Received in a legible form within sixty (60) days from the beginning date of the supervision.” — 17 CAR § 100-106 Supervision (Code of Arkansas Rules)✓ matched in the source

Other licenses in Arkansas

Sources

Checked against Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board’s rules, statutes and publications on September 25, 2026. The board decides; if your situation is unusual, confirm with them.

Track your hours as you earn them

Practice Harbor is free while you are pre-licensed. It counts your clinical hours from the sessions you mark as attended, and you can add outside hours by hand.

General information, not legal advice. Requirements are summarized from each state’s licensing board, statutes and regulations on the date shown; the board decides, and rules change. Becoming Licensed is not affiliated with any licensing board.