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Social work compact states

35 states have enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact. None has issued a multistate license.

Can I get a social work multistate license yet?

No — not in any of the 35 member states. Enactment makes a state a member. Issuing a multistate license needs the commission to finish rulemaking and the shared data system to be live in that state, and neither is complete. Practicing across state lines still means holding a license in each state.

The 35 states that have enacted it

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Georgia
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin

Not a member (16)

  • California
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
  • Wyoming

If you check the commission’s own page, expect a surprise

The Social Work Licensure Compact’s front page still describes the compact as “enacted in at least seven states”. That was true once; it is now 28 states short. The roster here comes from the Council of State Governments, and is confirmed by a dated commission announcement from July 2026 that gives the same number. Where a source is stale on one fact, this site does not lean on it for the next.

How the other compacts compare

Enactment first and operation much later is the norm, not an exception — cosmetology is in the same position, while counseling and occupational therapy have begun switching states on one at a time. Only nursing and physical therapy are mature. See every compact compared by state.

Frequently asked questions

35, as of a commission announcement in July 2026 that matches the Council of State Governments' roster exactly. The compact's own front page still says "at least seven states" — it has not been updated in some time, which is worth knowing if you check it directly.