Oregon

Oregon LCSW CEU Requirements: A Working Guide for 2026

April 14, 2026 · ~7 min read

The short version: 40 hours every two years, 6 in ethics, 6 in cultural competency. Here's the longer version, with the context that makes it usable.

Who this applies to

This guide is for active LCSWs in Oregon. LMSWs, RBSWs, and CSWAs have different requirements (LMSW is 30 hours, RBSW is 20, CSWAs have no CE requirement). Semi-retired LCSWs have a reduced 20-hour requirement.

The numbers

• 40 total CE hours every 2-year renewal cycle
• 6 hours of ethics (part of the 40)
• 6 hours of cultural competency (also part of the 40)
• 28 remaining hours from any board-recognized category

Ethics and cultural competency hours count toward the total. They don't stack on top.

Renewal timing

Oregon renewal is biennial and falls on the last day of your birth month. If your birthday is June 14, your license expires June 30. Plan backward from that date.

First renewal

Your first renewal after initial licensure has no CE requirement. That means CE hours earned before your first renewal cannot be counted later. A course you took the week you got licensed does not help you. This catches people.

Carryover

Oregon is one of the more generous states here. Up to 10 hours may carry from one renewal cycle to the next. The carryover is total, not per-category. An extra 10 ethics hours would carry as 10 generic hours, not 10 ethics hours.

What counts as acceptable CE

Per OAR 877-025-0011, Oregon accepts:

• Conferences, seminars, workshops (in-person, online, or webcast) from board-recognized credentialing bodies
• Self-approved trainings (written application required to the board)
• Agency in-service / employer-sponsored programs, capped at 50% of required hours
• University or college courses in social work
• Approved training videos or audio
• Study groups of 5 to 10 mental health professionals (max 2 hours per meeting)
• Teaching CE (course development and presentation)
• College-level language courses with a passing grade, up to 25% of total

Documentation and audits

Keep completion certificates for at least 24 months. The board does random audits. If you get audited, they'll ask for certificates, dates, provider info, and category verification. The volume of paperwork is less alarming than the short timeline to produce it, so store things as you go.

What "cultural competency" actually means

Oregon's cultural competency requirement is broader than the name suggests. Per OAR, it's "effective communication with diverse cultures, groups, and communities." That includes race and ethnicity, but also LGBTQ+ clients, disability, socioeconomic class, religion, rural vs urban populations, and others.

Most multicultural counseling courses qualify. Courses that focus on a single marginalized group usually qualify. When in doubt, look at the learning objectives on the certificate and match them to the OAR language.

Board links

CE info: oregon.gov/blsw continuing-education
Renewal portal: BLSW Thentia Cloud

Keep it that way.