A variety of questions come up regarding license renewal for most professionals, including what is required in regards to continuing education. This article will address one question of the many: "Where do I find the continuing education requirements for my license?" This is a simple question, although, very important to have the right answer. This article will give instructions on how to locate the answer to this question, using the field of Licensed Social Workers as the example.

The answer to this question will not be anything new for those that have gone through the renewal process several times already. The requirements don't change much from renewal period to renewal period. But, what if a change did occur? Or, what about those that haven't renewed yet and are new to this process? Navigating to find the answer can be daunting, if you have no idea where to begin the process. As soon as you find out where to search, it is easy to stay on top of the latest changes.

You will want to begin at the home page of your licensing board's website. Such as those that are licensed in Oregon as a Social Worker, you will want to go to the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers home page (residing at http://www.oregon.gov/BLSW/index.shtml). There is very little that can not be found online these days. This even pertains to information provided by your state licensing board. The information found here is plentiful and useful. You may even want to bookmark your Board's website in your browser for easier future access.

After getting to the licensing board's home page, you should look for a link titled something to the effect of "Rules and Regulations". This is usually located in a list of links either on the left or right side column. When you click on the link you may be directed to the document itself or to a different page of information where you will need to find another link to get to the document of the board's rules. Oregon Social Workers will have to click on a link titled "Laws and Rules" and will be directed to a subpage before getting to the actual document.

Once you have found the "Rules and Regulations" document you will need to locate the section usually titled "Continuing Education Requirements" or just "Continuing Education". For Oregon, it is titled "Continuing Education Reporting Requirements". It is this section that will explain the exact CE requirements set by your State Board for your license. In spite of how much you have gone through this process, stay up-to-date with your board's requirements by viewing this information before each license renewal. Protect yourself from damages that would occur from not following the updated rules put in place since your last renewal.