1. A. An applicant who holds or held a license or registration to practice social work in another state is eligible to be licensed in Maryland at the same level of licensure as the license the applicant holds or held in the other state.

2. B. Bachelor Social Worker.

   1. (1) The Board shall issue a bachelor social worker’s license to an applicant who has met the qualifications in Health Occupations Article, §19-302(a) and (b), Annotated Code of Maryland.
   2. (2) If a bachelor social worker applies for licensure at a different level, the application shall be treated as an initial application subject to the fees set forth in COMAR 10.42.05.

3. C. Master Social Worker.

   1. (1) The Board shall issue a master social worker license to an applicant who has met the applicable qualifications in Health Occupations Article, §19-302(a) and (c), Annotated Code of Maryland.
   2. (2) If a master social worker applies for licensure at a different level, the application shall be treated as an initial application subject to the fees set forth in COMAR 10.42.05.

4. D. Certified Social Worker—Clinical.

   1. (1) The Board shall issue a certified social worker—clinical license to an out-of-State applicant who:

      1. (a) Has more than 5 years of clinical social work practice;
      2. (b) Holds an active clinical license comparable to the certified social worker—clinical licensure level; and
      3. (c) Who has met the qualifications under Health Occupations Article, §19-302.1, Annotated Code of Maryland.

   2. (2) The Board shall issue a certified social worker—clinical license to an out-of-State applicant who:

      1. (a) Has less than 5 years of social work practice;
      2. (b) Holds or held an active license comparable to the certified social worker—clinical licensure level; and
      3. (c) Has met the requirements in Health Occupations Article, §19-302(a) and (e), Annotated Code of Maryland, with documentation of clinical course work.
   3. (3) An applicant for a certified social worker—clinical license with less than 5 years of clinical social work experience shall have completed 12 academic credits of clinical course work from an accredited program with a minimum of six of the 12 academic credits obtained in a Master’s of Social Work program.

   4. (4) The applicant for a certified social worker—clinical license shall have 2 years of at least 3,000 hours of supervised clinical social work experience, which shall be:

      1. (a) Obtained after receiving a master’s degree in social work and as a licensed master social worker, if a licensed master social worker license was required in the jurisdiction where the supervised experience was obtained;
      2. (b) Performed in not less than 2 years and not more than 6 consecutive years; and
      3. (c) Obtained by the candidate while performing social work activities professionally and for compensation.
   5. (5) A candidate shall have obtained a master social worker license before applying for a certified social worker—clinical license.
   6. (6) A candidate shall have obtained a master social worker license in the jurisdiction where the experience was obtained if required in that jurisdiction, before beginning to obtain the 3,000 hours of supervised social work experience.
   7. (7) A licensed graduate social worker may render a diagnosis in the jurisdiction where the experience was obtained if in compliance with the laws in that jurisdiction, while obtaining the requisite 3,000 hours of supervised clinical social work experience.

   8. (8) Clinical social work experience for the purpose of obtaining a certified social worker—clinical license shall be in direct service to clients and may not consist solely of:

      1. (a) Telephonic clinical assessment;
      2. (b) Triage;
      3. (c) Continued stay reviews; and
      4. (d) Discharge planning.
   9. (9) The supervisor shall be a license social worker with a license comparable to the licensed certified social worker—clinical in Maryland.
   10. (10) Half of the supervised clinical social work experience required to obtain a certified social worker—clinical license shall consist of face-to-face client contact.

Authority: Health Occupations Article, §§19-101—19-502, Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: November 10, 1976 (3:23 Md. R. 1302)

Regulations .07, .13, and .16 amended effective May 23, 1983 (10:10 Md. R. 873)

Chapter revised effective April 30, 1990 (17:8 Md. R. 976)

Regulations .02—.04 and .16 amended, and new Regulation .04-1 adopted as an emergency provision effective September 15, 1993 (20:20 Md. R. 1565); adopted permanently effective December 1, 1993 (20:22 Md. R. 1707)

Regulations .01—.22 repealed and new Regulations .01—.19 adopted effective April 12, 2004 (31:7 Md. R. 585)

Regulation .02B amended effective April 4, 2011 (38:7 Md. R. 432); April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .04B, c amended effective April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .05 amended effective April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .06A amended effective April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .08 amended effective February 8, 2010 (37:3 Md. R. 176)

Regulation .12 repealed and new Regulation .12 adopted effective April 4, 2011 (38:7 Md. R. 432)

Regulation .12 amended effective April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .14B, D amended effective April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .15 amended effective April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .16 amended effective February 8, 2010 (37:3 Md. R. 176); April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .17 amended effective February 8, 2010 (37:3 Md. R. 176); April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .18 amended effective February 8, 2010 (37:3 Md. R. 176); April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .19 amended effective April 14, 2014 (41:7 Md. R. 422)

Regulation .19A amended effective February 8, 2010 (37:3 Md. R. 176)

Chapter revised effective June 17, 2019 (46:12 Md. R. 544)

Regulation .02B amended effective June 9, 2025 (52:11 Md. R. 533)

Regulation .04F, G amended effective June 9, 2025 (52:11 Md. R. 533)

Regulation .11D, E amended effective June 9, 2025 (52:11 Md. R. 533)