Article 2 - Licensure

California Business and Professions Code — §§ 4989.20-4989.28

Sections (6)

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 787, Sec. 69. (SB 775) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)The board may issue a license as an educational psychologist if the applicant satisfies, with proof satisfactory to the board, the following requirements:

(1)Possession of, at minimum, a master’s degree in psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, counseling and guidance, or a degree deemed equivalent by the board. This degree shall be obtained from an educational institution approved by the board according to the regulations adopted under this chapter.

(2)Attainment of 18 years of age.

(3)Is not subject to denial of licensure pursuant to Section

480.

(4)Successful completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of postgraduate study in pupil personnel services.

(5)Two school terms of full-time, or the equivalent to full-time, experience as a licensed or credentialed school psychologist in the public schools or in another school setting as specified in regulations. The experience shall be gained over a period of at least two school terms. The applicant shall not be credited with

experience obtained more than six years immediately preceding the date on which the application for licensure was received by the board.

(6)If the experience required by paragraph (5) was completed while holding a California credential in a school located in California, completion of one of the following:

(A)A minimum of 1,200 hours of supervised professional experience in an accredited school psychology program.

(B)One school term of full-time, or the equivalent to full-time, experience as a California credentialed school psychologist in the California public schools, or in another school setting as specified in regulations, obtained under the direction of a California-licensed educational psychologist.

The experience shall be gained over a period of at least one school term. The applicant shall not be credited with experience obtained more than six years immediately preceding the date on which the application for licensure was received by the board.

(7)If the experience required by paragraph (5) was not completed while holding a California credential in a school located in California, completion of one of the following:

(A)A minimum of 1,200 hours of supervised professional experience gained in California in an accredited school psychology program, gained no more than six years immediately preceding the date on which the application for licensure was received by the board.

(B)One school term of full-time, or

the equivalent to full-time, experience as a California credentialed school psychologist in the California public schools, or in another school setting as specified in regulations, obtained under the direction of a California licensed educational psychologist. The experience shall be gained over a period of at least one school term. The applicant shall not be credited with experience obtained more than six years immediately preceding the date on which the application for licensure was received by the board.

(8)Passage of the licensed educational psychologist written examination administered by the board. A passing score on this examination shall be accepted by the board for a period of seven years from the date the examination was taken.

(b)For purposes of this section, the

following definitions apply:

(1)“Full time” means the days or hours of creditable service the employer requires to be performed by the employee in a school term under their collective bargaining agreement or employment agreement. It shall consist of a minimum of 175 days, or 1,050 hours, per school term.

(2)“Equivalent to full time” means the days or hours of creditable service that a person who is employed on a part-time basis would be required to perform in a school term if they were employed full time in that part-time position.

(3)“School term” means a minimum period of 35 weeks beginning the first day and ending the last day creditable service is required to be performed by a member employed on a full-time basis,

excluding any period that has been excluded pursuant to a publicly available written contractual agreement. The school term shall also be the same for an individual who is not employed on a full-time basis who is performing the same duties as a member employed on a full-time basis.

§ 4989.22

Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 456, Sec. 69. (SB 786) Effective January 1, 2020.

(a)Only persons who satisfy the requirements of Section 4989.20 are eligible to take the licensure examination.

(b)An applicant who fails the written examination may, within one year from the notification date of failure, retake the examination as regularly scheduled without further application. Thereafter, the applicant shall not be eligible for further examination until the applicant files a new application, meets all current requirements, and pays all fees required.

(c)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may destroy all examination materials two years after the date of an examination.

(d)The board shall not deny any applicant, whose application for licensure is complete, admission to the written examination, nor shall the board postpone or delay any applicant’s written examination, solely upon the receipt by the board of a complaint alleging acts or conduct that would constitute grounds to deny licensure.

(e)Notwithstanding Section 135, the board may deny any applicant who has previously failed the written examination permission to retake the examination pending completion of the investigation of any complaint against the applicant. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the board from denying an applicant admission to any examination, withholding the results, or refusing to issue a license to any applicant when an accusation or statement of issues has been

filed against the applicant pursuant to Section 11503 or 11504 of the Government Code, or the applicant has been denied in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 485.

§ 4989.23

Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 511, Sec. 29. (SB 1495) Effective January 1, 2023.

(a)On or after January 1, 2021, an applicant for licensure as an educational psychologist shall show, as part of the application, that they have completed a minimum of six hours of coursework or applied experience under supervision in suicide risk assessment and intervention. This requirement shall be met in one of the following ways:

(1)Obtained as part of their qualifying graduate degree program. To satisfy this requirement, the applicant shall submit to the board a written certification from the registrar or training director of the educational institution or program from which the applicant graduated stating that the coursework required by this section is included

within the institution’s curriculum required for graduation at the time the applicant graduated, or within the coursework that was completed by the applicant.

(2)Obtained as part of their applied experience. Applied experience can be met in any of the following settings: practicum, supervised experience gained pursuant to Section 4989.20, formal postdoctoral placement that meets the requirements of Section 2911, or other qualifying supervised experience. To satisfy this requirement, the applicant shall submit to the board a written certification from the director of training for the program or primary supervisor where the qualifying experience has occurred stating that the training required by this section is included within the applied experience.

(3)By taking a continuing education

course that meets the requirements of Section 4989.34. To satisfy this requirement, the applicant shall submit to the board a certification of completion.

(b)As a one-time requirement, a licensee prior to the time of their first renewal after January 1, 2021, or an applicant for reactivation or reinstatement to an active license status on or after January 1, 2021, shall have completed a minimum of six hours of coursework or applied experience under supervision in suicide risk assessment and intervention, using one of the methods specified in subdivision (a). Proof of compliance with this section shall be certified under penalty of perjury that they are in compliance with this section and shall be retained for submission to the board upon request.

§ 4989.24

Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 647, Sec. 35. (SB 801) Effective January 1, 2022.

(a)The board shall not issue a license to a person who has been convicted of a crime in this or any other state or in a territory of the United States that involves sexual abuse of children or who is required to register pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code or the equivalent in another state or territory.

(b)A denial issued pursuant to this section shall comply with the conditions for denial specified in Section 480.

§ 4989.26

Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 659, Sec. 20. Effective January 1, 2007.

The board may refuse to issue a license to an applicant if it appears he or she may be unable to practice safely due to mental illness or chemical dependency. The procedures set forth in Article 12.5 (commencing with Section 820) of Chapter 1 shall apply to a denial of a license pursuant to this section.

§ 4989.28

Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 659, Sec. 20. Effective January 1, 2007.

The board may deny an application for licensure if the applicant is or has been guilty of unprofessional conduct as described in Section 4989.54.