1(1) Any person desiring to be licensed as a psychologist shall apply to the department to take the licensure examination. The department shall license each applicant whom the board certifies has met all of the following requirements:
(a) Completed the application form and remitted a nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $500 and an examination fee set by the board sufficient to cover the actual per applicant cost to the department for development, purchase, and administration of the examination, but not to exceed $500.
(b) Submitted proof satisfactory to the board that the applicant has received:
1. A doctoral degree from an American Psychological Association accredited program; or
2. The equivalent of a doctoral degree from an American Psychological Association accredited program from a school or university located outside the United States of America which was officially recognized by the government of the country in which it is located as an institution or program to train students to practice professional psychology. The applicant has the burden of establishing that this requirement has been met.
(c) Had at least 2 years or 4,000 hours of experience in the field of psychology in association with or under the supervision of a licensed psychologist meeting the academic and experience requirements of this chapter or the equivalent as determined by the board. The experience requirement may be met by work performed on or off the premises of the supervising psychologist if the off-premises work is not the independent, private practice rendering of psychological services that does not have a psychologist as a member of the group actually rendering psychological services on the premises.
(d) Passed the examination. However, an applicant who has obtained a passing score, as established by the board by rule, on the psychology licensure examination designated by the board as the national licensure examination need only pass the Florida law and rules portion of the examination.
1(2) Any person desiring to be licensed as a school psychologist shall apply to the department to take the licensure examination. The department shall license each applicant who the department certifies has:
(a) Satisfactorily completed the application form and submitted a nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $250 and an examination fee sufficient to cover the per applicant cost to the department for development, purchase, and administration of the examination, but not to exceed $250 as set by department rule.
(b) Submitted satisfactory proof to the department that the applicant:
1. Has received a doctorate, specialist, or equivalent degree from a program primarily psychological in nature and has completed 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate study, in areas related to school psychology as defined by rule of the department, from a college or university which at the time the applicant was enrolled and graduated was accredited by an accrediting agency recognized and approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor organization or from an institution that is a member in good standing with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
2. Has had a minimum of 3 years of experience in school psychology, 2 years of which must be supervised by an individual who is a licensed school psychologist or who has otherwise qualified as a school psychologist supervisor, by education and experience, as set forth by rule of the department. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the supervision requirement.
3. Has passed an examination provided by the department.
(3)(a) The board shall close the application file of any applicant who fails to pass the psychology licensure examination and the Florida law and rules portion of the examination or who fails to submit evidence of completion of the postdoctoral, supervised experience within a timeframe no longer than 24 months.
(b) The board shall implement a procedure by which an applicant may apply for an extension beyond the required timeframe.
(c) An individual who completes the required postdoctoral training residency may continue to practice under supervision if she or he does so in a manner prescribed by the board by rule, has a current application on file, and no final order of denial has been issued.
(4) A person licensed as a psychologist in another state who is practicing pursuant to the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact under s. 490.0075, and only within the scope provided therein, is exempt from the licensure requirements of this section.
History.—ss. 1, 3, ch. 81-235; ss. 1, 3, ch. 83-265; s. 91, ch. 83-329; ss. 4, 18, 19, ch. 87-252; s. 36, ch. 88-205; s. 36, ch. 88-392; ss. 3, 12, 13, ch. 89-70; s. 10, ch. 90-192; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 109, ch. 92-149; s. 30, ch. 94-310; s. 5, ch. 95-279; s. 3, ch. 97-198; s. 195, ch. 97-264; s. 302, ch. 98-166; s. 162, ch. 99-397; s. 1, ch. 2008-125; s. 41, ch. 2020-133; s. 20, ch. 2022-71; s. 5, ch. 2023-140; s. 34, ch. 2024-243.
1Note.—Section 34, ch. 2024-243, redesignated paragraphs (1)(b)-(d) as paragraphs (1)(c)-(e), respectively, added a new paragraph (1)(b), and amended subsection (2), effective July 1, 2025, to read:
(b) Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135.
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(2) Any person desiring to be licensed as a school psychologist shall apply to the department to take the licensure examination. The department shall license each applicant who the department certifies has met all of the following requirements:
(a) Satisfactorily completed the application form and submitted a nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $250 and an examination fee sufficient to cover the per applicant cost to the department for development, purchase, and administration of the examination, but not to exceed $250 as set by department rule.
(b) Submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135.
(c) Submitted satisfactory proof to the department that the applicant:
1. Has received a doctorate, specialist, or equivalent degree from a program primarily psychological in nature and has completed 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate study, in areas related to school psychology as defined by rule of the department, from a college or university which at the time the applicant was enrolled and graduated was accredited by an accrediting agency recognized and approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor organization or from an institution that is a member in good standing with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
2. Has had a minimum of 3 years of experience in school psychology, 2 years of which must be supervised by an individual who is a licensed school psychologist or who has otherwise qualified as a school psychologist supervisor, by education and experience, as set forth by rule of the department. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the supervision requirement.
3. Has passed an examination provided by the department.
