Oregon · LMSW Renewal

Oregon LMSW CEU Requirements (2026–2027)

If you hold an active LMSW in Oregon, the Board of Licensed Social Workers requires 30 CE hours every two years, and ORS 676.866 requires another 2 hours of suicide risk assessment training on the same biennial clock. Here is the verified breakdown, straight from the source.

Last verified: May 2026 · Source: OAR 877-025-0001 (Division 025); ORS 676.866

The short version

The remaining 22 hours can come from any board-recognized CE that relates to social work practice. The LMSW rule lives under OAR 877-025-0001 (Division 025), the same division that governs the Oregon LCSW credential, but the totals and category minimums differ.

Ethics: 4 hours

BLSW requires 4 hours of ethics every cycle. Coverage of the Oregon Code of Ethics under OAR 877, Division 030, plus any board statutes and rules that bear on practice, satisfies this block.

Cultural competency: 4 hours

BLSW also requires 4 hours of cultural competency, distinct from the ethics hours. Content should address work with diverse populations, including culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.

Suicide risk assessment: 2 hours every 2 years

ORS 676.866 requires Oregon LMSWs to complete suicide risk assessment, treatment, and management training, at least 2 hours every 2 years, or 3 hours every 3 years. ORS 676.866(1)(b) defines “Licensee” to include both clinical and regulated social workers, and ORS 675.510(7) defines “regulated social worker” to include LMSW. The Oregon Health Authority administers this requirement, which is separate from the BLSW 30-hour CE rule. A qualifying course can often satisfy both, but track the suicide hours independently so you can prove completion if audited.

Renewal timing

Oregon renewal is biennial and falls on the last day of the licensee's birth month. The first renewal after initial licensure has no CE requirement, and CE hours earned before that first renewal cannot be counted toward later cycles.

Carryover

LMSW does not allow CE carryover. Hours earned beyond the 30-hour total in a cycle do not roll forward. (Carryover is an LCSW-only allowance under the BLSW rules.) Plan your hours to land inside each biennial window.

LMSW vs. LCSW: what is different

• LMSW: 30 hours, 4 ethics, 4 cultural competency, no carryover.
• LCSW: 40 hours, 6 ethics, 6 cultural competency, up to 10 hours carryover.
• The 2-hour ORS 676.866 suicide risk training applies to both, since the statute covers every “regulated social worker” under ORS 675.510(7).

Accepted CE formats

• Conferences, seminars, and workshops (in-person, online, or webcast) from board-recognized credentialing bodies
• Self-approved training events (written application required)
• Agency in-service and employer-sponsored programs, capped at 50% of required hours
• University or college courses in social work
• Approved training videos and audio recordings
• Study groups (5–10 mental health professionals, max 2 hours per meeting)
• Teaching CE (course development and presentation)

Documentation

Keep completion certificates and course records for at least 24 months after each renewal. BLSW conducts random audits, and the burden of proof is on the licensee. Storing certificates in a single place (a folder, a binder, or a tool like Still Licensed) removes the renewal-week scramble.

Board links

This page is informational. Rules change. Verify against the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) before acting on anything here.