New Jersey · Continuing Education
New Jersey social work CE requirements for the 2026 renewal
CSW, LSW and LCSW licensees in New Jersey all renew on the same date — but each level owes a different number of continuing education hours. Here's what each one requires, and which hours have to come from specific categories.
Updated August 2026
CE hours by license type
| License | Total CE hours | Required categories |
|---|---|---|
| CSW Certified Social Worker | 20 hours biennially | 5 hours ethics 3 hours cultural competence |
| LSW Licensed Social Worker | 30 hours biennially | 5 hours ethics 3 hours cultural competence |
| LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker | 40 hours biennially | 20 hours clinical 5 hours ethics 3 hours cultural competence |
The category hours are not interchangeable
This is where renewals go wrong. An LCSW who completes 40 hours of general clinical content still hasn't met the requirement if none of it was ethics or cultural competence. Those categories are mandatory minimums carved out of the total — not suggestions, and not satisfied by adjacent topics.
Check your ethics and cultural competence hours first. They're the ones people discover they're short on, and they're the hardest to fix in the last week when every other licensee in the state is looking for the same courses.
Everyone renews at once
New Jersey doesn't renew on your personal anniversary. Every social work licensee in the state — more than 30,000 people — renews together in even-numbered years, and the current cycle ends August 31, 2026. CE provider availability and board processing both compress into the same few weeks as a result.
Common questions
- How many CE hours does an LCSW need in New Jersey?
- 40 hours per biennial cycle, of which 20 must be clinical, 5 ethics, and 3 cultural competence.
- Do ethics hours count toward the total?
- Yes. The 5 ethics hours are part of your total, not additional to it — an LSW's 30 hours includes the 5 ethics and 3 cultural competence hours.
- What if I hold more than one credential?
- Requirements attach to the license you hold. If you've moved from LSW to LCSW during the cycle, confirm with the board which requirement applies to this renewal.
- When is the New Jersey deadline?
- August 31, 2026, for all social work licensees. New Jersey uses one shared biennial cycle in even-numbered years.
Requirements above are compiled from New Jersey State Board of Social Work Examiners published rules and our own licensing guide. CE rules and fees change — confirm current requirements with the board at njconsumeraffairs.gov/sw or (973) 504-6495 before you file. Your individual license record is authoritative.