§ 4996

Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 20, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2004.
(a)Only individuals who have received a license under this article may style themselves as “Licensed Clinical Social Workers.” Every individual who styles himself or herself or who holds himself or herself out to be a licensed clinical social worker, or who uses any words or symbols indicating or tending to indicate that he or she is a licensed clinical social worker, without holding his or her license in good standing under this article, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(b)It is

unlawful for any person to engage in the practice of clinical social work unless at the time of so doing such person holds a valid, unexpired, and unrevoked license under this article.

(c)A clinical social worker licensed under this chapter is a licentiate for purposes of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 805, and thus is a health care practitioner subject to the provisions of Section 2290.5 pursuant to subdivision (b) of that section.

This content is for reference, learning, and study purposes only. All legal text should be verified against the official California Legislative Information website, which is the authoritative source for California law. Data last processed: February 14, 2026.