Florida Psychologist Licensing

If you’re planning to start your career as a psychologist in Florida, you’ll need to understand the process of how to earn your license.

Confused about where to get started? Here’s a resource to help explain all of the details of getting your license to practice psychology in Florida.

What are Florida’s Educational Requirements? 

The most pressing educational requirement for psychologists pursuing their license to practice psychology is earning a doctoral degree in psychology. Candidates may earn their choice of a PsyD, a PhD, or an EdD in psychology.

When selecting a university for their graduate program, future psychologists must ensure their school is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Without this designation, the Florida Board of Psychology may deem their degree invalid.

Besides a doctoral degree, Florida-based psychologists must also take a course that covers how to prevent medical errors. The class is two hours and can be combined with the psychologist’s continuing education requirements.

What are Florida’s Requirements for Supervised Internship Hours? 

No matter where you’re planning to practice, a part of earning your license is completing a set number of supervised internship hours. This number varies by state.

Per the Florida state code, psychologists are required to accrue 4,000 hours of supervised internships. Candidates can earn up to 2,000 hours while completing their required internship for their graduate program.

While the school must be APA-accredited, the internship doesn’t have to be. The psychology student’s internship only needs to be approved by their college’s psychology department.

The second half their supervised work experience can only be completed after they’ve earned their chosen doctoral degree. Once they’ve received their doctorate, the candidate can apply for their provisional psychologist license. This certification costs $505.

Their provisional license is valid for up to two years and allows them to practice with the supervision of a licensed psychologist while they accrue the rest of their 4,000 work hours.

Which Standardized Psychology Tests are Mandatory in Florida? 

Florida is a state that requires psychologists to take two standardized tests to qualify for their license. The first one is the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the second is a state jurisprudence exam, the Florida Laws and Rules Examination.

The EPPP is a national standardized psychology test that was created by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). It’s a computer-based, multiple-choice exam. Candidates have about four hours to complete the 225 questions. Taking this test in Florida costs $600.

A passing score is 500 points, or correctly answering about 70% of the test questions. If you don’t know an answer, don’t worry about guessing. Incorrect responses are only marked wrong, there isn’t an additional penalty for choosing the wrong answer.

Before taking the EPPP, the psychology candidate will need to get permission from the Florida Board of Psychology. Then, they’ll need to apply with the ASPPB to take the EPPP. Once they have permission to complete the EPPP, the future psychologist will need to schedule their test.

For more information about the EPPP and what’s covered on it, check out the ASPPB.

The second test required for psychologists in the process of earning their license is the Florida Laws and Rules Examination. This exam covers the intricacies of psychology laws written into Florida’s state code.

Like the EPPP, this state-level test is multiple choice and given through a computer. Candidates will have 60 minutes to complete the 45-question exam. Before taking the test, they are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement to ensure they don’t share the content of the exam.

To pass the Florida Laws and Rules Examination, the future psychologist will need to answer at least 80% of the questions correctly. There is also a $133 fee — $85 is allocated to the state of Florida and $48 is given to the testing site.

For more information about the state-level exam, check out this PDF booklet.

If the psychologist fails either of the exams, they’ll need to apply to retake them.

How Do I Apply For My License in Florida?

Once you’ve completed your degree, supervised experience requirements, and both of your tests, it’s time to apply for your Florida psychology license.

You’ll need to mail in the application and all required documentation to the Florida Board of Psychologists. There is also a $590 fee.

Once you’ve sent in your required materials, you’ll then wait until the next Florida Board meeting to find out if your application has been approved. There are four of these meetings every year. For your application to be assessed, all of your materials, including your $590, must be received by the Board at least 30 days prior to the meeting’s date.

If there are any problems with your application, you’ll typically be notified by the Board about a month after sending in your materials.

Will My Out-of-State Psychology License Carry Over to Florida? 

Most psychologists with out-of-state licenses will be able to earn their Florida license. The license requirements for their state will be compared to Florida’s own rules. If they’ve met the state’s requirements, they’ll be able to apply for their license and if they don’t, they’ll need to complete the missing requirements.

If the candidate is a licensed, doctoral-level psychologist who has been licensed for 20 years and who has been practicing for at least 20 of the previous 25 years, they will be granted a Florida license.

What are Florida’s Board and Professional Organizations?

The Florida Board of Psychology is the organization responsible for licensing psychologists. This board is a part of the state’s Division of Medical Quality Assurance.

They have a license support phone number ((850) 488-0595) that operates 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., Eastern Time. If you have a question outside of those hours, they also offer a chat robot that may be able to help you get the information you need.

For more information about practicing psychology in Florida, try the Florida Psychological Association. This organization doesn’t handle licensure, but has other useful resources for psychologists.