Licensure Update: Temporary COVID Licensure Rules have Expired in North Carolina

*** Please remember, NASW-NC is NOT the NC Social Work Certification and Licensure Board. We are separate entities. NASW advocates for social workers and the NCSWCLB protects the public. This is an update to NASW-NC members of licensure changes.***

At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, NASW-NC advocated to the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board for Temporary Rules allowed all hours for social work licensure renewal to be accepted through distance learning.

Please be aware that these Temporary Rules expired on April 11, 2021, one year after the Emergency Adoption. This means that North Carolina social work licensees can only count up to 20 hours of CE for licensure renewal as asynchronous or distance learning (recorded webinars or self-study). The other 20 or more must be live synchronous continuing education.

Per social work licensure continuing education requirements [21 NCAC 63 .0400]: “The maximum continuing education credit granted for distance learning activities is one half of the required hours, up to a maximum of 20 contact hours per renewal period. Live synchronous audio-video broadcasts allowing for real time interaction between the instructor and participants attending through electronic means shall not be considered distance learning activities.”

Remember, all NASW-NC Local Program Unit events and NASW-NC Conferences are LIVE, synchronous continuing education approved for your licensure renewal!