Continuing education / Requirements / Illinois
Illinois continuing education requirements for social workers
Illinois LSWs and LCSWs need 30 continuing education hours every two years, including 3 hours in social work ethics and 3 hours in cultural competence. The next regular renewal deadline is November 30, 2027. Additional statewide training requirements include implicit bias awareness and sexual harassment prevention.
For LCSWs, the rule effective August 4, 2025, adds a one-time 6-hour clinical supervision requirement beginning with the renewal period ending November 30, 2027, for currently licensed clinicians. Newly licensed LCSWs must meet it at their second renewal. Plan this alongside any applicable dementia and mandated reporter training.
What the board requires
Mandated topics
Include 3 hours related to ethical social work practice within the 30-hour total when CE is required.
Our course for this: Ethics and Professional Boundaries (3 hours). CE credit approvals in progress.
Include 3 hours addressing cultural competence in social work. Social workers have this profession-specific two-year requirement in addition to the statewide framework requiring at least 1 cultural competency hour every 6 years; select content meeting both standards.
Our course for this: Cultural Responsiveness in Clinical Practice (3 hours). CE credit approvals in progress.
Required beginning with the first renewal that requires CE; counts within the total. Effective July 1, 2026, licensees reporting maternal health care services must include the specified maternal risk-factor content for marginalized racial or ethnic groups.
Our course for this: Implicit Bias in Clinical Decisions (1 hour). CE credit approvals in progress.
Required at every renewal, including the first. Training may be employer-provided, provided by the Illinois Department of Human Rights, or offered by an authorized CE provider. It may count toward the CE total.
The August 4, 2025, amendment requires currently licensed LCSWs to complete this within the 30 hours for the renewal ending November 30, 2027. Newly licensed LCSWs complete it at their second renewal. This lifetime requirement applies to LCSWs, not only those currently supervising; it does not apply to LSWs.
Our course for this: Supervisor Ethics and Effective Supervision (6 hours). CE credit approvals in progress.
Applies to professionals providing health care with direct patient interactions with adults age 26 or older. Due at the first CE-required renewal on or after January 1, 2025, and every 6 years thereafter; may count within the total.
IDFPR's current guidance specifies 1 hour at renewal. It also classifies social workers as non-medical mandated reporters who must complete training at least every 3 years after initial training. DCFS requires initial training within 3 months of first engagement as a mandated reporter. Keep both the renewal and three-year obligations current; eligible training may count toward CE.
Format and self-study limits
Illinois permits verified remote CE, including self-study, book study and online courses, from approved sponsors. Each remote course must include an examination. Section 1470.95 does not impose a numerical self-study cap, so all 30 hours can be completed remotely if the courses meet the applicable requirements.
The August 4, 2025, rule clarifies that remote courses cannot use the out-of-state individual-credit approval route. Whether live or asynchronous, remote CE must come from an approved sponsor under subsection (c)(1).
Which providers count
Accepted sponsors include NASW and its affiliates, ASWB and its affiliates, AAMFT and its affiliates, approved social work schools, listed government agencies and qualifying hospital employers, and IDFPR-approved social work CE sponsors. The rule also recognizes approved Illinois counseling, psychology and marriage and family therapy CE sponsors.
The counseling sponsor rule expressly lists NBCC and its affiliates and APA and its affiliates. Verify that the actual sponsor fits a recognized category or holds the required Illinois approval; a third party's marketing statement alone does not establish eligibility.
Reporting and audits
Certify CE compliance on the IDFPR renewal application. Retain completion certificates and provide them if selected for a random audit; Section 1470.95 makes the licensee responsible for producing evidence. Also report completion of mandated reporter training to your employer and licensing authority as required. Keep certificates for the six-year and lifetime requirements available beyond a single renewal.
First renewal
Section 1470.95 exempts the first renewal of an Illinois social work license from the general CE requirement. Current IDFPR guidance nevertheless requires 1 hour of sexual harassment prevention for that first renewal. The separate mandated reporter training obligation also continues. Implicit bias and applicable dementia training begin with the first renewal that requires CE; new LCSWs meet the lifetime supervision requirement at their second renewal.
Common questions
How many CE hours do Illinois social workers need?
LSWs and LCSWs need 30 hours every two years, including 3 ethics and 3 cultural competence hours. Include other applicable mandated subjects within your plan and check the first-renewal exemption.
Can all 30 hours be online?
Yes. Approved remote programs may satisfy the total, and each remote course must include an examination. Remote training must use an approved sponsor; the out-of-state individual-credit process does not make an otherwise unapproved remote course eligible.
Do all LCSWs need six hours of supervision training?
The amended rule applies to currently licensed LCSWs for the renewal ending November 30, 2027, and to new LCSWs at their second renewal. It is a one-time lifetime requirement, including for LCSWs who are not currently supervising.
Do I need implicit bias training every year?
The licensing requirement is 1 hour per renewal period that requires CE, rather than annually. The specialized maternal health content applies from July 1, 2026, when the licensee reports providing those services.
What is due at my first renewal?
The general 30-hour requirement is waived for the first renewal. Sexual harassment prevention is still required, and the separate mandated reporter obligation still applies. Do not treat the general exemption as a waiver of all training.
Editorial standard. Requirement guides cite official board sources only, carry a last-verified date, and are reviewed on a schedule. Corrections: reply to any email from us or use the site contact page.
Not legal advice. This guide summarizes board rules for convenience. Your board's current published rules control.
Crisis resources. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) in the US.