Canadian · Professional Licensing
Social worker registration lookup.
To check an Ontario social worker or social service worker, use the OCSWSSW Online Register. This page explains what it lists and links to it. It does not search for you.
Use the official register for the answer: The OCSWSSW Online Register is the place to check. This page is a guide and cannot confirm anyone’s registration.
Who is on the OCSWSSW register
The College says the Register provides information on all registered social workers and registered social service workers in Ontario, and that the Social Work and Social Service Work Act, 1998 requires the College to keep a Register available to the public. It also says only people registered with the College may use the protected titles “social worker” and “social service worker”.
The College lists these among the Online Register’s contents:
- Name, registration number and practising status
- Class of certificate of registration, initial registration date and certificate expiry date
- Name of business or employer, with business address and phone
- Academic information and terms, conditions and limitations, if applicable
- Notations such as suspension, cancellation, resignation or revocation, and certain charges and convictions if known to the College
The College also publishes a list of unregulated practitioners in Ontario, linked from its register page, for people using the protected titles without registration.
Check a social worker in Ontario
Open the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers register in a new tab. The College’s result, not this page, is the authoritative record.
Why you’d check a social worker’s registration
Common reasons: before engaging counselling or case-management services, checking a practitioner named in an agency or school document, or confirming someone is entitled to use the title social worker.
Before you search
- Have the full legal name as printed on a receipt, licence or letter, and any other name the person uses.
- Note the city or clinic, which can help separate people with common names.
- If the register returns nothing, try other spellings and ask the OCSWSSW directly before drawing any conclusion.
What a register result can and cannot tell you
A register entry reflects what the College holds on the date you look. It does not rate quality of care, and it is not a recommendation. If something looks wrong or out of date, contact the College.
Frequently asked questions
How do I look up a social worker in Ontario?
Open the OCSWSSW Online Register and search for the registrant. The College’s FAQ page is linked above.
Does the register show a registration number?
The College lists registration number and practising status among the information on the Online Register.
Who can use the title social worker?
The College says only professionals registered with it may use the protected titles social worker and social service worker.
Does this page verify anyone?
No. It is a guide only and performs no search.
Guide only — not a verification tool
This page does not check anyone’s registration, does not copy or proxy the OCSWSSW register, and nothing you might type here is transmitted anywhere. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. Use the official register linked above, and contact the College if you have a concern. Information was read from the College’s public pages in October 2026 and may change.