Renewing your social work license can feel like just one more thing on an already full plate. To make it easier, we’ve put together this guide specifically for Pennsylvania social workers with everything you need to know in one place. From specific CE requirements to convenient online courses, we've got you covered. As experts in continuing education, Elevate Continuing Education offers ASWB-approved courses to help you stay compliant and stress-free.
Pennsylvania Social Work License Renewal Key Information:
Renewal Deadline: February 28, 2025
Renewal Frequency: Every 2 Years (odd years)
Total CE Credits for Renewal: 30 Credit Hours
Special Topic Requirements: Yes, PA has special topic requirements - see below
What are the Pennsylvania Social Work License Renewal Requirements?
30 Total CE hours every two years
Specialty/required topics for Pennsylvania Social Workers:
Suicide Prevention: 1 hour minimum
Ethics Training: 3 hours in professional ethics
Child Abuse Reporting: 2 hours
Pennsylvania requires social workers to complete their 2 hours of child abuse reporting training through an approved provider. CLICK HERE to view their list of approved providers. For this course requirement, the course provider will electronically submit your course completion verification. Per the board website “Do not upload your certificate of completion to your online application. Verification of course completion must be received electronically from the course provider”
Please note: Elevate Continuing Education is NOT an approved provider of Child Abuse Reporting for Pennsylvania Social Workers. The above information is provided to assist PA social workers in understanding and completing their CE requirements. Please CLICK HERE to view the official list of Approved Child Abuse Reporting courses through the Pennsylvania Board of Social Work.
Important Update Regarding 2025 License Renewal for Pennsylvania Social Workers:
The Pennsylvania Board of Social Work now accepts online trainings - either live or recorded trainings for all 30 CE Hours.
“As of November 19, 2019, the Board no longer has a live CE requirement. This information is available on the Board’s website at www.dos.pa.gov/social > Announcements. This is a permanent change and is not related to any of the temporary COVID waivers that were in place and expired.” (Pennsylvania Social Work 2025 Renewal Guide.pdf)
How Can I Fulfill PA Social Work CE Requirements?
Pennsylvania now allows all 30 CE hours to be completed online - either via live webinar or recorded webinar.
Fulfill Your Ethics & Suicide Prevention Requirements with Elevate CE
Elevate Continuing Education offers ASWB-approved live and recorded webinars to meet the suicide prevention and ethics requirements for Pennsylvania Social Workers:
Suicide Prevention: Our 1-hour Suicide Assessment and Intervention course meets this requirement.
Ethics: Fulfill your ethics requirement with our recorded ethics workshops or sign up for the live session on January 31, 2025.
Earn your general CEs with Elevate CE:
In addition, we offer recorded webinars and live webinars to fulfill your general CE credit requirements. Check out our Recorded Webinar course bundles, which allow you to earn more CE credits and save big!
Note about Child Abuse Reporting CE Requirement
Elevate Continuing Education is NOT an approved provider of Child Abuse Reporting training for Pennsylvania Social Workers. Please CLICK HERE to view the official list of Approved Child Abuse Reporting courses through the Pennsylvania Board of Social Work.
What are the steps to renew my social work license in PA?
To renew:
Complete 30 hours within your cycle.
Submit via the PALS portal.
Pay the $95 renewal fee.
Retain your certificates for four years for auditing.
Are there any additional rules or requirements Pennsylvania social workers should know?
No More Live CE Training Requirement: As of 2019, The Pennsylvania Board of Social Work no longer has a live CE requirement. Therefore the licensee may choose any combination of live (synchronous) and/or pre-recorded (asynchronous) courses to meet your CE requirements. Elevate CE offers Live Webinars (synchronous) and Recorded Webinars (asynchronous) - both of which may count towards the required CE hours for Pennsylvania Social Workers.
New Licensees CE Requirement: “Please note: Licensees who have been issued an initial license during the current biennium (March 1, 2023, through February 28, 2025) will be exempt from the 30-hour continuing education requirement for licensure renewal in February 2025, with the exception of the 2 hours of Act 31 Mandated Child Abuse Reporter Training (all licensees must complete at least 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting training from an approved provider).”(Pennsylvania Social Work Renewal Guide.pdf)
Tips for Managing Your CE Requirements
Plan Ahead: Sign up early to avoid last-minute pressure. Explore our courses.
Track Your CE Credits: We often hear from licensees who didn’t realize they were missing credits as their renewal was coming up. Keep track of your CE Credits immediately after you have earned your CE certificate.
Keep Track of Your CE Course Schedule: Keep track of any live courses or recorded courses you have registered for. Often we hear from attendees who forget they have signed up for a training. Add live trainings to your calendar ASAP after registering. We suggest keeping a list of upcoming trainings and trainings you have completed. Just make sure you don't count CE Credits for a course until you have earned them!
Download/Save Your Certificate: Choose one place to save your certificates - either a physical folder or a folder on your computer that you won’t forget. Don’t leave your certificate in your email!
Only Count Courses AFTER Completion: Sometimes plans change and you can no longer attend a CE training. Only track CE credits after you have completed a training and have received your certificate.
Utilize Technology: Recorded webinars are a great option to get your CE credits done anytime, anywhere. You can complete courses on your time and earn your credits at a relaxed pace. Check out our Recorded Webinar options including our 1-Credit FREE training.
Organize Your Certificates: The Pennsylvania Board of Social Work requires you to keep CE Certificates for a minimum of 4 years. Their guidelines state the following: “Do not upload your continuing education certificates to your online renewal application. You are required to retain the certificates of completion from continuing education courses for a minimum of 4 years. Following the renewal period, you may be audited to ensure your compliance with the continuing education requirements. Only if you are audited will you be required to provide proof of compliance with the continuing education requirements” (Pennsylvania Social Work Renewal Guide.pdf)
Can I take my CEs from Elevate CE?
YES! Pennsylvania social workers can fulfill almost all of their CE requirements through Elevate CE. We offer Live Webinars and Recorded Webinars.
Elevate Continuing Education offers ASWB-approved live and recorded webinars to meet the suicide prevention and ethics requirements for Pennsylvania Social Workers:
Suicide Prevention: Our 1-hour Suicide Assessment and Intervention course (only $10!) meets this requirement.
Ethics: Fulfill your ethics requirement with our recorded ethics workshops or sign up for the live session on January 31, 2025.
Need more CE Hours for renewal?
We're here for you! We have upcoming Live Webinars to provide you with the additional CE Hours you need. Plus, don't miss out on our Recorded Webinar bundles which offer more CE hours for an amazing value!
Try our 1 CE Credit Hour FREE Recorded Webinar to get started today!
Elevate Continuing Education is NOT an approved provider of Child Abuse Reporting training for Pennsylvania Social Workers. Please CLICK HERE to view the official list of Approved Child Abuse Reporting courses through the Pennsylvania Board of Social Work.
Ready to get started?
Are you ready to get started completing your CE credit requirements? Check out Elevate CE’s Live Webinars and Recorded Webinars. As a special offer for Pennsylvania Social Workers, take 10% off any Live Webinar or Recorded webinar now through the renewal deadline PASAVE10.