Apply to Your State Board

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Psychology from ABD to Licensure

copyright 1999, 2000 Shoshana D. Kerewsky, Psy.D.

may be reproduced with this attribution only

Toward the end of your predoctoral internship, you'll be thinking about meeting the postdoctoral requirements for licensure. these requirements are set by each state or provincial psychology licensing board.

What does a state psychology board do?

A board's mission is to protect the public in its relationship with psychologists. It does so by serving as a gatekeeper for the practice of psychology. The board admits you to the formal licensing process, evaluates your education and training, contracts for and accepts your postdoctoral hours, allows you to take the EPPP and any state exams, issues your license, accepts your continuing education credits, and rules on requirements for psychologists wishing to transfer a license from another state or province. It also hears complaints against psychologists and may have the power to sanction or fine you, or suspend or withdraw your license.

How much work is needed to complete my postdoctoral requirements?

Each state and province has different requirements and deadlines. Therefore, a few months before your internship is over, contact the state psychology licensing boards for the states in which you may want to practice. Each board will send you a packet describing that state's licensure requirements and paperwork for applying to the board to enter some kind of postdoc, resident, or candidate status. Some of the boards found at this link have webpages where you may be able to gather initial information as well. However, you should always confirm your understanding of an electronic document with the board.

Know your state or states' rules, arrange a postdoctoral placement early, and talk to people who have recently completed the licensing process in that state.

What documents will my state board want to see?

Typically, the state will include at least the forms it initially requires with your introductory packet. The board may review your coursework, request letters of reference from supervisors, or require a contract for your postdoctoral placement. In general, if you don't have a contract with the board, your hours don't count. (In some states, hours earned in certain settings can be submitted to the board after they are completed. This is not common, however.)

What potential problems should I be aware of?

The following is by no means an exhaustive list:

• Having your education or internship rejected. If this happens, ask for clarification. Your board may require you to take additional courses, or may want to see a syllabus. The famous examples are the ethics course that doesn't have the word "ethics" in its title, and the school whose quarter-credits don't translate to the semester-credits required.
• Missing a deadline. Be particularly alert to the possibility of losing postdoc hours that would otherwise have counted toward your requirement through neglecting to contact the board early enough to document your internship and graduation. Some states will allow you to begin counting hours as soon as all of your program's administrative requirements have been met while others insist that your degree actually have been conferred. Similarly, some states do not offer rolling review of materials for all stages of licensing; your state may have deadlines for particular tasks.
• Alienating your state board staff and volunteers. You will be working with your state board until you retire from practice. If your board doesn't admit you, you can't be licensed as a psychologist in that state. If your state requires an oral exam, or if a charge is brought against you, you will feel much more secure if you haven't engaged in frustrated lambasting of your board's personnel.
• Submitting incomplete or inaccurate documentation. Get assistance from someone who has recently been licensed or served on your state board. Read your application materials carefully and follow their instructions scrupulously.
• Discovering that your postdoc doesn't count. Be sure your proposed supervisor, work setting, and activities will meet your state's requirements.
• Discovering that no one else has kept records of your postdoctoral activity, or that someone has given the board inaccurate information. Document your postdoctoral experience assiduously.
• Misinterpreting state law or terms or receiving inconsistent information. If you are confused, ask the board for assistance.
• Assuming laws and practices in one state are similar in another. Examples of practices that vary across states include when you can take the EPPP, how many hours constitute adequate training, individual versus group supervision, whether you can hire a private supervisor, what you call yourself and your work, and what counts toward your continuing education requirement.
• Not budgeting enough money. Expect to pay fees to have your materials reviewed or your application accepted, for the written exam, for any state exams, and possibly for supervision.

How can I get an overview of states' licensure requirements?

APPIC provides a good overview at Psychology Internship Licensure Requirements across the United States. This page includes Most Stringent Psychology Internship Licensure Criteria across All Fifty States, a summary that may help you evaluate the likelihood that your predoctoral internship will meet your state board's criteria. Please note that this information is now a couple of years old and may be out of date. Never rely exclusively on secondhand information; always check with your state board.

The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) is the umbrella organization of state, provincial, and territorial psychology licensing boards. Their website provides a good overview of the purposes and scope of licensure.

How can I reach a particular state board?

Use ASPPB's roster to find the address of a specific board. You'll see that some of the boards listed have websites. These sites may allow you to request application materials, see relevant laws, review board minutes, link to local or regional psychological associations, learn the costs associated with different stages of licensing, and more. Again, information may be out of date. Always check with your state board.

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Please send me your comments, suggestions, and other state and provincial board resources. I'll review them for possible inclusion on this site. Thanks!

Shoshana D. Kerewsky, Psy.D.

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Last revised: February 09, 2000.

Disclaimer

This information is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but you should check with the sources of information listed for confirmation, updates, and complete descriptions. This page is provided as an extension of my opinions only and does not represent any point of view other than my own. I assume no liability for your actions based on this information either as an individual or as a practice under my own name, or as a representative of any institution, agency or program.