Free CE for Social Workers / Virginia
Virginia LCSWs must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years; LBSWs and LMSWs must complete 15.
✓ Verified against the Virginia Board of Social Work on August 14, 2026
| Topic | Hours | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics, standards of practice, or Virginia social work law (6 hrs LCSW / 3 hrs LBSW & LMSW) | — | every renewal |
Hours fall into two categories: at least 20 of an LCSW's 30 (10 of 15 for LBSWs/LMSWs) must be Category I formally organized learning — which includes structured online courses from approved organizations — while Category II individual activities like unstructured self-study and professional reading are capped at 10 (or 5). Up to 2 hours may be earned by providing uncompensated social work services through a local health department or free clinic (3 volunteer hours = 1 CE hour). The Board can grant a one-year extension for good cause on written request before the renewal date.
Yes — Virginia accepts continuing education from nationally accredited providers, so courses from an accredited provider like the ones on Pulse count toward your renewal.
One caveat: Virginia's regulation expressly lists the Association of Social Work Boards as an approved Category I organization (18VAC140-20-105.B.1.d), so ASWB ACE-approved provider courses — including online courses — count as formal Category I learning with no delivery-format cap.
Virginia Board of Social Work
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency140/chapter20/section105/
Requirements change. Confirm all figures on the board site above before relying on them.
Pulse offers free CE for LMSWs and LCSWs. Local healthcare organizations cover the cost — you pay nothing, and the hours apply toward your Virginia requirement (subject to the board rules above).
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