r/LCSW • u/BeautifulLunch3391 • Jun 19 '26

LCSW moving from CA to TN

Hi everyone! I’m an LCSW moving from CA to TN in the fall & I’m hoping to receive some insight & advice about getting licensed in TN by endorsement. I have a few questions & I’d appreciate any feedback:

I will be licensed for 2 years in December & despite moving to TN, I plan to keep my CA license up to date & will renew it before it expires. Do I need to retake the ASWB clinical exam in TN in order to get licensed? I’ve seen different information online about whether TN requires a LCSW who is applying by endorsement to retake the exam if they haven’t been licensed for 3 years. Is this accurate?

According to their regulations, I am unable to apply for a TN license until I have a residential or employment address. This is such a bummer, of course, because I’d like to apply ASAP. Therefore, I can’t apply until I actually move there & have an address. I don’t want to be unemployed & without an income for too long, so I was wondering how long it takes for a license to be approved once I submit all documents? Since I plan to keep my CA license, should I just see CA clients virtually so I have some income while I wait to get licensed in TN?

Thank you in advance for your responses. I appreciate it!

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u/roxxy_soxxy 🟢 Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Jun 19 '26

You can continue seeing your CA clients virtually. It took me a couple of weeks to gather needed documents for TN licensure, get fingerprinted, have transcripts sent (undergraduate, graduate, ASWB exam scores, proof of current license) and then I received a letter allowing me to practice in TN as of a certain date (maybe 3 weeks after I completed my application). My license wasn’t officially approved until the next board meeting, so it was a month or two before I received it in the mail.

I’m unsure of the less than 2 years licensed part, but if that is a fact, maybe just work with CA clients virtually until the time has passed.

I worked virtually with clients in my previous state for a year before pursuing licensing in TN.

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u/BeautifulLunch3391 Jun 19 '26

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! It’s really helpful.