Registration Fees

Annual fee for registration renewal

Beginning in 2025, the registration year begins on February 1 and covers a twelve-month period, to be renewed annually.

The fees for social worker registration in 2025 are:

• Active member: $465
• Clinical specialist: $515 (see below)
• Associate: $233
• Retired associate: $50
• Electronic practice from outside NS: $225

Members must complete all steps of the renewal process – including payment – before continuing to practice social work in each new registration year.

New applicants

Initial application fee

The application fee for registration as an active or associate Registered Social Worker, Social Worker Candidate, Registered Social Worker (Provisional) or Registered Social Worker (Telepractice) is $100.00.

First-time registration fees

Fees for new members of the College who apply to NSCSW later in the year are prorated to reflect the date of approval to practice. (This does not apply to social workers in other jurisdictions who have applied for electronic practice with clients in NS.)

Initial registration fees for 2025 applicants

Reduced fees for recent graduates

New social workers who apply for registration within a year of their graduation from an accredited school of social work will pay a reduced fee for their initial registration. These fees are also prorated from the date of approval to practice. (This does not apply to social workers in other jurisdictions who have applied for electronic practice with clients in NS).

Initial registration fees for recently graduated applicants in 2025

Clinical specialist fees

The fees to apply to the Board of Examiners for clinical specialization are as follows:

• $50 application fee – This fee covers the initial processing and review of your application.
• $350 additional fee for substantial equivalency assessment – For applicants pursuing the substantial equivalency route, this additional fee is required for the assessment of qualifications and experiences against the MSW curriculum benchmarks.

Clinical specialists pay an additional annual fee of $50 for their registration. When added to the $465 annual fee for active members, this brings their total registration renewal fee to $515 for 2025.

Student members

Student members who are not yet registered as social workers pay a one-time membership fee of $10. This membership does not need to be renewed annually, and may remain valid until the year of their graduation.

Registered Social Workers and Social Worker Candidates who are upgrading their education should switch their member class to associate if they will not be practicing social work while in school.

Other fees

• Examination of an applicant: $50
• Hard copy submission of Application or Renewal: $25
• Duplicate copies of receipts: $10
• Fees for reinstatement
  • Reinstatement fees for late renewal of annual registration (including late payment) are graduated —
    • under a week past the renewal date: $25 
    • over a week late: $50
    • over two weeks late: $75
    • over three weeks late: $100
  • Reinstatement from retirement or resignation: $25
• Appeal of decision by the Board of Examiners: $100