Questions and Answers for Licensed Psychologists

Yes. In New York State, upon satisfying the licensure eligibility requirements, a "license" is awarded. Licensure is for life unless suspended, revoked or annulled for reasons of misconduct.

In order to both practice as a licensed psychologist in New York State and use the restricted titles “licensed psychologist” or “psychologist, psychology or psychological’ or any derivative within New York State, a licensee must be currently "registered." Registration is for a three-year period, except for the first registration renewal after licensure, which is pro-rated to move licensees to month of birth renewal. See FAQ #9 below for information about periods other than 36 months.
 

You can find the end date for your current registration on the green registration certificate that was issued when you registered to practice. You can also find the end of your current registration period on our verification site: Verification Search. Please note that your license number is the six-digit number; the -1 is not part of the license number.

Yes. Every licensed psychologist practicing with his or her New York State license must complete the required acceptable formal continuing education in order to register, except in the first registration period after initial licensure (see Question #4 below). As a practicing licensed psychologist, you are required to complete 36 hours of acceptable formal continuing education during each three-year registration period. However, during the initial phase-in period, starting January 1, 2021, the number of hours necessary will be pro-rated at the rate of one hour per month for each month of the registration period.

If you are returning to practice as a licensed psychologist in New York State, you may have to complete pro-rated hours of continuing education. This calculation will depend on whether or not you were practicing the psychology profession in New York State and/or another state before you apply to re-register in New York State.

You are not required to complete continuing education during your initial three-year registration period. However, you will need to complete a pro-rated number of hours based on the length of your second registration period which is adjusted based on your birth month.

No, the law provides an exemption from the continuing education requirement for the first three-year registration period in which one is licensed as a licensed psychologist in this State.

You must complete continuing education from a Department-approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists on or after January 1, 2021 in order for it to be acceptable under the law and regulations. Courses or activities taken prior to the January 1, 2021 effective date of the law are not acceptable for satisfying the triennial registration continuing education requirements.

You will receive your registration renewal notice about 4 months before the end of your current registration period. You have the option of registering online or by mail. However, you should not file your registration application until you have met the continuing education requirement. If you indicate you have not met the requirement, your registration will be placed on hold until you submit verification to the State Board.

If you will not meet the continuing education requirement by the end of your registration period, then you may apply for a conditional registration (see Question 37 below).

Licensees whose first re-registration date following January 1, 2021, occurs less than three years from that date, but on or after January 1, 2021, will have to complete one hour of acceptable formal continuing education for each month in the period beginning January 1, 2021. Licensees must attest to whether or not they have met the requirement as part of the registration application for the next three-year period.

If you are renewing the registration of your license on or after January 1, 2021, the number of continuing education hours you will be required to complete will vary depending on when your current registration expires. Please see the chart below in order to determine the required number of hours you need to complete prior to your registration renewal date.

Licensees whose registrations are due to be renewed on or after January 1, 2024, must complete 1.0 hour of acceptable continuing education for each month of their registration periods (see Question 9).

No. Registration periods may be adjusted so that subsequent renewals will occur during a licensee's month of birth. If your registration period is less than three years, count the number of months of the registration period to determine the number of continuing education hours required. You must complete one hour of continuing education for each month. For example, if your registration period is from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024, this is a 30-month registration period; therefore, you are required to complete 30 hours of acceptable continuing education during it.

A minimum of 50 minutes equals one continuing education contact hour. Courses must be offered in terms of contact hours; no other time measurement is acceptable.

No. Under Education Law §7607(2), continuing education hours may not be carried over to a subsequent registration period.

No. The required continuing education may be completed anytime during the current registration period. Thus, licensed psychologists have the flexibility to select and schedule the continuing education activities that are most appropriate for their professional practice.

No. You may take all courses in one year, if you wish. However, you must complete the required number of hours prior to the expiration date of your registration.

There are three possible options that may be available to you, if there are circumstances that make it impossible for you to comply with the continuing education requirements in a timely manner. However, you must submit the  Registration Remittance Addendum with your Registration Renewal Document before your request for one of the options listed below can be considered. 

Inactive Status 

A registration may be placed on inactive status if the licensee will not be practicing in New York State. There is no time limit placed on an inactive registration, but you will have to complete continuing education hours in order to return to practice. (See, Questions 15 & 16.)

Adjustment 

The Department may grant an adjustment to the continuing education requirements for the current registration period if the licensee documents and the Department determines that there is good cause that prevents compliance. The Department may grant an adjustment for the following reasons:

• poor health or a specific physical or mental disability certified by an appropriate health care professional(s);
• extended active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States; or
• other good cause beyond the licensee’s control, which in the Department’s judgment, makes it impossible for the licensee to comply with the continuing education requirements in a timely manner.

An adjustment does not include additional time; if the licensee needs additional time to complete the required continuing education, they must apply for a 12-month conditional registration and pay the $229 registration fee. For more information regarding an adjustment to this requirement, please contact the Office of the State Board for Psychology by email at psychbd@nysed.gov.

Conditional Registration 

A conditional registration will allow a licensee to continue working while making up the deficiencies in the continuing education requirement from the previous registration period. If granted, a conditional registration is valid for one year and cannot be renewed or extended. (See, Question 37 for more information about this option.)

If you have notified the Department that you are not practicing the profession, your registration will be placed on "inactive" status. You do not have to complete any continuing education hours during the period that you are on "inactive" status. You do not have to be registered in order to attend and complete continuing education courses so that, if you so choose, you can remain current on practice during your inactive period. Please see Question 14 below for information on requesting an inactive status.

Yes. If you wish to return to practice after January 1, 2021, you will have to complete the number of continuing education hours that would have been due, if you were actively practicing at the time of your current registration. For example, since the law is effective on January 1, 2021, a licensee who was inactive prior to that date and who wishes to return to practice on June 1, 2021 would be required to complete 5 hours of acceptable continuing education hours, which would be the total number of months from January 1, 2021 to May 31, 2021, the period during which the licensee was inactive after the effective date of the law. In order to register to practice during the period starting June 1, 2021, the licensee would have to complete the 5 hours and submit certificates from Department approved providers before the Department will register the licensee to practice.

As of January 1, 2021, in order to reactivate your registration in New York State when you have been practicing psychology in another state, you will need to complete at least one hour of acceptable continuing education for each month your registration was inactive. The Department will not reactivate your registration until you make up the continuing education requirement deficiency that you accrued during the period your registration was on "inactive" status. 

Please be aware that, in addition to making up the deficiency that you accrued during the period that your registration was on "inactive" status, you will have to complete the continuing education hours that would be otherwise due for the new registration period. 

For example, a licensee who practiced in another state from January 1, 2022 until December 31, 2023 and returns to practice in New York State on January 1, 2024 would be required to complete 24 hours of acceptable continuing education for the period from January 1, 2022 until December 31, 2023, before the licensee could be registered to practice in New York State. The licensee would also have to complete 36 hours of acceptable continuing education for the period that ends on December 31, 2026, which would be the end of the licensee’s three-year registration period, after his or her registration is reactivated.

If you were not practicing in another jurisdiction during the period when your New York State registration was on "inactive" status, you may count continuing education hours that you completed on or after January 1, 2021 (the effective date of the law) with a Department-approved provider of psychology continuing education within the 12 months prior to the beginning of your new registration period. In other words, you must satisfy the deficiency before you can re-register to practice in New York State. 

If you were practicing in another jurisdiction, you may use acceptable continuing education hours that were accrued from a Department-approved provider of psychology continuing education up to 36 months prior to the beginning of your new registration period.

If the continuing education activities completed in another jurisdiction were offered by a provider of psychology continuing education who was approved by the Department at the time you completed the continuing education hours in subject areas that are acceptable in New York State, the Department may award you credit for such continuing education. This does not apply to mentorships which, by law, may only be completed by a psychologist licensed and registered to practice in New York State under the mentorship of a licensed psychologist, registered to practice with at least 5 years of post-licensure experience in the subject of the mentorship.

To be acceptable the courses must be administered:

• by a Department-approved provider; and
• in an approved subject area (see Question 25 for a listing of approved subject areas)

Also, continuing education hours may be earned by:

• preparing and teaching a course offered by a Department-approved provider of psychology continuing education on or after January 1, 2021, provided that the course being taught has not been presented on more than one occasion without presenting new or revised material;
• preparing and teaching a course, acceptable to the Department, at a higher education institution or a psychotherapy institute, as defined in section 72.6(a)(2) and (3) of the Commissioner’s Regulations, relating to the practice of psychology on or after January 1, 2021, provided that the course has not been taught by the licensee on more than one occasion without presenting new or revised material;
• making a technical presentation at a professional conference sponsored by an organization that is a Department-approved provider of psychology continuing education on or after January 1, 2021, provided that the presentation has not been offered on more than one occasion without presenting new or revised material;
• completing a self-study program on or after January 1, 2021, offered by a Department-approved provider, provided that self-study hours do not comprise more than twelve hours in any three-year registration period or one-third of the hours for a registration period other than three years;
• authoring a first-time article in the practice of psychology published in a peer-reviewed journal or a chapter in a published book, on or after January 1, 2021;
• authoring a first-time book in the practice of licensed psychology, on or after January 1, 2021;
• completing independent study, defined as individualized professional study that is self-initiated, goal-driven learning based on reading and research, on or after January 1, 2021 provided that no more than one-third of the continuing education hours in any period may be independent study; and
• completing a mentorship, as either a mentor or mentee as defined in law and regulations, on or after January 1, 2021 provided that no more than one-half of the required continuing education hours in any period may be completed in a mentorship.

Each Department-approved provider determines the length of the course to be offered and then will determine the hours according to the following: the awarding of continuing education hours is based on a contact hour which is equivalent to 50 minutes of an organized learning activity and a 10 minute break. Thus, a program of two clock hours would be awarded 2.0 continuing education hours. 

Other activities completed on or after January 1, 2021, such as those listed in the following chart may be approved for the amount of hours indicated.

In order to offer continuing education to licensed psychologists, an organization or individual must be approved by the Department, based upon a complete application, along with the submission of the required fee. For information about how to become an approved provider, please see: 

Requirements to become an approved provider

See here for a listing of providers that have been approved by the Department to offer psychology continuing education. The listing will be updated on a regular basis, as provider applications are reviewed and approved by the Office of the State Board for Psychology.

Courses that are taken from a provider that has not been approved by the Department cannot be used to satisfy the continuing education requirement. The Office of the State Board for Psychology will not review individual courses or submissions of course work from non-approved providers. Courses taken prior to the effective date of the law (January 1, 2021) are not acceptable. NOTE: A provider approved by the Department to offer continuing education to New York State licensed psychologists is not authorized to approve other individuals or organizations to offer continuing education to New York State licensees.

Yes. The law requires that each licensee completes a minimum of 3 hours of coursework in professional ethics, including the laws, rules and regulations for practice in New York State in any 36-month period. Providers who offer acceptable courses in this subject area are indicated on the list of approved providers on our website.  Otherwise, it is your responsibility to complete coursework in subjects that improve your knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of psychology as defined in Education Law section 7601-a or other activities defined as acceptable activities, as listed in Question 21. This provides you with the flexibility to meet your education needs in your current position or for a future position. For instance, a licensed psychologist who engages in practice with the aging could take courses in his or her area of practice, such as theories of aging, the effect of dementia on families and spouses, and access to dementia services for culturally diverse clients.

Yes. The subject matter must contribute to the professional practice of licensed psychology, as defined in section 7601-a of the Education Law. Acceptable subjects may include, but are not limited to, clinical interventions and evidence-based practice; psychology research and program evaluation; cross-disciplinary offerings from medicine, law, administration, education, behavioral and social sciences related to psychology practice, patient communications, recordkeeping, and matters relating to law and/or ethics which contribute to professional practice in psychology and the health, safety, and/or welfare of the public.