What the LMSW Is
A Licensed Master Social Worker, or LMSW, holds a renewable license to practice social work in Texas. BHEC, the Behavioral Health Executive Council, issues the license and administers the rules; the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners is the member board for social work. BHEC's own public licensee files carry the license under the rank code LMSW.
Compare it to the two other Texas pre-license credentials people often lump it in with: the LPC Associate and the LMFT Associate. Both of those expire 60 months from issuance and cannot be renewed. The LMSW has no 60-month term and renews biennially (883.1(a)).
LMSW vs the Texas Associate Licenses
Texas runs three pre-licensure paths in behavioral health, and only two of them use the word Associate. The LPC Associate and the LMFT Associate, covered in what an LPC Associate is, are licenses that expire 60 months from issuance. The LMSW does not have that term.
| LPC Associate / LMFT Associate | LMSW | |
|---|---|---|
| License term | Expires 60 months from issuance, cannot be renewed (22 TAC 681.91(g); 801.202(a)-(b)) | Renews biennially; no 60-month term (883.1(a)-(b)) |
| Practice status | Gated to supervised practice only | A renewable license; clinical work that counts toward the LCSW is done under a supervision plan (781.402(a)(3)) |
| Continuing education | None; the license does not renew | 30 hours per renewal period |
The consequence follows directly from the rule text. An Associate license has a countdown built in from day one. An LMSW does not. Whether the LMSW ever supervises hours toward an LCSW is a separate decision, made later, on the LMSW's own terms.
How to Get Your Texas LMSW License
The application requirements sit in one rule, 22 TAC 781.401(a)(2):
| Requirement | Detail | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | Master's or doctoral degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program (or in candidacy), with a field placement | 781.401(a)(2) |
| Licensing exam | ASWB Masters exam, passing score | 781.401(a)(2) |
| Jurisprudence exam | Texas jurisprudence exam, certificate no more than 6 months old | 882.5; 781.401(b) |
| Background check | Fingerprints, electronic criminal history check | 882.2(a)(3) |
| NPDB self-query | Required with the application, expires after 6 months | 882.2(a)(4); application checklist |
| Citizenship | Proof of citizenship; SAVE verification for non-citizen, naturalized or derived-citizen applicants | 882.2(a)(5) |
| Application fee | $109 | 885.1 |
BHEC reviews applications in the order it receives them. Rather than guess at a processing time, check BHEC's own current application processing timelines chart before you plan around a date.
What an LMSW Can Do
The LMSW is a license within the practice of master social work. Clinical social work is not a separate license; the rule defines it as a specialty inside that broader practice: "a specialty within the practice of master social work that requires applying social work theory, knowledge, methods, ethics, and the professional use of self to restore or enhance social, psychosocial, or bio-psychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups..." (22 TAC 781.102(9)).
An LMSW who intends to apply for an LCSW may not own or operate a private clinical practice while on that path (781.407(a)). There is also a non-clinical route, Independent Practice Recognition for LMSWs, a $20 application fee (885.1) covered under 781.406; it is a different track from the LCSW path and out of scope for this page.
On whether an LMSW can provide therapy in Texas: the rules establish that clinical social work is a specialty within the practice of master social work, and that clinical practice counting toward an LCSW is done under a Clinical Supervision Plan signed with an LCSW-S. They do not spell out a scope-of-practice list, and this page will not invent one. Confirm what a specific role permits directly with BHEC before you rely on an answer.
Renewal and Continuing Education
The LMSW renews biennially, online, due the last day of your birth month, and you may renew up to 60 days early (22 TAC 883.1(a)-(b)). The renewal fee is $108 (885.1).
Social workers, including LMSWs, need 30 hours of continuing education per renewal period. Six of those hours have to be in ethics, and 3 have to be designed to ensure competency when providing services to a distinct population. At least half of the 30 hours must come from a provider listed in 781.501(e), a rule that has applied since January 1, 2024. A social worker with supervisor status must complete 6 of those hours in supervision (781.501(b)). Verified 2026-09-07 against BHEC's social work renewal page.
This is a real difference from the other two Texas tracks. LPC Associates and LMFT Associates owe no continuing education, because their licenses do not renew at all. An LMSW does renew, so an LMSW owes CE from the first cycle onward.
If You Want the LCSW Next
Nothing about becoming an LCSW happens automatically. An LMSW and an LCSW supervisor complete a Clinical Supervision Plan to accrue supervised clinical experience (22 TAC 781.405(a)). From there, the requirement is 3,000 hours of supervised professional clinical experience over at least 24 full months, with at least 100 hours of supervision over the course of the 3,000.
The upgrade application itself costs $24 (885.1). For the full hour breakdown and supervision structure, see Texas LCSW hours requirements and how to become an LCSW in Texas. The plan and the paperwork your supervisor eventually signs are covered in the Clinical Supervision Plan and verification forms.
HourJourney shows how close you are
Your dashboard tracks your clinical hours and supervision hours against the 3,000 and 100 BHEC requires.
How Many LMSWs Are There in Texas?
13,942 LMSWs held active licenses in Texas as of 2026-09-06, against 18,501 LCSWs and 3,027 LBSWs, according to BHEC's public licensee files. New active LMSWs by year: 1,288 in 2023, 1,702 in 2024, 2,201 in 2025, and 1,586 so far in 2026.
BHEC republishes that file daily at bhec.texas.gov/csv/SW.csv. BHEC's file does not show how many of the 13,942 are working under a Clinical Supervision Plan. For how HourJourney handles logging across all three Texas tracks, see hours tracking for Texas associates.
Common Mistakes With the LMSW License
These are mistakes to avoid; the rules governing the LMSW differ from those for the LPC Associate and LMFT Associate licenses.
Calling the LMSW an associate credential
It is a standalone practice license, not a registration gated to supervised work. The LPC Associate and LMFT Associate licenses work that way; the LMSW does not.
Assuming the LMSW expires like the other two tracks
It renews biennially with no term limit (883.1(a)-(b)). There is no 60-month clock running against an LMSW.
Starting hours before filing the Clinical Supervision Plan
Supervised experience accrues under a plan signed by the LMSW and the LCSW-S (781.405(a)); sign it before you count hours.
Opening a private clinical practice while pursuing an LCSW
781.407(a) prohibits an LMSW planning to apply for an LCSW from owning or operating one.
Assuming half of supervision hours must be individual
Chapter 781 does not state an individual-supervision minimum for the LCSW track. Do not build a plan around a ratio the rule does not state.
Skipping CE because associates don't owe it
That rule applies to the LPC Associate and LMFT Associate licenses, which never renew. The LMSW does renew, and owes 30 hours of CE every renewal period from the start.
How HourJourney Supports the LMSW to LCSW Path
If you file a Clinical Supervision Plan and start counting hours toward an LCSW, HourJourney keeps the numbers straight:
- ✓A running total against the 3,000-hour requirement
- ✓A separate counter for the 100 supervision hours, checked against the monthly cap
- ✓A countdown to the 24-full-month minimum duration
- ✓Per-supervisor records for each Clinical Supervision Plan
- ✓The Clinical Supervision Verification Form generated as a PDF replica carrying the same information, one per supervisor, signatures left blank
Built for Texas pre-licensed clinicians.
Keep Reading
LMSW to LCSW in Texas
How the Clinical Supervision Plan works and what changes once you file one.
How to Become an LCSW in Texas
The complete path from LMSW to full clinical licensure.
Texas LCSW Hours Requirements
The 3,000-hour and 100-supervision-hour breakdown and the 24-month floor.
The Clinical Supervision Plan and Verification Forms
What each form collects and when your supervisor has to submit it.
What an LPC Associate Is
What an LPC Associate is and why the license expires after 60 months.
Texas LCSW Hours Calculator
Estimate your finish date against the 3,000 hours, 100 supervision hours and 24-month minimum.
Hours Tracking for Texas Associates
How HourJourney logs supervision, hours, and forms in one place.
Do Practicum Hours Count in Texas?
Whether practicum and internship hours count in each track.
All Texas Guides
Every HourJourney guide for Texas LPC, LMFT and LCSW candidates, by track.
FAQ: The Texas LMSW License
What is an LMSW in Texas?▾
An LMSW is a Licensed Master Social Worker, a renewable Council license issued by BHEC, with the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners as the member board. It is not a training permit or an associate registration. BHEC's public licensee files list it under the rank code LMSW, alongside LBSW and LCSW.
How do you get an LMSW license in Texas?▾
You need a master's or doctoral degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program (or one in candidacy), with a field placement (22 TAC 781.401(a)(2)). Add a passing score on the ASWB Masters exam, the Texas jurisprudence exam with a certificate no more than 6 months old (882.5), fingerprints, an NPDB self-query, proof of citizenship (with SAVE verification for non-citizen, naturalized or derived-citizen applicants), and the $109 application fee (781.401(b); 882.2(a)(3)-(5); 885.1).
How much does an LMSW license cost?▾
The application fee is $109 (22 TAC 885.1). Renewal is $108 every two years. If the license has been expired 90 days or less, renewal costs 1.5 times the base fee (plus Texas.gov and processing fees); more than 90 days but under a year, double the base fee.
Is an LMSW the same as an associate license?▾
No. The LPC Associate and LMFT Associate licenses expire 60 months from issuance and cannot be renewed (22 TAC 681.91(g); 801.202(a)-(b)). The LMSW renews biennially (883.1(a)-(b)) and has no 60-month term. An LMSW may not practice independently unless recognized for it (781.406, 781.407(b)); clinical work that counts toward the LCSW is done under a supervision plan (781.402(a)(3)).
Does an LMSW expire?▾
No. It renews every two years, online, by the last day of your birth month, and you can renew up to 60 days early (22 TAC 883.1(a)-(b)). There is no 60-month term, and the rules do not state a limit on renewals. The license expires on the last day of your birth month each cycle unless renewed (883.2(a)).
How many CE hours does a Texas LMSW need?▾
30 hours per renewal period, including 6 hours of ethics and 3 hours designed to ensure competency when providing services to a distinct population. At least half of the 30 hours must come from a provider listed in 22 TAC 781.501(e), in effect since January 1, 2024. A social worker with supervisor status must complete 6 of those hours in supervision (781.501(b)).
Do you need an LMSW to become an LCSW?▾
Yes, on the Texas route. The LCSW is a reclassification of an existing LMSW license (781.405(b)). You complete a Clinical Supervision Plan with an LCSW-S and 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience over at least 24 full months, with at least 100 hours of supervision over the course of the 3,000, then apply for the upgrade (781.401(a)(1)(C)-(D); 781.405).
How many LMSWs are there in Texas?▾
13,942 LMSWs held active licenses as of 2026-09-06, according to BHEC's public licensee files, alongside 18,501 LCSWs and 3,027 LBSWs. BHEC republishes that file daily at bhec.texas.gov/csv/SW.csv.
Planning the clinical side of the LCSW path? See what counts as clinical hours for LCSW in Texas.
Requirements verified against the BHEC social work licensing pages and the consolidated SW Rulebook (22 TAC Ch. 781, March 2026). Statutes and regulations can change. Always confirm current requirements at bhec.texas.gov before making decisions about your licensure path. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.