ARTICLE 1. General Provisions [2900. - 2919.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 1.

in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2900. Section 2900.

The Legislature finds and declares that practice of psychology in California affects the public health, safety, and welfare and is to be subject to regulation and control in the public interest to protect the public from the unauthorized and unqualified practice of psychology and from unprofessional conduct by persons licensed to practice psychology.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2901. Section 2901.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Psychology Licensing Law.”

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2902. Section 2902.

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply: (a) “Licensed psychologist” means an individual to whom a license has been issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, which license is in force and has not been suspended or revoked. (b) “Client” means a patient or recipient of psychological or psychoanalytic services. (c) “Board” means the Board of Psychology. (d) A person represents themselves to be a psychologist when the person holds themselves out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words “psychology,” “psychological,” “psychologist,” “psychology consultation,” “psychology consultant,” “psychometry,” “psychometrics” “psychometrist,” “psychotherapy,” or “psychotherapist,” or when the person holds themselves out to be trained, experienced, or an expert in the field of psychology. (e) “Accredited,” as used with reference to academic institutions, means the University of California, the California State University, or an institution that is accredited by a national or an applicable regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. (f) “Approved,” as used with reference to academic institutions, means an institution having “approval to operate”, as defined in Section 94718 of the Education Code.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2903. Section 2903.

(a) No person may engage in the practice of psychology, or represent themselves to be a psychologist, without a license granted under this chapter, except as otherwise provided in this chapter. The practice of psychology is defined as rendering or offering to render to individuals, groups, organizations, or the public any psychological service involving the application of psychological principles, methods, and procedures of understanding, predicting, and influencing behavior, such as the principles pertaining to learning, perception, motivation, emotions, and interpersonal relationships; and the methods and procedures of interviewing, counseling, psychotherapy, behavior modification, and hypnosis; and of constructing, administering, and interpreting tests of mental abilities, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, personality characteristics, emotions, and motivations. (b) The application of these principles and methods includes, but is not restricted to, assessment, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and intervention to increase effective functioning of individuals, groups, and organizations. (c) Psychotherapy within the meaning of this chapter means the use of psychological methods in a professional relationship to assist a person or persons to acquire greater human effectiveness or to modify feelings, conditions, attitudes, and behaviors that are emotionally, intellectually, or socially ineffectual or maladaptive.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2903.1. Section 2903.1.

A psychologist licensed under this chapter may use biofeedback instruments which do not pierce or cut the skin to measure physical and mental functioning.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2904. Section 2904.

The practice of psychology shall not include prescribing drugs, performing surgery or administering electroconvulsive therapy.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2904.5. Section 2904.5.

A psychologist licensed under this chapter is a licentiate for purposes of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 805, and thus is a health care provider subject to the provisions of Section 2290.5.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2905. Section 2905.

The practice of psychology shall be as defined as in Section 2903, any existing statute in the State of California to the contrary notwithstanding.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2907. Section 2907.

Corporations shall have no professional rights, privileges, or powers, and shall not be permitted to practice psychology, nor shall the liability of any licensed psychologist be limited by a corporation.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2907.5. Section 2907.5.

Nothing in Section 2907 shall be deemed to apply to the acts of a psychological corporation practicing pursuant to the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act, as contained in Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code and Article 9 (commencing with Section 2995) when the psychological corporation is in compliance with (a) the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act; (b) Article 9 (commencing with Section 2995); and (c) all other statutes now or hereafter enacted or adopted pertaining to such corporation and the conduct of its affairs.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2908. Section 2908.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent qualified members of other recognized professional groups licensed to practice in the State of California, such as, but not limited to, physicians and surgeons, clinical social workers, educational psychologists, marriage and family therapists, professional clinical counselors, optometrists, psychiatric technicians, or registered nurses, or attorneys admitted to the State Bar of California, or persons utilizing hypnotic techniques by referral from persons licensed to practice medicine, dentistry, or psychology, or persons utilizing hypnotic techniques which offer avocational or vocational self-improvement and do not offer therapy for emotional or mental disorders, or duly ordained members of the recognized clergy, as defined in Section 15610.19 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or duly ordained religious practitioners from doing work of a psychological nature consistent with the laws governing their respective professions, provided they do not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words “psychological,” “psychologist,” “psychology,” “psychometrist,” “psychometrics,” or “psychometry,” or that they do not state or imply that they are licensed to practice psychology; except that persons licensed under Chapter 13.5 (commencing with Section 4989.10) of Division 2 may hold themselves out to the public as licensed educational psychologists.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2910. Section 2910.

(a) This chapter shall not be construed to restrict persons who are employed in positions as psychologists or registered psychological associates of accredited or approved academic institutions, public schools, or governmental agencies from practicing psychology or using the official title of the position for which they were employed if those employees are complying with the following: (1) Performing those psychological activities as part of the duties for which they were hired. (2) Performing those activities solely within the jurisdiction or confines of those organizations. (3) Do not hold themselves out as rendering or offering to render psychological services to any person outside of the organization in which they are employed. (4) Are primarily gaining the supervised professional experience required for licensure that is being accrued consistent with the board’s regulations. (b) Commencing January 1, 2016, an individual employed or who becomes employed by one or more employers as described in subdivision (a) shall be exempt under this section for a cumulative total of five years. (c) This chapter shall not be construed to restrict or prohibit a person who holds a valid and current credential as a school psychologist issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing from engaging in activities of a psychological nature or using the official title of the position for which they are employed, including the word “psychology” or any derivation. (d) This chapter shall not be construed to restrict or prohibit a person who is employed as a psychologist, registered psychological associate, professor, or instructor by an accredited or approved college, junior college, or university, or by a federal, state, county, or municipal governmental organization that is not primarily involved in the provision of direct health or mental health services, and who conducts research and disseminates their research findings and scientific information from engaging in activities of a psychological nature or using the official title of the position for which they are employed, including the word “psychology” or any derivation if that person complies with the following: (1) Performs only those psychological activities as part of the duties for which they are employed. (2) Performs those activities solely within the jurisdiction or confines of those organizations in which they are employed. (3) Does not hold themselves out as rendering or offering to render psychological services to any person outside of the organization in which they are employed.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2911. Section 2911.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the activities and services of a graduate student or psychology intern enrolled in a doctoral program leading to one of the degrees listed in subdivision (b) of Section 2914 or a trainee in a post-doctoral placement approved by the American Psychological Association, the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, or the California Psychology Internship Council. These persons may be designated by the title “psychology intern,” “psychology trainee,” “postdoctoral psychology fellow,” or another title clearly indicating the person’s training status.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2912. Section 2912.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 2903, a person who holds a license in another jurisdiction of the United States or in Canada as a psychologist may provide psychological services in this state for a period not to exceed 30 consecutive days in any calendar year, if all of the following conditions are met: (1) The license from another jurisdiction is at the doctoral level in the jurisdiction in which the license was granted. (2) The license from another jurisdiction is current, active, and unrestricted. (3) The client is located in California during the time the person seeks to provide care in California. (4) The client is a current client of the person and has an established, ongoing client-provider relationship with the person at the time the client became located in California. (5) The person informs the client of the limited timeframe of the services and that the person is not licensed in California. (6) The person provides the client with the Board of Psychology’s internet website address. (7) The person informs the client of the jurisdiction in which the person is licensed and the type of license held and provides the client with the person’s license number. (b) A person who intends to provide psychological services pursuant to this section shall provide the board with all of the following before providing services: (1) The name under which the person is licensed in another jurisdiction, the person’s mailing address, the person’s phone number, the person’s social security number or individual taxpayer identification number, and the person’s electronic mailing address, if the person has an electronic mailing address. (2) The jurisdiction in which the person is licensed, the type of license held, and the license number. (3) The date on which the person will begin providing psychological services to the person’s client in California. (4) A signed statement, under penalty of perjury, acknowledging that they are subject to the jurisdiction of the board and agreeing to be bound by the laws of this state. (c) This section does not apply to any person licensed by the board whose license has been suspended or revoked. (d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2913. Section 2913.

A person other than a licensed psychologist may perform psychological functions in preparation for licensure as a psychologist only if all of the following conditions are met: (a) The person is registered with the board as a “registered psychological associate.” This registration shall be renewed annually in accordance with regulations adopted by the board. (b) (1) The person has completed any of the following: (A) Completed a master’s degree in psychology. (B) Completed a master’s degree in education with the field of specialization in educational psychology, counseling psychology, or school psychology. (C) Completed three or more years of postgraduate education and has been admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree in any of the following: (i) Psychology with the field of specialization in clinical, counseling, school, consulting, forensic, industrial, or organizational psychology. (ii) Education, with the field of specialization in educational psychology, counseling psychology, or school psychology. (iii) A field of specialization designed to prepare graduates for the professional practice of psychology. (D) Completed a doctoral degree that qualifies for licensure under Section 2914. (2) The board shall make the final determination as to whether a degree meets the requirements of this subdivision. (3) An applicant for registration trained in an educational institution outside of the United States or Canada shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board that the applicant possesses a doctoral degree in psychology or education, as specified in paragraphs (1) and (2), that is equivalent to a degree earned from a regionally accredited academic institution in the United States or Canada by providing the board with an evaluation of the degree by a foreign credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), or by the National Register of Health Services Psychologists (NRHSP), and any other documentation the board deems necessary. The member of the NACES or the NRHSP shall submit the evaluation to the board directly and shall include in the evaluation all of the following: (A) A transcript in English, or translated into English by the credential evaluation service, of the degree used to qualify for licensure. (B) An indication that the degree used to qualify for licensure is verified using primary sources. (C) A determination that the degree is equivalent to a degree that qualifies for licensure pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2). (c) (1) The registered psychological associate is supervised by a licensed psychologist. Any supervision may be provided in real time, which is defined as through in-person or synchronous audiovisual means, in compliance with federal and state laws related to patient health confidentiality. The registered psychological associate’s primary supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring that the extent, kind, and quality of the psychological services performed are consistent with the registered psychological associate’s and the primary supervisor’s training and experience. The primary supervisor shall be responsible for the registered psychological associate’s compliance with this chapter and regulations. A primary supervisor may delegate supervision as prescribed by the board’s regulations. (2) A licensed psychologist shall not supervise more than three registered psychological associates at any given time. (d) A registered psychological associate shall not do either of the following: (1) Provide psychological services to the public except as a trainee pursuant to this section. (2) Receive payments, monetary or otherwise, directly from clients.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2914. Section 2914.

(a) An applicant for licensure as a psychologist shall not be subject to denial of licensure under Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475). (b) (1) On and after January 1, 2020, an applicant for licensure as a psychologist shall possess an earned doctoral degree in any of the following: (A) Psychology with the field of specialization in clinical, counseling, school, consulting, forensic, industrial, or organizational psychology. (B) Education with the field of specialization in counseling psychology, educational psychology, or school psychology. (C) A field of specialization designed to prepare graduates for the professional practice of psychology. (2) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the degree or training obtained pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be obtained from a college or institution of higher education that is accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. (B) Subparagraph (A) does not apply to any student who was enrolled in a doctoral program in psychology with the field of specialization in clinical, counseling, school, consulting, forensic, industrial, or organizational psychology or in education with the field of specialization in counseling psychology, educational psychology, or school psychology at a nationally accredited or approved institution as of December 31, 2016. (3) The board shall make the final determination as to whether a degree meets the requirements of this subdivision. (4) Until January 1, 2020, the board may accept an applicant who possesses a doctoral degree in psychology, educational psychology, or in education with the field of specialization in counseling psychology or educational psychology from an institution that is not accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, but is approved to operate in this state by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education on or before July 1, 1999, and has not, since July 1, 1999, had a new location, as described in Section 94823.5 of the Education Code. (5) An applicant for licensure as a psychologist trained in an educational institution outside the United States or Canada shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board that the applicant possesses a doctoral degree in psychology or education as specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) that is equivalent to a degree earned from a regionally accredited academic institution in the United States or Canada by providing the board with an evaluation of the degree by a foreign credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), or by the National Register of Health Services Psychologists (NRHSP), and any other documentation the board deems necessary. The member of the NACES or the NRHSP shall submit the evaluation to the board directly and shall include in the evaluation all of the following: (A) A transcript in English, or translated into English by the credential evaluation service, of the degree used to qualify for licensure as a psychologist. (B) An indication that the degree used to qualify for licensure as a psychologist is verified using primary sources. (C) A determination that the degree is equivalent to a degree that qualifies for licensure as a psychologist pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2). (c) (1) An applicant for licensure as a psychologist shall have engaged for at least two years in supervised professional experience under the direction of a licensed psychologist, the specific requirements of which shall be defined by the board in its regulations, or under suitable alternative supervision as determined by the board in regulations duly adopted under this chapter, at least one year of which shall have occurred after the applicant was awarded the qualifying doctoral degree. Any supervision may be provided in real time, which is defined as through in-person or synchronous audiovisual means, in compliance with federal and state laws related to patient health confidentiality. The supervisor shall submit verification of the experience to the trainee as prescribed by the board. If the supervising licensed psychologist fails to provide verification to the trainee in a timely manner, the board may establish alternative procedures for obtaining the necessary documentation. Absent good cause, the failure of a supervising licensed psychologist to provide the verification to the board upon request shall constitute unprofessional conduct. (2) The board shall establish qualifications by regulation for supervising psychologists. (d) An applicant for licensure as a psychologist shall take and pass the examination required by Section 2941 unless otherwise exempted by the board under this chapter. An applicant for licensure as a psychologist who has completed all academic coursework required for a doctoral degree as required by subdivision (b), as documented by a written certification from the registrar of the applicant’s educational institution or program, shall be eligible to take any and all examinations required for licensure as a psychologist. If a national licensing examination entity approved by the board imposes additional eligibility requirements beyond the completion of academic coursework, the board shall implement a process to verify that an applicant has satisfied those additional eligibility requirements. For purposes of this subdivision, “academic coursework” does not include participation in an internship or writing a dissertation or thesis. (e) An applicant for licensure as a psychologist shall complete coursework or provide evidence of training in the detection and treatment of alcohol and other chemical substance dependency. (f) An applicant for licensure as a psychologist shall complete coursework or provide evidence of training in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2914.1. Section 2914.1.

The board shall encourage every licensed psychologist to take continuing professional development in geriatric pharmacology.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2914.2. Section 2914.2.

The board shall encourage licensed psychologists to take continuing professional development in psychopharmacology and biological basis of behavior.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2914.3. Section 2914.3.

(a) The board shall encourage institutions that offer a doctorate degree program in psychology to include in their biobehavioral curriculum, education and training in psychopharmacology and related topics including pharmacology and clinical pharmacology. (b) The board shall develop guidelines for the basic education and training of psychologists whose practices include patients with medical conditions and patients with mental and emotional disorders, who may require psychopharmacological treatment and whose management may require collaboration with physicians and other licensed prescribers. In developing these guidelines for training, the board shall consider, but not be limited to, all of the following: (1) The American Psychological Association’s guidelines for training in the biological bases of mental and emotional disorders. (2) The necessary educational foundation for understanding the biochemical and physiological bases for mental disorders. (3) Evaluation of the response to psychotropic compounds, including the effects and side effects. (4) Competent basic practical and theoretical knowledge of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and neurophysiology relevant to research and clinical practice. (5) Knowledge of the biological bases of psychopharmacology. (6) The locus of action of psychoactive substances and mechanisms by which these substances affect brain function and other systems of the body. (7) Knowledge of the psychopharmacology of classes of drugs commonly used to treat mental disorders. (8) Drugs that are commonly abused that may or may not have therapeutic uses. (9) Education of patients and significant support persons in the risks, benefits, and treatment alternatives to medication. (10) Appropriate collaboration or consultation with physicians or other prescribers to include the assessment of the need for additional treatment that may include medication or other medical evaluation and treatment and the patient’s mental capacity to consent to additional treatment to enhance both the physical and the mental status of the persons being treated. (11) Knowledge of signs that warrant consideration for referral to a physician. (c) This section is intended to provide for training of clinical psychologists to improve the ability of clinical psychologists to collaborate with physicians. It is not intended to provide for training psychologists to prescribe medication. Nothing in this section is intended to expand the scope of licensure of psychologists.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2914.4. Section 2914.4.

In determining its continuing professional development, the board shall consider including a course in menopausal mental health.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2914.5. Section 2914.5.

In determining its continuing professional development, the board shall consider including a course in maternal mental health.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2915. Section 2915.

(a) Except as provided in this section, the board shall issue a renewal license only to a licensed psychologist who has completed 36 hours of approved continuing professional development in the preceding two years. (b) A licensed psychologist who renews or applies to reinstate their license issued pursuant to this chapter shall certify under penalty of perjury that they are in compliance with this section and shall retain proof of this compliance for submission to the board upon request. False statements submitted pursuant to this section shall be a violation of Section 2970. (c) Continuing professional development means certain learning activities approved in four different categories: (1) Professional activities. (2) Academic activities. (3) Sponsored continuing education coursework. (4) Board certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology. The board may develop regulations further defining acceptable continuing professional development activities. (d) Continuing education courses approved to meet the requirements of this section shall be approved for credit by organizations approved by the board. An organization previously approved by the board to provide or approve continuing education is deemed approved under this section. (e) The board may accept continuing education courses approved by an entity that has demonstrated to the board in writing that it has, at a minimum, a 10-year history of providing educational programming for psychologists and has documented procedures for maintaining a continuing education approval program. The board shall adopt regulations necessary for implementing this section. (f) The administration of this section may be funded through professional license fees and continuing education provider and course approval fees, or both. The fees related to the administration of this section shall not exceed the costs of administering the corresponding provisions of this section.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2915.1. Section 2915.1.

(a) Any person applying for a license as a psychologist or registration as research psychoanalyst shall, in addition to any other requirements, show by evidence satisfactory to the board that they have completed training in human sexuality as a condition of licensure. The training shall be creditable toward continuing education requirements as deemed appropriate by the board, and the course shall not exceed more than 50 contact hours. (b) The board shall exempt from the requirements of this section any persons whose field of practice is such that they are not likely to have use for this training. (c) “Human sexuality” as used in this section means the study of a human being as a sexual being and how a human being functions with respect thereto. (d) The content and length of the training shall be determined by the board. (e) If the board proposes to establish a training program in human sexuality, the board shall first consult with other licensing boards or agencies that have established or propose to establish a training program in human sexuality to ensure that the programs are compatible in scope and content.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2915.2. Section 2915.2.

(a) The Legislature finds that there is a need to ensure that professionals of the healing arts who have demonstrable contact with victims and potential victims of child, elder, and dependent adult abuse, and abusers and potential abusers of children, elders, and dependent adults are provided with adequate and appropriate training regarding the assessment and reporting of child, elder, and dependent adult abuse that will ameliorate, reduce, and eliminate the trauma of abuse and neglect and ensure the reporting of abuse in a timely manner to prevent additional occurrences. (b) The board shall establish required training in the area of child abuse assessment and reporting for all persons applying for initial licensure and renewal of a license as a psychologist or initial registration or renewal of registration as a research psychoanalyst. This training shall be required one time only for all persons applying for initial licensure or registration or for license or registration renewal. (c) All persons applying for initial licensure or renewal of a license as a psychologist or initial registration or renewal of registration as a research psychoanalyst shall, in addition to all other requirements for licensure or renewal, have completed coursework or training in child abuse assessment and reporting that meets the requirements of this section, including detailed knowledge of the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 11164) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4 of the Penal Code). The training shall meet all of the following requirements: (1) Be obtained from one of the following sources: (A) An accredited or approved educational institution, as defined in Sections 2902, including extension courses offered by those institutions. (B) A continuing education provider, as specified by the board by regulation. (C) A course sponsored or offered by a professional association or a local, county, or state department of health or mental health for continuing education and approved or accepted by the board. (2) Have a minimum of seven contact hours. (3) Include the study of the assessment and method of reporting of sexual assault, neglect, severe neglect, general neglect, willful cruelty or unjustifiable punishment, corporal punishment or injury, and abuse in out-of-home care. The training shall also include physical and behavioral indicators of abuse, crisis counseling techniques, community resources, rights and responsibilities of reporting, consequences of failure to report, caring for a child’s needs after a report is made, sensitivity to previously abused children and adults, and implications and methods of treatment for children and adults. (4) An applicant shall provide the board with documentation of completion of the required child abuse training. (d) The board shall exempt an applicant who applies for an exemption from this section and who shows to the satisfaction of the board that there would be no need for the training in the applicant’s practice because of the nature of that practice. (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that a person licensed as a psychologist or registered as a research psychoanalyst have minimal but appropriate training in the areas of child, elder, and dependent adult abuse assessment and reporting. It is not intended that, by solely complying with this section, a practitioner is fully trained in the subject of treatment of child, elder, and dependent adult abuse victims and abusers. (f) The board is encouraged to include coursework regarding the assessment and reporting of elder and dependent adult abuse in the required training on aging and long-term care issues prior to licensure or registration or license or registration renewal.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2915.3. Section 2915.3.

(a) The board shall consider adoption of continuing education requirements, including training in the area of recognizing chemical dependency and early intervention, for all persons applying for renewal of a license as a psychologist or registration as a research psychoanalyst. (b) Prior to the adoption of any regulations imposing continuing education relating to alcohol and other chemical dependency, the board is urged to consider coursework to include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following topics: (1) Historical and contemporary perspectives on alcohol and other drug abuse. (2) Extent of the alcohol and drug abuse epidemic and its effects on the individual, family, and community. (3) Recognizing the symptoms of alcoholism and drug addiction. (4) Making appropriate interpretations, interventions, and referrals. (5) Recognizing and intervening with affected family members. (6) Learning about current programs of recovery, such as 12-step programs, and how therapists can effectively utilize these programs.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2915.4. Section 2915.4.

(a) Effective January 1, 2020, an applicant for licensure as a 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 the applicant’s qualifying graduate degree program. To satisfy this requirement, the applicant shall submit to the board a transcript indicating completion of this coursework. In the absence of this coursework title in the transcript, the applicant shall submit a written certification from the registrar, department chair, 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 the applicant’s applied experience. Applied experience can be met in any of the following settings: practicum, internship, or formal postdoctoral placement that meets the requirement of Section 2911, or other qualifying supervised professional 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 subdivision (e) or (f) of Section 2915 and that qualifies as a continuing education learning activity category specified in paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 2915. To satisfy this requirement, the applicant shall submit to the board a certification of completion. (b) Effective January 1, 2020, as a one-time requirement, a licensee prior to the time of their first renewal after the operative date of this section, or an applicant for reactivation or reinstatement to an active license status, shall have completed a minimum of six hours of coursework or applied experience under supervision in suicide risk assessment and intervention, as 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.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2915.5. Section 2915.5.

(a) Any applicant for licensure as a psychologist, as a condition of licensure, shall complete a minimum of six contact hours of coursework or applied experience in aging and long-term care, which may include, but need not be limited to, the biological, social, and psychological aspects of aging. This coursework shall include instruction on the assessment and reporting of, as well as treatment related to, elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect. (b) In order to satisfy the coursework requirement of this section, the applicant shall submit to the board a transcript indicating completion of this coursework. In the absence of this coursework title in the transcript, the applicant shall submit a written certification from the registrar, department chair, 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 required curriculum for graduation at the time the applicant graduated, or within the coursework, that was completed by the applicant. (c) (1) If an applicant does not have coursework pursuant to this section, the applicant may obtain evidence of compliance as part of their applied experience in a practicum, internship, or formal postdoctoral placement that meets the requirement of Section 2911, or other qualifying supervised professional experience. (2) To satisfy the applied experience requirement of this section, 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 occurred stating that the training required by this section is included within the applied experience. (d) If an applicant does not meet the curriculum or coursework requirement pursuant to this section, the applicant may obtain evidence of compliance by taking a continuing education course that meets the requirements of subdivision (d) or (e) of Section 2915 and that qualifies as a learning activity category specified in paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 2915. To satisfy this requirement, the applicant shall submit to the board a certification of completion. (e) A written certification made or submitted pursuant to this section shall be done under penalty of perjury.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2916. Section 2916.

If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any of the provisions or applications of this chapter which can be given effect without such invalid provisions or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2918. Section 2918.

The confidential relations and communications between psychologist and client shall be privileged as provided by Article 7 (commencing with Section 1010) of Chapter 4 of Division 8 of the Evidence Code.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2919. Section 2919.

A licensed psychologist shall retain a patient’s health service records for a minimum of seven years from the patient’s discharge date. If the patient is a minor, the patient’s health service records shall be retained for a minimum of seven years from the date the patient reaches 18 years of age.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026