As a Licensed Social Worker in Texas, you must complete 30 hours of continuing education (CE) every renewal period to keep your license active. Your CE cycle is biennial (every two years) and runs on the same schedule as your license, which expires on the last day of your birth month.
First Renewal requirements:
Your first renewal period has the same requirement as every renewal after it.
Where Your CE Hours Can Come From (The 50% Rule)
At least half of your total hours must come from specific types of providers. The rest can come from any CE provider or activity, including non-traditional options like presenting or writing on a relevant topic.
CE That Counts Toward the 50% Rule
- Associations of medical, mental, or behavioral health professionals (international, national, regional, state, or local)
- Public school districts, charter schools, or education service centers
- City, county, state, or federal government entities
- Accredited colleges and universities
- Religious or charitable organizations devoted to mental or behavioral health
- A licensed supervisor, if the CE was part of your supervision
CE That Doesn’t Count Toward the 50% Rule
- CE from providers not listed above
- Non-traditional activities, such as giving a presentation or writing a published article
- Self-study, up to 1 hour. Self-study means independent learning with no CE provider involved — for example, reading material directly related to social work practice on your own. If you receive a certificate of completion for an activity, it doesn’t count as self-study, even if you did it alone. Time spent individually viewing or listening to audio, video, digital, or print media as part of an organized CE activity from a third party isn’t subject to this limit.
Mandatory Subject Areas
Requirement: Ethics
Minimum Hours: 6 hours
Description: Required every renewal period. Includes your 1-hour Human Trafficking Training requirement (see note below) and, if you choose to take it, 1 hour of credit for passing the Jurisprudence Exam (see note below).
Requirement: Distinct Populations
Minimum Hours: 3 hours
Description: Required every renewal period. CE must be designed to build competency serving a specific population — not just a diagnosis. A course on PTSD in military members can qualify; general depression training may not.
Requirement: Supervision CE
Minimum Hours: 6 hours
Description: Required only if you hold supervisor status with the Board. If your status changes, contact the Board directly — CE Broker reflects whatever status the Board has on file.
Requirement: General CE
Minimum Hours: 21 hours (15 hours if you hold supervisor status)
Description: Covers the rest of your total. Extra hours beyond what you need for Ethics, Distinct Populations, or Supervision CE roll into this category — see Simultaneously Applying Hours below.
Note on Human Trafficking Training: You must complete a Human Trafficking Awareness course every renewal period. The course must be approved by Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) — find approved courses at texashhs.org/ht-course. Any approved course counts for 1 hour, no matter how long it runs, and that hour counts toward your 6-hour Ethics requirement. If a longer course otherwise qualifies as CE for your profession, the remaining time can still count toward your total.
Note on the Jurisprudence Exam: Completing the Texas Jurisprudence Exam is optional — it’s not a CE requirement. If you pass it, you can claim 1 hour of Ethics credit, and you may take it each renewal period.
Note on college and university courses: Teaching or attending a university or college-level course qualifies for CE credit. This applies to all college-level courses for social work, not just graduate-level ones.
Simultaneously Applying Hours
- Once you’ve met your 6-hour Ethics requirement, any additional Ethics hours count toward your General CE hours.
- Once you’ve met your 3-hour Distinct Populations requirement, any additional Distinct Populations hours count toward your General CE hours.
- If you hold supervisor status, once you’ve met your 6-hour Supervision CE requirement, any additional Supervision CE hours count toward your General CE hours.
- Hours from Human Trafficking Training and the Jurisprudence Exam don’t roll over to any other subject area.
Banking Excess Hours
- You can carry forward up to 10 excess CE hours into your next renewal period.
- Hours from Human Trafficking Training and the Jurisprudence Exam don’t count toward this carryover.