Continuing education / Requirements / Kentucky
Kentucky social worker CE requirements
Kentucky CSWs and LCSWs need 30 CE hours every three years. LSWs need 15 hours over the same period. Every license level must complete 3 hours on the Kentucky Code of Ethical Conduct each renewal and 6 hours of suicide assessment, treatment and management training every six years.
The current CE regulation took effect November 12, 2025. It also requires 1.5 hours on pediatric abusive head trauma every six years and a one-time 3-hour domestic violence and elder abuse course during the first three-year renewal period. Board-approved clinical supervisors have an additional supervision topic requirement within their CE total.
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What the board requires
Mandated topics
A Kentucky board-approved course must address 201 KAR 23:080, provide a copy of that code and an ethical decision-making framework. Generic NASW ethics alone does not satisfy this requirement.
Related course: Ethics and Professional Boundaries. 3 hours, self-paced and asynchronous (home study, not a live webinar). Not yet CE-approved for this license: until an approval is confirmed, it counts as professional development only.
Training must meet 201 KAR 23:075 and KRS 210.366. The rule accepts specified board or preapproved sponsor approval routes and has exemptions for qualifying teaching during the six-year period.
Related course: Suicide Assessment and Safety Planning. 6 hours, self-paced and asynchronous (home study, not a live webinar). Not yet CE-approved for this license: until an approval is confirmed, it counts as professional development only.
Cover recognition and prevention of pediatric abusive head trauma under KRS 620.020.
Complete during the three-year renewal period after initial licensure. The board says it does not have to be repeated when changing license category.
A Kentucky board-approved supervision course is required to maintain supervisor status and counts within the renewal total.
Related course: Supervisor Ethics and Effective Supervision. 6 hours, self-paced and asynchronous (home study, not a live webinar). Not yet CE-approved for this license: until an approval is confirmed, it counts as professional development only.
LCSWs seeking board-approved supervisor status must complete the board-approved initial course.
Related course: Supervisor Ethics and Effective Supervision. 6 hours, self-paced and asynchronous (home study, not a live webinar). Not yet CE-approved for this license: until an approval is confirmed, it counts as professional development only.
Complete the board's required CEU and submit its certificate with the CSW supervision contract.
Format and self-study limits
Where our courses fit. Every Psychology.com course is self-paced and asynchronous: you read and listen on your own schedule and finish with an online exam. Where your board separates home study, self-study, distance or non-interactive CE from live or synchronous CE, our courses fall in the first group. They never count as live, interactive or in-person training.
CE may be in person or through technology-mediated learning, including self-paced courses with mechanisms to assess comprehension, engagement and completion. There is no general online or self-study hour cap in the current rule. Kentucky ethics and supervisor courses still require their specific board approval.
Which providers count
The regulation accepts ASWB-sponsored or approved programs and NASW-sponsored or approved programs, among other listed social work organizations. It also accepts programs sponsored by APA, ACA and NBCC or their affiliated state chapters. These sponsorship routes are not a blanket equivalence for every vendor's approval claim. Kentucky ethics and clinical supervision courses require separate board review and approval.
Reporting and audits
List the CE hours earned when renewing through the board's licensing system. Keep your records and provide documentation if requested for audit. The rule requires retaining documentation for one year after the last renewal. Keep six-year topic certificates longer as a practical way to track their next deadlines.
First renewal
Complete the CE total for your license level during the initial three-year period, including the one-time domestic violence and elder abuse course. KRS 210.366 permits a six-year deferral of initial suicide training only for applicants meeting its specific prior academic-training conditions; do not assume a blanket first-renewal exemption.
Common questions
Do all Kentucky social workers need 30 CE hours?
CSWs and LCSWs need 30 hours every three years. LSWs need 15 hours.
Does an NASW ethics course meet Kentucky's ethics mandate?
Only if it also has the required Kentucky board approval and Kentucky Code of Ethical Conduct content. General NASW ethics training alone is insufficient.
Can all Kentucky social work CE be online?
Yes, through qualifying technology-mediated learning. Required Kentucky ethics and supervision courses must have the specific board approval.
How often is suicide training required?
At least 6 hours every six years. The training counts toward your renewal CE total.
Do I repeat domestic violence training after becoming an LCSW?
No, if you already completed the required course under a previous Kentucky social work license category.
Is pediatric abusive head trauma training one time?
No. The current rule requires 1.5 hours at least once every six years.
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.