2019 Fee Change

• Target date to change fees is July 8, 2019
• New fee will be required for any initial license fee, application for licensure, application for renewal, application for reactivation, or license verification request received on or after July 8, 2019—NOT postmark date for applications sent by mail

• The approved budget includes a "not to exceed amount" model, allowing the Board to adjust fees lower than the model amount listed
• The Board has approved new fee amounts lower than the "not to exceed amount."

Fee changes include:

• License renewal and late license renewal fees for all active and alternate license types (paid at each 24-month license renewal or when applying for alternate license status)
• Initial license fees for all license types, with a reduced increase for LSW and LGSW (paid when a new license is issued and prorated based on the number of months until first license renewal)
• License reactivation fees for all license types (paid if reactivating a license from expired or from an alternate license status)
• Application fees (paid when applying for a license)
• License verification fee (paid when requesting official license verification to another state or jurisdiction)

Initial license fees are paid when a new license is issued and are prorated based on the number of months until first license renewal.  To ease the impact of the fee change on new licensees, the Board approved a "new grad discount" for newly issued LSW and LGSW licenses. Under the "new grad discount", the new initial license fees for newly issued LSW and LGSW licenses will increase by only 20% instead of 35% as originally proposed. 

Initial License Fee Increases

Renewal Fee Increases

Alternate License Fee Increases

Alternate licenses include Emeritus Active, Emeritus Inactive, and Temporary Leave

Late Renewal Fee Increases

A license may be renewed with a late fee within 60 days after the expiration date. Late renewal fee is 1/4 of the 24-month renewal fee for the license type.

Application fees are paid when applying for a license, including when applying for a different license type.

Application Fee Increases

Reactivation fees are paid if reactivating a license from expired or from an alternate license status. An expired license may be reactivated within one year after the expiration date of the license. See Reactivations page for complete information about reactivating an alternate license. The fee to reactivate a license from expiration is 1 1/2 times the renewal fee.

License Reactivation Fee Increases

License verification fee is paid if requesting an official license verification to another state or jurisdiction.

License Verification Fee Increase

• Target date to change fees is July 8, 2019

June 2019 Renewals:

• Renew before June 30 to avoid fee increase and late fee: Renewal applications must be received by the Board on or before June 30, 2019 to pay the current license renewal fee without increase or late fee (late fee assessed for renewals received within 60 days after expiration date)
• Renewals received by the Board on or after July 8, 2019 will be subject to renewal late fee AND may be subject to increased fee amount
• Renewal applications are processed based on date received by the Board—NOT postmark date for renewals by mail
• Click here to renew online or download application form to submit by mail

July 2019 Renewals:

• Renew between June 16 and July 7 to avoid fee increase: July 2019 renewals are eligible to renew 45 days before July 31 renewal deadline—renew on or before July 7, 2019 to pay the current license renewal fee without increase
• Renewals received by the Board after the fee increase is effective will be subject to the increased fee amount
• Renewal applications are processed based on date received by the Board—NOT postmark date for renewals by mail
• Click here to renew online or download application form to submit by mail

"New grad discount" for newly issued LSW and LGSW licenses:

• Board approved a "new grad discount" to ease the impact of the fee change on new licensees
• Under the "new grad discount," new initial license fee amounts for newly issued LSW and LGSW licenses increase by only 20% instead of 35% as originally proposed
• LSW and LGSW new 24-month initial license fees are $93.50 and $167.75 (increase of only $0.52 and $0.98 per month)
• LSW and LGSW new 24-month renewal fees are $110.00 and $195.00 and are not effective until the first renewal

• The Board receives no general fund tax dollars—fees are the only source of revenue
• Last fee increase was 19 years ago
• Actual fee amounts approved by Board in current budget proposal keep fees lower than in 2000 
• Fees actually decreased by 30% since 2000, with a 
• 20% reduction in 2006 and a 10% reduction in 2009
• Board reserves were reduced significantly following legislative transfer of $1.4 million from the Board balance in the State Government Special Revenue Fund, to the General Fund, between 2004 and 2012
• Dramatically increased service needs from 2000 to 2018 
• Cost of doing business, including legal and technology expenses, has increased significantly
• Critical to avoid reduction in staff and services resulting in longer response times and fewer public education and outreach activities
• Fee change proposal was approved by both the Governor and Legislature in 2017 and 2018, but not enacted into law due to a 2017 technical legislative drafting omission and the Governor’s veto of the 2018 State Omnibus bill

• Maintain core public safety responsibilities including complaint investigation and resolution, licensing services, and public education
• Ensure fiscally responsible funding for strategic budget investments to create efficiencies and better serve customers 
• Increase staffing at earliest opportunity to meet dramatically increased service needs