What the official sources support
Applicability and exclusions are shown with each finding. “Qualified” or “conflicting” findings are not simplified into an operational answer.
Authority, credentials, and scope
Regulator, governing authority, credential names, regulated titles, scope boundaries, exemptions, and prohibited activities.
Social-work board and credential levels
Published research · ConfirmedThe State Board of Social Work Examiners administers the SWC, LSW, LCSW, and provisional social-work routes.
- Applies to
- Use for SWC, LSW, LCSW, Provisional Social Worker research in CO.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Application and practice status
Application, education, examination, background check, fees, temporary authority, endorsement, and supervised versus independent practice.
LSW and LCSW are not interchangeable
Published research · ConfirmedA social-work license title does not by itself establish clinical independence; the LCSW scope, supervision, and payer rules must be distinguished from LSW and candidate practice.
- Applies to
- Use for SWC, LSW, LCSW, Provisional Social Worker research in CO.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Supervision and workforce evidence
Supervisor qualifications, written agreements, settings, hours, reporting, license verification, and hiring or credentialing evidence.
Candidate registration matters for supervised hours
Published research · ConfirmedClinical post-degree experience generally must be accumulated under the SWC or another status DORA expressly recognizes for the hours to count.
- Applies to
- Use for SWC, LSW, LCSW, Provisional Social Worker research in CO.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Cross-border and practice structure
Telehealth location rules, registration, compact privileges, ownership, entity naming, fee sharing, and multidisciplinary practice.
SWC permits now point to December 31, 2027
Published research · ConfirmedDORA revised active SWC permits to expire December 31, 2027 and identifies renewal as available at that time.
- Applies to
- Use for SWC, LSW, LCSW, Provisional Social Worker research in CO.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Client-facing operations and records
Disclosure, consent, telehealth, emergencies, advertising, confidentiality, access, retention, minors, subpoenas, closure, fees, billing, and termination.
Colorado offers out-of-state telehealth registration
Published research · ConfirmedA qualifying out-of-state social worker may apply for Colorado telehealth registration but must follow Colorado standards, disclosure, emergency, and remote-only limitations.
- Applies to
- Use for SWC, LSW, LCSW, Provisional Social Worker research in CO.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- 2026-01-01
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11
Maintenance, complaints, and monitoring
Renewal, continuing education, audits, inactive status, reinstatement, complaints, discipline, effective dates, exclusions, and unresolved interpretations.
Social Work Compact multistate licenses are not yet available
Enacted, not operational · ConfirmedColorado enacted the Social Work Licensure Compact, but the compact commission reports that multistate licenses are not yet available.
- Applies to
- Use for SWC, LSW, LCSW, Provisional Social Worker research in CO.
- Known exclusions
- A payer, facility, employer, local government, or another professional board may impose additional requirements.
- Effective date
- No separate future date recorded
- Fact checked
- 2026-08-11