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HOW TO APPLY FOR LICENSURE AS A PSYCHOLOGIST

(In State Applicants)

Please reference our processing timelines for new applications and incoming mail.

Step 1: Apply for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)

APPLICATION AND FEE:

STOP!: You may apply online through BreEZe only if this is your first application for licensure. If you have applied previously for licensure by mail or online, you must complete a hard copy application and mail to the Board with the application fee. Supporting documentation can be attached only at the time the online application is submitted. Any future supporting documentation cannot be submitted online.

Apply Online through BreEZe

OR

Apply by mail

Online Application Instructions

  • Pay the online application fee

Accepted Credit Cards:

  • Visa
  • MasterCard
  • American Express
  • Discover
  • Complete the application and sign with original signature
  • Submit a check for $236 payable to the Board of Psychology
  • Mail completed application and check to:

Board of Psychology
1625 North Market Blvd, Suite N-215
Sacramento, CA 95834

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS:

  • Official transcript(s) for the qualifying degree must be sent to the Board of Psychology in one of the following three ways:
    1. Mailed directly from the educational institution to the Board
    2. Submitted in an envelope that has been sealed and signed by the educational institution from the applicant along with the application
    3. Emailed by the educational institution to boplicensing@dca.ca.gov.

Note: Transcript will not be approved if it does not reflect the degree conferred and date awarded.

SUPERVISION AGREEMENT AND VERIFICATION OF EXPERIENCE

Note: Hours of SPE accrued prior to the completion of the Supervision Agreement will not be accepted.

EPPP APPROVAL:

  • The Board will contact you via email if you are approved to take the EPPP. If your application is deficient, the Board will request additional information in order to proceed with the review.
  • The Board submits eligibility to the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) on a weekly basis.
  • Once your eligibility has been submitted, ASPPB will email you instructions on how to schedule your examination.
  • Your application will be withdrawn if you do not take the examination within one year upon approval.

Note: If your application has been withdrawn and you had submitted your initial application online, you must re-apply by submitting a mailed application.
EPPP RESULTS:

  • Unofficial scores will be provided to you at the test site.
  • The Board will mail the examination results to your Address of Record (AOR) on file.
  • If you do not pass, your eligibility will remain valid as long as you retake the examination within a year.

Step 2: Apply for the California Psychology Law and Ethics Examination (CPLEE)

Once you pass the EPPP:

REQUEST FORM AND FEE:

  • Apply online and make payment through BreEZe
    OR
  • Complete the CPLEE request form.
  • Submit a check for $127 payable to the Board of Psychology.
  • Mail completed request form and check to the Board.

SUPERVISION AGREEMENT AND VERIFICATION OF EXPERIENCE

Note: Hours of SPE accrued prior to the completion of the Supervision Agreement will not be accepted.

CPLEE APPROVAL:

  • The Board will contact you via email if you are approved to take the CPLEE examination. If your application is incomplete, the Board will request additional information from you in order to proceed with the review.
  • The examination vendor, Psychological Services, Inc. (PSI), will notify you within 48 hours regarding how to schedule your examination.

CPLEE RESULTS:

  • Examination results are provided on site after completing the examination.
  • If you do not pass, you must submit the $127 fee along with a CPLEE request form to the Board to retake OR apply for a retake and make payment through BreEZe.
  • You can only take each version of the examination once. New versions of the examinations are available on the first of January, April, July and October.

Step 3: Request for Initial Licensure

Once you pass the CPLEE:

FORM AND FEE

  • You will be provided a Request for Initial Licensure form by the examination vendor once you pass the CPLEE.
  • Mail the completed and signed form along with a $231 check payable to the Board of Psychology.

LICENSE APPROVAL

  • The Board will contact you via email with your license number if the request for initial licensure is approved. If your application is incomplete, the Board will request additional information from you in order to proceed with the review.

ADDITIONAL LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS:
The following must be completed prior to licensure and can be completed anytime throughout your application process:

FINGERPRINTS

  • Complete the Request for Live Scan Services form and take it to a Live Scan site to submit fingerprints to Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a criminal history background check.
  • After submitting your fingerprints, send a copy of the Request for Live Scan Services to the Board.

PRE-LICENSURE COURSES

Coursework

Length of Training

Business and Professions Code

California Code of Regulations

Human Sexuality

10 hours

§25

§1382

Alcohol/Chemical Dependency Detection and Treatment

15 hours *Course must be completed at an academic institution

§2914(e)

§1382.3

Child Abuse Assessment

7 hours

§28

§1382.4

Spousal or Partner Abuse Assessment, Detection, and Intervention Strategies

  • 2 hours (if you began graduate training between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2003
  • 15 hours if you began graduate training on or after January 1, 2004

§2914(f)

§1382.5

Aging and Long-Term Care

6 hours

§2915.5

N/A

Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention

6 hours

§2915.4

N/A

For more information on the courses above, click on the code sections.


Last Updated December 22, 2023