Social workers mix these up constantly, and it’s understandable — both are national organizations, both use the same initials pattern, and both show up constantly in conversations about licensure and professional development. But they do fundamentally different things, and confusing them can create real problems when it comes to your license.
Here’s what you actually need to know.
ASWB: The Licensing Body
The Association of Social Work Boards is the organization that develops and administers the licensing exams — the ones you took (or are preparing to take) to become licensed. ASWB doesn’t license social workers directly; individual states do. But ASWB provides the standardized examinations that most states use as part of their licensing requirements: the Bachelors, Masters, Advanced Generalist, and Clinical exams.
ASWB also runs the ACE program — Approved Continuing Education — which reviews and approves continuing education providers and courses. When you see “ASWB ACE approved” on a CE course, it means the provider has been vetted by ASWB against specific quality benchmarks. Many states explicitly require or recognize ASWB ACE-approved CE for license renewal.
Think of ASWB as the infrastructure of social work licensure in the U.S.
NASW: The Professional Association
The National Association of Social Workers is a membership organization — the largest in the profession. NASW advocates for social workers politically and professionally, publishes the Code of Ethics that governs the profession, produces journals and research, and offers its own continuing education through NASW Press and CE offerings.
NASW membership is voluntary. You don’t need to be an NASW member to be licensed, and you don’t need ASWB to be a member of NASW. They operate independently.
NASW also has a CE approval program, separate from ASWB’s ACE program. This matters because not all states accept NASW-approved CE for license renewal — and some states that do accept it have specific conditions attached.
Why the Confusion Matters
Here’s where social workers sometimes run into trouble: assuming that CE approved by one organization is automatically accepted everywhere.
ASWB ACE approval is broadly recognized across states and licensing boards because ASWB is the entity those boards are directly connected to through the licensing exam infrastructure. NASW CE approval has its own standing, but acceptance varies more by state and sometimes by profession or license type within a state.
If you’re completing CE primarily for license renewal, the safest approach is to verify what your specific state licensing board accepts — and when in doubt, ASWB ACE-approved courses are the more universally recognized option.
A Few Other Things Worth Knowing
Neither ASWB nor NASW directly renews your license. That happens through your state licensing board, which sets its own requirements for CE hours, approved providers, and renewal timelines. ASWB and NASW both influence those requirements — ASWB through its approval programs, NASW through advocacy — but the board in your state is the decision-maker.
NASW membership comes with some CE benefits depending on your membership level, which can be a value-add if you’re already a member for other reasons. But membership alone doesn’t fulfill CE requirements.
And ASWB ACE approval applies to providers, not just individual courses. When a provider holds ACE approval, it means their overall curriculum development, instructor qualifications, and quality control processes have been reviewed — not just a single course in isolation.
In Short
ASWB runs the licensing exams and the ACE continuing education approval program. NASW is the professional membership association that also offers CE and sets the Code of Ethics. Your state licensing board sets the actual renewal requirements and decides which CE it accepts.
When you’re shopping for continuing education, check that your state accepts the approval your provider holds — and know that ASWB ACE approval is the benchmark most state boards are directly connected to.
SWTP CEUs is an ASWB ACE-approved provider (Provider #2486). Browse our course catalog at swtpceus.com.