Pennsylvania LCSW hours requirements
The supervised clinical experience toward the Pennsylvania LCSW: 3,000 hours over 2 to 6 years, at least half of them direct, with 2 hours of supervision for every 40 hours of experience.
The short answer
Headline figures: Total supervised experience 3,000 hours; direct 1,500 hours.
Supervision: 2 hours of supervision for every 40 hours of experience.
Time limit: The 3,000 hours take no less than 2 and no more than 6 years.
Post-degree experience · Authority: State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors
Requirements
| Requirement | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total supervised experience | 3,000 hours Over no less than 2 and no more than 6 years. |
| Direct | 1,500 hours At least half of the total. |
| Supervision | 2 hours per 40 hours of experience |
| Hours credited in any 12 months (maximum) | 1,800 hours |
| Hours per year (minimum) | 500 hours |
Supervision
- 2 hours of supervision for every 40 hours of experience.
- At least one of the two supervision hours per 40 must be individual and in person.
Time limits
- The 3,000 hours take no less than 2 and no more than 6 years.
- At least 500 hours a year.
- No more than 1,800 hours count in any 12 months.
- The single-setting minimum-duration rule at 49 Pa. Code § 47.12c(b)(8) is 30 to 50 hours a week for three months, or 15 hours a week for six months.
What Accrue checks
- Tracks the 3,000-hour total and the 1,500 direct hours.
- Credits no more than 1,800 hours in any 365 days.
- Warns when the supervision you have logged falls below 2 hours per 40 hours of experience.
What Accrue does not check
- The window of 2 to 6 years is a calendar duration. Accrue does not track it.
- At least 500 hours a year. Accrue does not check this.
- Accrue does not check the single-setting minimum-duration rule.
- At least one of the two supervision hours per 40 must be individual and in person. Accrue does not check this.
Common questions
- How many hours do you need for the LCSW in Pennsylvania?
- The cited rule sets total supervised experience 3,000 hours; direct 1,500 hours. Source: 49 Pa. Code § 47.12c, checked September 16, 2026. Supervision and time limits also apply; see the sections above.
- What supervision does Pennsylvania require for the LCSW?
- 2 hours of supervision for every 40 hours of experience. At least one of the two supervision hours per 40 must be individual and in person.
- Is there a time limit for LCSW hours in Pennsylvania?
- The 3,000 hours take no less than 2 and no more than 6 years. At least 500 hours a year. No more than 1,800 hours count in any 12 months.
- Does meeting these figures make me eligible?
- No. The State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors 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
- 49 Pa. Code § 47.12c
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.