New York LMSW to LCSW hours requirements
The supervised psychotherapy experience an LMSW logs toward the New York LCSW: 2,000 client contact hours over at least 36 months, with 100 hours of supervision.
The short answer
Headline figures: Total client contact 2,000 hours.
Supervision: 100 hours of supervision.
Time limit: The 2,000 hours take at least 36 months, and this minimum cannot be reduced.
Post-degree experience · Title while gaining experience: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) · Authority: New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions
Requirements
| Requirement | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total client contact | 2,000 hours One client contact hour is 45 minutes of psychotherapy. Shorter sessions may be combined. |
| Supervision | 100 hours |
| Minimum duration | 36 months This minimum cannot be reduced. |
| Time window | 6 calendar years |
Supervision
- 100 hours of supervision.
- Submit the supervision plan on Form 6 before the experience starts.
- Use the Form 6 psychotherapy log. Your supervisor keeps it and sends it only on request.
Time limits
- The 2,000 hours take at least 36 months, and this minimum cannot be reduced.
- The experience must fall within 6 calendar years.
What Accrue checks
- Converts logged psychotherapy minutes into 45-minute client contact hours, combining shorter sessions in date order so that splitting a session across entries cannot inflate the total. Your saved entries keep their actual length.
- Tracks the 100 supervision hours.
- Links NYSED Form 6 and its psychotherapy log and explains when each is used.
What Accrue does not check
- The 36-month minimum is a calendar duration. Accrue does not track it.
- Accrue does not check that the experience falls within 6 calendar years.
- Accrue does not generate or submit Form 6 or the psychotherapy log.
Common questions
- How many hours do you need for the LCSW in New York?
- The cited rule sets total client contact 2,000 hours. Source: 8 NYCRR § 74.3; NYSED Social Worker Form 6, Appendix A, page 4, checked September 23, 2026. Supervision and time limits also apply; see the sections above.
- What supervision does New York require for the LCSW?
- 100 hours of supervision. Submit the supervision plan on Form 6 before the experience starts. Use the Form 6 psychotherapy log. Your supervisor keeps it and sends it only on request.
- Is there a time limit for LCSW hours in New York?
- The 2,000 hours take at least 36 months, and this minimum cannot be reduced. The experience must fall within 6 calendar years.
- Does meeting these figures make me eligible?
- No. The New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions reviews your application and your supervisors' verifications and decides. Accrue keeps the record and shows how the cited rule applies to it.
Sources
Sources checked
- 8 NYCRR § 74.3
- NYSED Social Worker Form 6, Appendix A, page 4
Accrue is a record-keeping aid and is not affiliated with any licensing board, accreditor or school. Rules change; confirm the requirements that apply to you with the authority that sets them before you rely on a figure.