Social Worker Licence

Information on how to apply for or renew your social worker licence.

Apply for a Social Work Licence

Social Workers Application Package

PDF • 612.43KB • Issued September 30, 2025

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If you have any questions about your scope of practice in the NWT please contact: Professional_licensing@gov.nt.ca.

Note: Foreign graduates must provide a certified true copy (by a Notary Public) of the degree/diploma as well as a certified true copy of the letter from the Canadian Association of Social Workers confirming Canadian Standard equivalencies were met.

Renew Your Social Work Licence

What you need to provide

  • Completed Application for Licence Renewal before December 1st.
  • Credit card authorization or cheque or money order made payable to Government of Northwest Territories.
  • RCMP Criminal Records and Vulnerable Records check no more than 6 months old. ( The RCMP require A Letter of Authorization to complete the check, the Registrar will provide this at renewal time)

Note: Failure to ensure all documents are forwarded to the Registrar’s Office as stated above will delay and possibly prevent licensing.

Forms

Note: Registrar, Professional Licensing will email Application for License Renewal in October of each year. Licence and other correspondence will be sent to mailing address unless advised otherwise.

All active registrants will receive renewal notification mid-October and the renewal application from the Office of the Registrar, Professional Licensing, Department of Health and Social Services.

Sending the Completed Form

Office of the Registrar, Professional Licensing
Government of the Northwest Territories
Department of Health and Social Services
7th Floor, 5015 – 49 ST
Box 1320 Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9
Fax to: 1-867-873-0484
Email to: Professional_Licensing@gov.nt.ca

Fees

Registered Social Worker Registration (RSW)$191
Licensed Social Worker Registration (LSW)$191
Registered Social Worker Registration (RSW) Renewal$191
Licensed Social Worker Registration (LSW) Renewal$191
RSW & LSW Late Registration / Reinstatement (<60 days)$128 plus registration
RSW & LSW Late Registration / Reinstatement (>6 months)$382

Note: All licences expire December 31st following date of issue, renewable upon payment of annual fee.

Registration

The Social Work Profession Act came into force as of January 1, 2012, which provides for the licensing of social workers in the NWT to ensure that only qualified individuals be able to call themselves social workers. Pursuant to this legislation, all individuals using the title or holding themselves out to be Social Workers are required to be licensed.

The Act provides for two categories in the social work profession:

  • Registered Social Worker (R.S.W.) which will require a Bachelor of Social Work
  • Licenced Social Worker (L.S.W.) which will require a Diploma of Social Work

Registered Social Worker

  • A degree is required which must be from an institution indicating the program has been accredited by the Canadian Association Social Work Education.

Licensed Social Worker category

  • Diplomas must be on the approved list by the Minister of Health and Social Services. The list consists of schools approved in Alberta:Blue Quills First Nations College;
    • Grant MacEwan University;
    • Maskwacis Cultural College;
    • Medicine Hat College;
    • Mount Royal University;
    • Norquest College;
    • Northern Lakes College;
    • Portage College; and
    • Red Deer College.
  • The approved diploma programs in Ontario can be found here:  https://www.ocswssw.org/registration-section/ontario-social-service-wor…(external link)
  • The Aurora College diploma program and the First Nation Certificate in Social Work and Indian Social Work from the Faculty of Social Work, First Nations University of Canada in Saskatchewan are also approved programs for the Licensed Social Worker Category.

Continuing Competency Requirements

Registrants are required to meet continuing competency requirements each year in order to maintain licensure. Please see the link below to provide you with a log sheet to assist you in this process of tracking your continuing competency initiatives. You must retain this log sheet for a period of 5 years as the Registrar may conduct an audit where this will help substantiate proof or your meeting requirements.

Registrant Requirements and Standards

If you have any questions about your scope of practice in the NWT please contact: Professional_licensing@gov.nt.ca.

Legislation

Contacts

Updated: Jun 10, 2026