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Licensing
School Psychology
Licensure Methods and Exam Requirements
You should not submit your application until you are ready for licensure. That means that the education, experience, and a passing score on the examination have already been completed.
Important Notice: Florida’s current exam for school psychology private practice licensure is the ETS Praxis II School Psychologist Exam 5402.
Beginning September 1, 2023, the licensing exam for new graduates, or persons who have not previously taken the school psychology Praxis exam, will be the ETS Praxis II School Psychologist Exam 5403. The passing score for this examination will be a scaled score of 155.
- Please bookmark this page. As additional details are forthcoming from the exam vendor, ETS, this notice will be updated.
Methods of Application
There are three methods of application for licensure as a school psychologist in Florida. Holding licensure in another state does not mandate one method over another. You must consider the process for each method and determine the best method of application for your qualifications and circumstances.
Examination: This method means you are applying for licensure based on education, experience and examination in compliance with the laws and rules.
Endorsement of ABPP Diplomate Status: This method means you are applying based on possession of diplomate status in good standing with the American Board of Professional Psychology, Inc.
Endorsement of 10 Years of Licensed Psychologist Experience: This method of licensure requires the applicant possess a doctoral degree in psychology and have at least 10 years of experience as a licensed psychologist in any jurisdiction or territory of the U.S. within the 25 years preceding the date of application. A doctoral degree in psychology means a Psy.D., Ed.D. in psychology, or a Ph.D. in psychology from a psychology program at an educational institution that, at the time the applicant was enrolled and graduated, had institutional accreditation from an agency recognized and approved by the U.S. Department of Education, or was recognized as a member in good standing with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
Interstate Mobility: SB 1600, Interstate Mobility was signed into law with an effective date of July 1, 2024. This legislation establishes a new universal process for licensure by endorsement for health care professions regulated by the Florida Department of Health’s Division of Medical Quality Assurance. To qualify, the health care practitioner must meet specific criteria, including various testing, training, and experience qualifications for their profession. The bill also repeals existing licensure by endorsement statutes from various individual practice acts.
Each applicable board, or the Department if there is no board, shall adopt rules incorporating application forms for the MOBILE Act licensure pathway within six months after its effective date. Once the application form is finalized and adopted into rule, the Department will begin accepting applications.
Please continue to check back for updates.
Statute and Rule References
Specific licensure requirements can be found at sections 490.005 and 490.006, Florida Statutes, and Rule 64B21-500, Florida Administrative Code.
Education Requirements for Examination Application Method
Completion of graduate level school psychology education as outlined in 64B21-500.009, F.A.C.
Official Transcripts: Official graduate level transcripts may be submitted to the Office of School Psychology in password-protected electronic formats to MQA.SchoolPsychology@FLhealth.gov.
Experience Requirements for Examination Application Method
Successful completion of three years of school psychology experience:
- One year of experience consists of 1,500 hours within 12 consecutive months.
- Two years of the three year requirement shall consist of supervised experience.
- All supervised experience shall be performed by a certified or licensed school psychologist in any jurisdiction or a licensed psychologist.
- The third year can consist of general experience.
- Doctoral internships may be applied toward the supervision requirement.
- Non-doctoral internships, which are part of the education requirement, do not count toward the supervised or general experience requirement.
Examination Requirements for Examination Application Method
The specialty area examination in school psychology developed and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Praxis for School Psychologists. To be eligible for licensure, all candidates must receive a passing score. Persons who have applied for and taken the licensure examination and who have official documentation of a passing score submitted to the Department shall be deemed to have successfully completed the licensure examination.
Official documentation of a passing score is defined as:
- Original score report issued directly by ETS (additional instructions below)
- Score report provided by the licensing agency of another state or territory of the U.S.
- Score confirmation letter from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) provided directly from the NASP to the Department without any qualification, reservation, or irregularity. In order to be acceptable under this section, such score must have been obtained subsequent to March 1, 1988.
If you completed the exam less than 10 years ago, you may contact ETS at 609771-7395 or ETS.org to have your score electronically transmitted to this office.
- The current test code is 5402.
- The destination code is R7114.
Minimum Passing Scores
- Exam taken from September 2014 to Present: 147
- Exam taken between September 2008 – August 2014: 165
- Exam taken prior to September 2008: 660
- Applicants with Health History
- Applicants with Discipline History
- Applicants with Criminal History
- Health Care Fraud; Disqualification for License, Certificate, or Registration
If a “Yes” response was provided to any of the questions in this section, provide the following documents directly to the board office:
- Letter from a licensed health care practitioner, who is qualified by skill and training to address the condition identified, which explains the impact the condition may have on the ability to practice the profession with reasonable skill and safety. The letter must specify that the applicant is safe to practice the profession without restrictions or specifically indicate the restrictions that are necessary. Documentation provided must be dated within one year of the application date.
- Written self-explanation, identifying the medical condition(s) or occurrence(s); and current status.
Disciplinary History documentation must include:
- Written self-explanation, describing in detail the circumstances surrounding the disciplinary action.
- Copy of the Administrative Complaint and Final Order.
Criminal History documentation must include for each offense:
- Written self-explanation, describing in detail the circumstances surrounding each offense; including dates, city and state, charges and final results.
- Final dispositions and arrest records for all offenses. The clerk of court in the arresting jurisdiction will provide you with these documents. Unavailability of these documents must come in the form of a letter from the clerk of court.
- Completion of sentence documents. You may obtain documents from the Florida Department of Corrections. The report must include the start date, end date, and that the conditions were met.
Effective July 1, 2012, section 456.0635, Florida Statutes, provides that health care boards or the department shall refuse to issue a license, certificate, or registration and shall refuse to admit a candidate for examination if the applicant:
- Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under Chapter 409, F.S., (relating to social and economic assistance), Chapter 817, F.S., (relating to fraudulent practices), Chapter 893, F.S., (relating to drug abuse prevention and control) or a similar felony offense(s) in another state or jurisdiction unless the candidate or applicant has successfully completed a drug court program for that felony and provides proof that the plea has been withdrawn or the charges have been dismissed. Any such conviction or plea shall exclude the applicant or candidate from licensure, examination, certification, or registration, unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or plea ended:
- For the felonies of the first or second degree, more than 15 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
- For the felonies of the third degree, more than 10 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
- For the felonies of the third degree under section 893.13(6)(a), F.S., more than five years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
- Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under 21 U.S.C. ss. 801-970 (relating to controlled substances) or 42 U.S.C. ss. 1395-1396 (relating to public health, welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid issues), unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or pleas ended more than 15 years prior to the date of the application;
- Has been terminated for cause from the Florida Medicaid program pursuant to section 409.913, F.S., unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with the Florida Medicaid program for the most recent five years;
- Has been terminated for cause, pursuant to the appeals procedures established by the state or federal government, from any other state Medicaid program, unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with a state Medicaid program for the most recent five years and the termination occurred at least 20 years before the date of the application;
- Is currently listed on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities.
If you meet any of the categories listed above for Health Care Fraud; Disqualification for License, Certificate, or Registration, you must provide the following documentation:
- Written explanation for each question including the county and state of each termination or conviction, date of each termination or conviction, and copies of supporting documentation.
- Supporting documentation should include final court dispositions or agency orders where applicable, as well as documentation of the satisfaction of all related penalties.
For criminal convictions, the clerk of court in the arresting jurisdiction will provide you with these documents. Unavailability of these documents must come in the form of a letter from the clerk of court.
For other terminations or exclusions, the agency issuing the termination or exclusion should be contacted to obtain related documents and dispositions.
Fees
| Non-refundable application processing fee | $175.00 |
| Initial licensure fee | $175.00 |
| Unlicensed activity fee | $5.00 |
| Total application fee to be submitted | $355.00 |
Make checks, cashier’s check, or money orders payable to the Florida Department of Health. Applicants must also submit $355 fee regardless of application method.
Send application, along with fees to:
Florida Department of Health
P.O. Box 6330
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6330
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