Continuing education / Requirements / Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania social worker CE requirements
Pennsylvania social workers need 30 approved CE hours every two years, including 3 hours in ethics, 1 hour in suicide prevention and 2 hours in child abuse recognition and reporting. The current cycle runs from March 1, 2025, through February 28, 2027.
The board permits all 30 hours online and has removed its live CE requirement. Choose a provider accepted for social work CE, and use a specifically approved Act 31 course for child abuse training so the provider can report completion electronically.
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What the board requires
Mandated topics
At least 3 of the 30 hours must address ethical issues.
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.
Act 74 of 2016 requires training in assessment, treatment and management of suicide risks within the CE total.
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.
Use an approved Pennsylvania Act 31 course. This applies even when the licensee qualifies for the initial-renewal general CE exemption.
Initial applicants need 3 hours of DHS-approved training. This does not eliminate the recurring 2-hour renewal requirement.
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.
The board's notice effective November 19, 2019 permits all 30 approved hours online. Its renewal guide calls removal of the live requirement permanent. Although the published text of 49 Pa. Code 47.33(e) still shows a 20-hour home-study limit, the board's current posted guidance permits a fully online CE plan. Courses must still meet approval and learning-assessment standards.
Which providers count
49 Pa. Code 47.36 explicitly recognizes APA, NBCC and ASWB ACE approval routes, as well as NASW and other listed organizations and qualifying academic programs. LSW and LCSW courses must suit master's-level practice. Office management and practice-building courses do not count. Child abuse training needs the separate Act 31 approval.
Reporting and audits
Renew in PALS and certify CE compliance. Keep documentation for four years after certification and submit it if audited. Do not routinely upload CE certificates with renewal. The Act 31 provider must report child abuse course completion electronically; a personal certificate upload does not replace that report.
First renewal
A person first licensed in Pennsylvania during the biennium is exempt from the general 30-hour requirement at the following renewal under 47.39. The board's guide preserves the 2-hour Act 31 requirement for that renewal. This exemption does not waive the initial 3-hour child abuse training requirement.
Common questions
How many CE hours do Pennsylvania LCSWs need?
30 per two-year period, including 3 ethics, 1 suicide prevention and 2 child abuse hours.
Can all 30 CE hours be completed online?
Yes. The board's posted policy permits all 30 online and says the removal of the live requirement is permanent.
Is suicide prevention training one time?
No. The 1-hour requirement recurs each renewal for licensees subject to the general CE requirement.
Do new Pennsylvania social workers need CE at first renewal?
The first-renewal general CE exemption applies, but 2 hours of approved Act 31 child abuse training are still required.
Why is my child abuse course missing from PALS?
The approved provider must submit completion electronically. Contact the provider to check the report and allow time for it to reach PALS before renewal.
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.