Multi-state CE planning for LCSWs

Find the CE work that can travel across your licenses.

Compare California and New York LCSW renewal rules, surface state-specific obligations, and start with a provider you can verify before you enroll.

CA + NY, first workflowOfficial sources linkedNo account required

v0.1: source-cited rules

Map your California + New York CE obligations.

Updated Aug 19, 2026
What are you trying to fill?

Important: a course can only be counted when it meets each board's own rules. This tool identifies the overlap to investigate; it does not certify a course or replace either board.

Your two-state map

Same goal. Different cycles and required topics.

Each state gets its own CE record and renewal attestation.

California LCSW

every 2 years

36 hours

Your plan must include California Law & Ethics.

  • 6 hours Law & Ethics within the total
  • Check first-renewal requirements
New York LCSW

every 3 years

36 hours

Your plan includes the required professional-boundaries topic.

  • 3 hours professional boundaries
  • Self-study capped at 12 hours
Do not assume overlap

Verify the course, not just the provider.

General CE may be useful for both licenses, but provider eligibility, delivery format and topic rules still need to work for each state.

  • Keep the course certificate
  • Keep both license records separate
  • Use official board guidance for final confirmation

Verified provider lead

PESI, Inc.

New York lists PESI, Inc. (SW-0008) as an approved provider for LCSW/LMSW through December 31, 2026. Check the individual course topic, format and California acceptance before enrolling.

View PESI CE catalog ↗

What this site solves

Stop treating two licenses like one spreadsheet.

California and New York both use a 36-hour CE total, but their cycles, state-specific topics and provider rules are not the same. The useful question is not “how many hours?” but “what must I independently prove to each board?”

01

See the real overlap

Start with general CE that may be useful in both plans, while preserving each state's own renewal cycle and record.

02

Expose the exceptions

California Law & Ethics, New York boundaries and self-study rules stay visible instead of disappearing into a generic hour counter.

03

Buy with evidence

Every course lead is paired with a provider-status check and a reminder to verify the specific course before paying.

Built for verification

We link the rule, then show the decision.

California's Board of Behavioral Sciences and the New York State Education Department remain the source of truth. Use CE Course Match to organize your decision—not as a substitute for professional or legal advice.