Michigan social work license renewal runs on a three-year cycle through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). You confirm you’ve completed 45 hours of approved continuing education, pay the renewal fee, and submit the application online through MiPLUS. Full LMSW, LBSW, and SST licenses cost $82.50 to renew; limited licenses and registrations cost $27.50.1State of Michigan. License Renewal Fees Miss the expiration date and you have 60 days to renew late before the license goes void.
What You Pay to Renew
Renewal fees depend on the credential you hold. Full Licensed Master’s Social Workers (LMSW), Licensed Bachelor’s Social Workers (LBSW), and Social Service Technicians (SST) each pay $82.50. Limited LMSW, Limited LBSW, and Limited SST holders pay $27.50.1State of Michigan. License Renewal Fees Fees are non-refundable, so make sure your CE is complete before you pay.
The 45 Hours of Continuing Education
Every three-year cycle requires 45 board-approved CE hours. Three topic mandates sit inside that total:2Michigan State University. Social Work Licensure in Michigan
- At least 5 hours in ethics
- At least 2 hours in human trafficking
- At least 2 hours in pain and symptom management
These aren’t optional. If an audit shows you have 50 total hours but no human trafficking course, you’re out of compliance. First-time renewers are the ones who most often get caught short on the human trafficking and pain management pieces.
At least half of the 45 hours must come from live, in-person instruction with real-time interaction. The remainder can be online courses, self-study, or other approved formats.3Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Social Work General Rules – R 338.2963 Keep your CE documentation for at least five years from the date of your renewal application.4Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Social Work FAQs
What Counts and What’s Capped
Attendance at programs that meet board standards, or that are approved by another state’s board or by ASWB-ACE, counts without any hour cap. Teaching or presenting a CE program outside your regular job duties earns three CE hours for every 60 minutes of presentation, with credit allowed only once per program per cycle and a cap of 15 hours per cycle. Social work academic coursework at a board-approved program earns five CE hours per semester credit or three per quarter credit, with no cap.3Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Social Work General Rules – R 338.2963
LARA doesn’t ask for your CE paperwork at renewal. You certify completion, pay, and submit. If you’re later selected for a random audit, you’ll need certificates showing your name, the credit hours, the sponsor or approving organization, and the dates.
How and When to Renew
LARA sends renewal notices by email and postal mail roughly 90 days before your license expires.4Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Social Work FAQs If you never see one, that doesn’t excuse a late renewal. The statute puts the responsibility on the licensee.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 333-16201
Renewals go through LARA’s MiPLUS system. You’ll certify that you’ve completed the 45 hours (including the ethics, human trafficking, and pain management mandates), pay the fee, and submit.
If You Miss the Deadline: The 60-Day Grace Period
Michigan law gives you a 60-day window after expiration to renew late. During that window you can keep practicing and using your professional title, but you’ll owe a late renewal fee on top of the standard amount.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 333-16201
Once those 60 days pass, the license is null and void. You can no longer practice or use the title, and you’re no longer renewing. You’re reinstating, which is a different and more expensive process.
Reinstating a Lapsed License
What reinstatement requires depends on how long the license has been lapsed. Michigan’s administrative rules set three tiers, under R 338.2945 for bachelor’s-level and R 338.2955 for master’s-level social workers.6Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Social Work General Rules – R 338.2945 and R 338.2955
Lapsed Less Than Three Years
Submit a reinstatement application with the fee, demonstrate good moral character, provide fingerprints, and show proof of 45 hours of approved CE (including 5 hours in ethics and 2 hours in pain and symptom management) completed within the three years before your application.
Lapsed Three to Seven Years
Everything in the first tier applies, plus 1,000 hours of supervised practice under a licensed master’s social worker. The supervised practice happens under a limited license, which adds its own paperwork and time.
Lapsed Seven Years or More
You meet all the three-to-seven-year requirements and also pass the licensing examination within one year before applying. At this point the process looks much more like initial licensure than renewal.
The gap between the first tier and the second is the one to watch. Letting a lapse cross the three-year line adds a thousand supervised hours. If you’re close to that line, don’t wait.
Active Military Duty Exemption
If you enter active service in the armed forces, Section 333.16196 of the Public Health Code continues your license in full force without renewal fees, provided you notify LARA of your entry into and release from active duty.7Justia. Michigan Compiled Laws Chapter 333, Statute Act 368 of 1978 – Article 15 Under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (MCL 339.5411), licensees on active duty are also temporarily exempt from renewal fees, CE, and other renewal obligations. That exemption lasts until 90 days after release from active duty and cannot exceed 36 months from the license’s expiration date. You claim it by notifying LARA in writing or by email with proof of your active duty status.8State of Michigan. Exemption from Renewal Fees and Continuing Education Requirements While Mobilized on Active Duty
A Note on Telehealth Across State Lines
Renewing your Michigan license keeps you authorized to practice in Michigan. It does not authorize you to see clients located in other states. If you provide telehealth to a client physically sitting in another state, you generally need a license in that state.9Telehealth.HHS.gov. Licensing Across State Lines The Social Work Licensure Compact is designed to allow a single multistate license covering member states, and as of 2026 it has reached activation status in multiple states, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued. Implementation is expected to take 12 to 24 months after activation.10Social Work Licensure Compact. Social Work Licensure Compact Until then, check each client’s state before the appointment.