New York · LMSW Renewal
New York LMSW CEU Requirements (2026–2028)
If you hold an active LMSW in New York, NYSED requires 36 hours of continuing education every 3-year registration period, including a 3-hour Professional Boundaries minimum (effective April 1, 2023). LMSW and LCSW share the same CE rule. Here is the verified breakdown, straight from the source.
Last verified: May 2026 · Source: NY Education Law §7710(2); 8 NYCRR §74.10
The short version
| Requirement | Hours | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 36 | Every 3 years |
| Professional Boundaries | 3 | Every 3 years |
| Self-study cap | 12 | Every 3 years |
NYSED treats LMSW and LCSW the same for CE: 36 hours per 3-year registration period. The Office of the Professions states it directly: “each LMSW and LCSW must complete 36 hours of approved continuing education courses for each triennial registration period.”
Professional Boundaries: 3 hours
Effective April 1, 2023, 8 NYCRR §74.10(a)(2)–(3) requires 3 hours of Professional Boundaries content per 3-year registration period for every social worker, psychologist, and mental health practitioner under NYSED. This is the only category-minimum on the books for LMSW (no separate ethics, cultural competency, or suicide-prevention hours are mandated). The 3 hours count toward the 36-hour total.
Self-study cap: 12 hours
At most 12 of the 36 hours may come from self-study (one-third of the total). The remaining 24 hours just have to come from a NYSED-approved provider in any format that is not classified as self-study, live or recorded both qualify. Track delivery format alongside hours so you can prove the self-study split at audit.
No carryover
NY Education Law §7710(2) explicitly prohibits carryover. Hours earned in one registration period do not roll into the next. Plan your hours to land inside each triennial window.
Renewal timing
New York LMSW registration is triennial. The first registration period after initial licensure has no CE requirement; CE earned before that first registration cannot count toward later periods.
LMSW vs. LCSW: identical CE rules
NYSED's LMSW CE page binds both credentials in one sentence: same 36-hour triennial total, same Professional Boundaries minimum, same 12-hour self-study cap, same carryover prohibition. The two diverge at scope of practice and clinical-supervision eligibility, not at CE.
Child abuse identification training
New York Education Law §6507 requires a one-time 2-hour child abuse identification and reporting training before initial licensure. This is not a recurring CE category, once completed, it stays completed. If you transferred a license in or are restoring a lapsed license, NYSED may require fresh proof; check the OP renewal page for current documentation rules.
Accepted CE formats
- NYSED-approved providers (the OP page lists ASWB-ACE, NASW, CSWE, and others)
- University graduate-level coursework in social work or a related clinical field
- Live conferences, seminars, and workshops
- Self-study (capped at 12 hrs / 3 yrs)
- Teaching CE (course development and presentation), per NYSED caps
Documentation
Keep completion certificates and provider records for at least 6 years (NYSED retention rule). Audits are random, and the burden of proof is on the licensee. Storing certificates in a single place removes the renewal-period scramble.
Board links
Track these requirements automatically.
Still Licensed keeps your New York ethics and total hours up to date as you log each CE. Multi-state support means one entry can count toward every state you're licensed in.
This page is informational. Rules change. Verify against the NYSED Office of the Professions, State Board for Social Work before acting on anything here.