APPLICANTS

Requirements for Psychologist licensure

Congratulations, on reaching this important stage of your goal to obtain a Psychologist license in the State of Arkansas. Please read the following information that will help you through the process of completing all the steps necessary to obtain your license.

Please keep a copy of everything you send to the Board office. This includes all your course syllabi, credentials, and all correspondence with the Board. If a problem arises with your application, you may petition the Board in writing the first day of the month before the next Board meeting.

The Requirements for licensure as a Psychologist can be found in Section 5 of the Arkansas Psychology Board Rules and in Subchapter 3 of Chapter 97. Course work information is available at § 5.4.A (2) (f) of the Rules.

Here are helpful steps to follow as you submit your application to the board office. The steps and the paperwork required are in your application packet and described below:

 

Step I: Initial Application Request and Application

  1. Complete a 2000-hour internship that meets the criteria specified in Section 5.4.F. of the Rules.
  2. Download an Application Request Form. Complete this fillable form, then email it to the office at APB.Info@arkansas.gov. You will be assigned an applicant number.
  3. To receive an application the fee is $200. You can pay it all or submit an initial $50 deposit for the packet, then make a final $150 payment upon submission of the full application.
  4. After receiving an applicant number you can pay online: PAY NOW
  5. Submit your application to the board office. Also include two checks for your background check fees made payable to Arkansas State Police.
    1. Credential reviews will only be done at regularly scheduled Board meetings. If your file does not pass credential review and you would like it reviewed again, it must wait until the next Board meeting; it will NOT be reviewed outside of Board meetings.
    2. Only complete applications will be considered for licensure or credential review. It must be ready by the 1st of the month to be considered at the next Board meeting.
    3. When the applicant’s file passes credential review, the applicant will be granted Applicant Psychologist—Provisional License (or Senior, CPQ, and National Register) status. More information about Provisional License HERE.
    4. You will be notified whether your credentials were approved by the board. If not, you will receive an explanation and your credentials may be reviewed at the next Board meeting.
    5. Transcripts must be sent to the Board office directly from the registrar’s office.
    6. If you are in your last semester of Grad studies, you can submit an unofficial transcript and a letter from the Program Director describing the courses you are enrolled in to complete your doctoral degree. You will be granted a provisional license pending receipt of your official transcript reflecting your conferred doctoral degree.

Step II: Written Exams & File Building

  1. If the core courses are approved, an approval letter from the board will be emailed to you granting you permission to schedule the national exam through the exam provider. The administrative cost for the registration to take the EPPP is $50, payable online. Scheduling the date and time of the exam is the responsibility of the candidate for licensure, not the board.
    1. The examination is administered by an exam service via computer.
      See asppb.net for more information about the EPPP.
    2. Scores will be reported to the applicant upon completion and to the Board office directly from the exam service.
    3. Passing score is a minimum of 500. If candidates do not pass the exam, they must wait a period of 60 days before taking exam again. The EPPP can be taken a maximum of 4 times over a period of one year.
  2. Statement of Intent | DOWNLOAD
    1. The statement of intent, also referred to as the scope of practice, is in your application packet, or you can download it. If you want to revise it at any time in the future, you must submit an updated form including ALL areas of practice, not just the updates.
    2. See Rules Section 5.2 for more information on the statement of intent requirements.
  3. Three (3) Reference Forms and One (1) Letter from Program Director
    1. One letter from the Director of the program at the institution where your academic work was obtained.  It should document successful program completion.
    2. Three recommendations must come from qualified Psychologists with direct and comprehensive knowledge of your training and competence. Family and close friends are excluded.
  4. Fingerprint Card Process
    1. The board office will email fingerprint packets to in-state individuals. All in-state individuals will need to go to Arkansas LiveScan to have their fingerprints and backgrounds done. If you are out of state individual the board office will send you a fingerprint card and packet to complete.
    2. Please only mail the fingerprint card and packet back to the board office if you are an out-of-state individual.
    3. Act 1317 of 1997 mandated the Criminal Background Check for all licensed Psychologists.
  5. Official University Transcript(s)
    Order the official university transcript(s) of doctoral-level coursework to be sent to the board office. The official transcript conferring the completion of the degree must be on file with the board prior to scheduling an oral exam.
  6. Out of State Licensees |  DOWNLOAD the License Verification Form
    1. A license verification form must be completed. Please complete the top portion of the form and send to either the state board that issued your license to include the issuance and the expiration date.
    2. If you have taken the EPPP please have ASPPB send your score to the Arkansas board.

Step III: Practice as a Provisionally Licensed Psychologist

  1. As a provisionally licensed Psychologist, you must have written authorization from the Board to practice. You may work only under supervision.
  2. Regulation requirements are in the Rules 7.3 – 7.5.
  3. A Board-approved supervisor must agree to supervise you by signing the Supervision Agreement and Plan.
  4. Please note that any other practice of psychology during this process is in violation of A.C.A § 17-97-101 et seq. The only exception to this is when students engage in psychological practice in conjunction with the specific requirements of formal coursework.
  5. Programs of study must meet the criteria listed in Sections 5.4.A. and 5.4.B of the Board’s Rules. Please see the PROVISIONAL LICENSE information to determine if your program meets Board requirements.
  6. Pay Provisional License fees: $100 per six months. You may be provisionally licensed up to 18 months.
    NOTE: This can be done via our secure payment system IF you have received your license number | PAY NOW
  7. Once provisionally licensed, successfully passing the EPPP, and completion of post-doc requirements have been met, applicants prior to July 3, 2020, may sit for an Oral interview.

Provisional Licensure Forms

Provisional License Payment Form
Provisional License Supervision Log
Psychologist Postdoctoral Supervision Form
Statement of Intent Provisionally Licensed Psychologist
Supervision Agreement and Plan
Supervision Report Form

Non-APA Doctoral Program Form

Non-APA Internship Program Form

Step IV: Obtaining the License

  1. Submit a Revised Statement of Intent as a Psychologist
  2. Payment of $200 Certification Fee
    NOTE: This can be paid via our secure payment system IF you have received your license number | PAY NOW
  3. Payment of pro-rated license fee – varies. The Board will tell you the exact prorated amount.  PAY NOW
  4. The official wallet card and the certificate will be emailed to the address listed on your application.

Please remember to keep your contact information updated. It is required by law because communication from the Board to licensees is very important.

Fees Associated with Applications
NOTE: All fees are subject to change and shall never be retroactive.

Application:

$200.00 Full Payment

$50 Application Deposit Fee
$150 Remainder Payment
Background Check: $60.00 LiveScan
EPPP Exam: $50 administrative fee — each occasion
$600 Professional Exam Service (PES)—each occasion
Provisional License: $100 Per Six-Months ($50 Late Fee)
Registration Fee: $200 Plus a pro-rated license fees
Oral re-examination fee: $100

Requirements for Psychological Technician Applicants

Qualifications of Supervisors

A supervising Psychologist shall meet all requirements of Chapter 97 and The Arkansas Psychology Board Rules and Regulations, including but not limited to the following:

  • Licensed to practice psychology in Arkansas
  • Aware of and abide by the ethical principles and state statutes pertaining to the practice of psychology in general and to supervision in particular
  • A supervising psychologist shall have at least three (3) years of post-licensure experience and had training or experience, or both, in supervision
  • A supervising psychologist is ethically and legally responsible for all the professional activities of the technician
  • A supervising psychologist shall have adequate training, knowledge, and skill to render competently any psychological services which the employed technician undertakes.

Registration Procedure

  • Forms must include a cover letter with each submission. Incomplete submissions will not be processed by the Board nor will the incomplete submission be returned to you. Supervision logs and the required 80 hours of training must be completed before an applicant can be registered.
  • 80 hours of required training include: 4 hours of professional ethics, confidentiality, mandatory reporting, best practices in objective test administration and scoring, 16 hours in the study of test manuals, 20 hours of direct observation of test administration and scoring by the supervising psychologist, and 40 hours of administering and scoring tests under the direct supervision of the supervising psychologist. The supervision logs can be found here.
  • If you would like to have an item on the Board meeting agenda, it must be in the office by the 1st of the month.
  • The request must be submitted in writing and mailed to the Board office.
  • Facsimiles and e-mails will not be accepted. This includes applications for credential reviews
  • A request form must be submitted by each supervising Psychologist for any technician they would like to register.
  • Please complete the registration form and mail the original to the Board. Only originals will be accepted. Please copy everything you send to the office and keep your own file. During the application period you may call the office to check on the status of the application.
  • Transcripts must be sent to our office directly from the registrar’s office.
  • Keep all your course syllabi and the correspondence from the Board in your file.
  • If a problem arises you may petition the Board in writing 10 days before the next Board meeting.

Credential Review

  • Credential Review is held at each regularly scheduled Board meeting.
  • The Board meeting dates are on the PUBLIC page.

Registration

  • When the applicant’s file is approved, the applicant will be registered as a technician.
  • A confirmation letter will be mailed the week following the Board meeting to each supervising Psychologist with the technician’s name, registration number, the effective date and the expiration date.

Technician Registration Renewal

  • Technician registration will expire annually on June 30. Renewals are held annually from July 1 – June 30.
  • A renewal notice will be sent our via email in an email blast to all licensees and technicians. If the supervising Psychologist does not renew the technician’s registration by June 30, the registration will be considered inactive.
  • There is a now a required $10 renewal fee for technicians. We encourage that you make this payment online or a check/money order can be mailed to the board office.  
  • The supervising Psychologist will be held responsible for any technicians practicing with an inactive registration.

Regulation Details

ARKANSAS PSYCHOLOGY BOARD BEHAVIOR ANALYST REGISTRATION STEPS

Step 1 — Determine Eligibility

  • You must hold current certification as BCBA, BCBA-D, or Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA). These certifications must be issued by the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board Inc. or Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board. Please include them when you submit your application.
  • Must be able to practice independently.
  • Must be able to pass a criminal background check (state and federal)
  • Complete the application request form (Click HERE to download the form). Please submit the form to APB.INFO@ARKANSAS.GOV and the board office will email you back with a registration number that can be used to pay the online application fee. If you have issues with downloading the form you may send in a check/money order to: 4815 W. Markham, Slot 80, Little Rock, AR 72205 along with the application request form. Please make the check/money order out to the Arkansas Department of Health-Arkansas Psychology Board.

Step 2 — Submit Initial Application

  • Complete Behavior Analyst Registration Application. Include a cover letter explaining what services you will be providing, ages that you will be providing services to and only fill out the areas of the form(s) that pertain to you.  Please mail the application packet back to us as we must keep the originals, to make sure you have everything completed please mail the entire application packet back to us.
  • Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the Board, and it is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure everything is filled out correctly and all documentation has been submitted.
  • Include certifications from the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board Inc. or Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board.
  • Complete a criminal background check. If you are an out of state applicant, we will have to mail you the application packet it includes the fingerprint card so please plan accordingly when applying as out of state applicants take longer to process with Arkansas State Police.

Step 3 — Board Review & Registration Issuance

  • The Arkansas Psychology Board will review, verify certification, and issue registration. Please have all documentation submitted to the board office by the first of every month to make sure you are placed on the agenda for the board meeting that month.
  • Registration is valid for two (2) years.

Temporary Registration (Maximum of 30 Days)

  • Applicant must hold certification or licensure in another jurisdiction (BCBA, BCBA-D, or QBA).
  • Be in good standing with that jurisdiction. Verification must come directly from that jurisdiction and can be sent to APB.INFO@ARKANSAS.GOV
  • Submit an application request form.
  • Complete application must be mailed to board office.
  • Pay application fee after confirmation email has been sent to you.
  • Provide evidence that practice in Arkansas will be short-term (maximum 30 days per calendar year).
  • Board must verify and vote on your application before services can begin.

Reciprocity Registration

  • Must be currently licensed in another jurisdiction with comparable requirements. Must have certification from Behavioral Analyst Certification Board Inc. or Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board.
  • Submit an application request form.
  • Pay application fee after confirmation email has been sent.
  • Complete application must be mailed to board office.
  • Provide verification of licensure and certification. Verification must come directly from that jurisdiction and can be sent to APB.INFO@ARKANSAS.GOV
  • Must meet all requirements listed in Step 1.