California Board of Behavioral Sciences
Becoming a social worker in California with a criminal record
Social work licensing sits inside the same Department of Consumer Affairs framework as nursing and pharmacy, but the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) runs one of the more forgiving versions of it: you're not required to disclose a prior conviction at all, and the agency spells out its review process in more public detail than most boards on this list.
You don't have to raise your hand
BBS pulls your Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) directly from the California Department of Justice. The Board's own guidance says applicants are not required to disclose any information regarding your criminal history, and whether you volunteer anything is not a factor in whether you get licensed.
The seven-year window, with two exceptions
BBS can only deny a licence for a conviction within the seven years before you apply, and only if that conviction is substantially related to the duties of an LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, or associate registration. The two exceptions that remove the time limit: a serious felony under Penal Code section 1192.7, and an offence requiring sex-offender registration under Penal Code section 290(d)(2) or (3).
What takes a conviction off the table completely
- A certificate of rehabilitation under Penal Code Chapter 3.5 of Title 6, Part 3
- A gubernatorial or presidential pardon or clemency
- A showing of rehabilitation under Business and Professions Code section 482
- A dismissal under Penal Code sections 1203.4, 1203.4a, 1203.41, 1203.42, or 1203.425 (or an equivalent from another state)
Even with a dismissal, BBS may still request the court paperwork to confirm it was actually granted under one of those sections -- so keep a certified copy on hand.
Arrests without convictions don't count
BBS is not permitted to deny a licence based on an arrest that didn't result in a conviction, including one that became an infraction, a citation, or a juvenile court matter.
What also doesn't count against you
- Convictions before your 18th birthday, unless you were tried as an adult
- Charges dismissed under Penal Code section 1000.3 (a diversion dismissal)
- Older low-level cannabis convictions under Health and Safety Code sections 11357 or 11360(b)
- Traffic violations with a fine of $500 or less, and infractions generally
Once you're licensed
The reporting duty flips once you're actually registered or licensed: BBS requires licensees and registrants to report new misdemeanor and felony convictions within 30 days. A dismissal of an old conviction doesn't change that ongoing duty for anything new.
What counts as evidence of rehabilitation
BBS doesn't publish a checklist, because it says each case depends on the nature of the offence and the time that's passed since. The kinds of things the Board has said it commonly sees and weighs include:
- Letters of recommendation from a supervisor, volunteer organization, pastor, or colleague
- Evidence of community service
- Participation in a support group or rehabilitation program
- Completion of coursework or a degree program after the offence
- Participation in psychotherapy, where relevant
None of these are mandatory, and you don't need every item on the list. The point is that BBS wants a picture of what you've done since the conviction, not just the conviction itself.
Common questions
Will BBS find out about my conviction even if I don't tell them?
Yes -- the Board gets your record directly from the California Department of Justice, so there's no benefit to staying silent and no penalty for not volunteering it.
Can a conviction from 15 years ago stop me from becoming an LCSW?
Generally no, unless it's a serious felony under Penal Code 1192.7 or requires sex-offender registration under Penal Code 290(d). Otherwise BBS is limited to convictions within the preceding seven years.
I got my conviction dismissed under 1203.4 -- do I still need to worry about it?
No, for licensing purposes a conviction dismissed under 1203.4 (or 1203.4a, 1203.41, 1203.42, 1203.425) cannot be used to deny your licence. Keep the certified dismissal order in case BBS needs to verify it.
What if I was arrested but the case was dropped?
BBS cannot deny your licence based on an arrest alone when it didn't lead to a conviction -- that includes cases resolved as an infraction, a citation, or in juvenile court.
Once I'm licensed, do I have to report a new arrest?
You have to report new misdemeanor and felony convictions within 30 days. An arrest alone, without a conviction, isn't part of that reporting duty.
Official source: California Board of Behavioral Sciences
Sources
- https://www.bbs.ca.gov/pdf/ab2138_faqs.pdf
- https://www.bbs.ca.gov/consumers/criminal_convictions.html
- https://www.bbs.ca.gov/
Legal information on this page was last checked against primary sources in October 2026. California law changes; if you are reading this long after that date, confirm before you rely on it.