SECTION 463.10. Licensed Psychologists

(a) Licensure Requirements. An applicant for licensure as a psychologist must:

(1) hold a doctoral degree in psychology from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting organization;

(2) pass all examinations required by the agency;

(3) submit documentation of supervised experience from a licensed psychologist which satisfies the requirements of Council §463.11 of this title; and

(4) meet all other requirements of §501.2525 of the Occupations Code.

(b) Degree Requirements.

(1) For those applicants with a doctoral degree conferred on or after January 1, 1979, the transcript must state that the applicant has a doctoral degree that designates a major in psychology.

(2) For those applicants with a doctoral degree conferred prior to January 1, 1979, the transcript must reflect a doctoral degree that designates a major in psychology or the substantial equivalent of a doctoral degree in psychology in both subject matter and extent of training. A doctoral degree will be considered the substantial equivalent to a doctoral degree in psychology if the training program meets the criteria of Council rule §463.15 of this title.

(c) An applicant who holds an active Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) is considered to have met all requirements for licensure under this rule except for passage of the Jurisprudence Examination. Applicants relying upon this subsection must request that documentation of their certification be sent directly to the Council from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), be submitted to the Council in the sealed envelope in which it was received by the applicant from ASPPB, or be submitted to the Council as directed by agency staff.

(d) An applicant who holds an active specialist certification with the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) is considered to have met all requirements for licensure under this rule except for passage of the EPPP and Jurisprudence Examination. Applicants relying upon this subsection must request that documentation of their specialist certification be sent directly to the Council from ABPP, be submitted to the Council in the sealed envelope in which it was received by the applicant from ABPP, or be submitted to the Council as directed by agency staff.

(e) The requirement for documentation of supervised experience under this rule is waived for an applicant who is actively licensed as a doctoral-level psychologist in good standing and has been practicing psychology in another jurisdiction for at least five years or can affirm that the applicant has received at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience from a licensed psychologist in the jurisdiction where the supervision took place. At least half of those hours (a minimum of 1,500 hours) must have been completed within a formal internship, and the remaining one-half (a minimum of 1,500 hours) must have been completed after the doctoral degree was conferred. Applicants relying upon this subsection must request that verification of their out-of-state licensure be sent directly to the Council from the other jurisdiction, be submitted to the Council in the sealed envelope in which it was received by the applicant from the other jurisdiction, or be submitted to the Council as directed by agency staff.

(f) Provisional License.

(1) An applicant who has not yet passed the required examinations or is seeking to acquire the supervised experience required under Council §463.11 of this title may practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist as a provisionally licensed psychologist for not more than two years if the applicant meets all other licensing requirements.

(2) A provisional license will be issued to an applicant upon proof of provisional license eligibility. However, a provisional license will not be issued to an applicant who was issued a provisional license in connection with a prior application.

(3) A provisionally licensed psychologist is subject to all applicable laws governing the practice of psychology.

(4) A provisionally licensed psychologist may be made the subject of an eligibility or disciplinary proceeding. The two-year period for provisional licensure shall not be tolled by any suspension of the provisional license.

(5) A provisional license will expire after two years if the person does not qualify for licensure as a psychologist

Source Note: The provisions of this §463.10 adopted to be effective October 7, 2020, 45 TexReg 7000; amended to be effective June 1, 2021, 46 TexReg 3394; amended to be effective March 7, 2023, 48 TexReg 1299