Alaska · LCSW Renewal

Alaska LCSW CEU Requirements (2026–2028)

Alaska LCSWs need 45 contact hours of continuing education every two years, with five required categories (substance abuse, Alaska Native cross-cultural, ethics, teletherapy, and suicide education) plus a floor of 10 hours that have to be live or synchronous. License period ends June 30 of even-numbered years. Here is the verified breakdown from 12 AAC 18.210.

Last verified: May 2026 · Source: AS 08.95; 12 AAC 18.200, 18.210, 18.220

The short version

The remaining 24 contact hours can come from any course content relevant to clinical social work practice, the populations you serve, or the modalities you use, delivered by an approved provider. Alaska does not maintain its own approved-provider list; the board accepts ASWB-ACE, NASW and chapter offerings, CSWE-accredited program coursework, academic postgraduate social work courses, and cross-disciplinary content from medicine, law, or behavioral sciences when relevant to your scope.

Five required categories every cycle

• 6 hours, Substance Abuse Education. Required every renewal under 12 AAC 18.210(b).
• 6 hours, Cross-Cultural Education on Alaska Natives. First biennial renewal: all 6 hours must address Alaska Native issues. Second renewal and beyond: at least 3 of the 6 must focus on Alaska Native issues; the remaining 3 may address other cross-cultural content.
• 3 hours, Professional Ethics.
• 3 hours, Teletherapy Practice. Added in the 2023 rule update covering teletherapy practice standards.
• 3 hours, Suicide Education.

Live or synchronous training: 10-hour floor

At least 10 of the 45 contact hours must be earned through live, live-online, or synchronous training under 12 AAC 18.210(d). The other 35 may be asynchronous or self-study. This is unusual among western states and worth planning around early in the cycle, since live training tends to be the bottleneck for clinicians in remote areas.

Renewal cycle: even-year June 30

Alaska aligns every social work license to a single biennial calendar. License period ends June 30 of even-numbered years (12 AAC 18.200). Licenses issued within 90 days of an expiration date are issued to the next biennial expiration, so a new licensee in May 2026 renews June 30, 2028, not 2026.

First renewal: pro-rata

If you were licensed for fewer than 12 months of the closing biennium, you owe 21 contact hours instead of the full 45. Licensed for 12 or more months: full 45 (12 AAC 18.210(a)). The five required categories still apply at the same hour totals either way.

Per-day cap: 12 contact hours

Maximum 12 contact hours of CE may be earned per day under 12 AAC 18.210(e), so a single all-day intensive cannot get you more than 12 of the 45.

Reporting to the board

Alaska does not mandate CE Broker. At renewal you self-attest that you completed the required hours; documentation is requested only if you are audited. Retain certificates and completion records for 3 years from the date earned. If audited, you have 30 days to respond.

Carryover

Alaska does not authorize CE hour carryover between cycles. Hours beyond 45 in a given biennium do not bank toward the next.

Other Alaska social work licenses

12 AAC 18.210 applies the same 45-hour requirement and same five category minimums to LBSW (baccalaureate) and LMSW (master's, non-clinical) licenses. The board treats clinical and non-clinical tiers identically on CE; only the scope of practice and supervision rules differ.

Board links

This page is informational. Rules change. Verify against the Alaska Board of Social Work Examiners (BSWE) before acting on anything here.