Easiest state(s) to get licensed?!

[PhD 4 Me Plz]

Hi all! I am working on licensure. What is the easiest state to get licensed in that does not require the EPPP part 2? Any help is much appreciated! The information I am finding appears to be out of date.

Thanks!

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[AbnormalPsych]

Probably one of the states that doesn't require a postdoc, lets you take the EPPP before graduation (a couple used to allow this - not sure about current day), and has a state exam that is brief/open book/online. I can think of a couple like this.

The rest will be subjective based on required course work, types of supervised hours etc, matched to what you have done/will do.

 

[PhD 4 Me Plz]

Thanks! What states do you know of?

 

[borne_before]

I'm not sure, but Arizona is where a lot of the people working in VA's get licensed initially. Not sure about step 2 bc I don't live there, but know a few peeps who have been licensed there.

 

[WisNeuro]

If you are super sure you only want to ever work in the VA, go for Kansas, cheap and easy. A lot of my past VA colleagues were licensed there. However, I'd say 70% of my close friends and colleagues who worked in the VA, no longer do. So, I always advise people to make sure they can be licensed in the states in which they want to live. It's much better to put the work in on the front end, then be denied years from now.

 

[IWillSurvive]

I did Colorado. It was a piece of cake. However, I'm going back and doing my home state and it is an absolute nightmare. I had to get a background check, had to get a release of information form NOTARIZED in the midst of a pandemic, had to enter every single one of my courses and what category they fall under (i.e., assessment and diagnosis, biological bases of behavior, etc.), submit online attestations of hours to be signed by my training directors, and my PhD training director had to verify my completion of the program. Not to mention, one of my letter writer's letter got lost 3 times, and they were initially asking for the letters to be snail-mailed (again, in the midst of the pandemic!). Now that all of that is submitted, I am waiting to receive the honor of taking their oral and jurisprudence exams. I sort of wish I had done this during post-doc year but the positive thing is that I have been able to go at my own pace with the harder, more expensive application. Price really is an important consideration when you are still in training.

 

[thebalmofhurtminds]

I did Colorado as well because it's online and super easy, but it does require postdoc hours. Some of my cohortmates in postdoc did Virginia, no postdoc required.

 

[R. Matey]

No postdoc requirements in WA, but the DOH takes forever to do anything.

 

[LadyHalcyon]

Illinois

 

[thebalmofhurtminds]

No postdoc requirements in WA, but the DOH takes forever to do anything.

Also expensive.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I don't think AL requires postdoctoral hours, but I believe they have a jurisprudence, and I don't know if they offer it remotely/via testing centers outside the area.

 

[R. Matey]

Also expensive.

True, you have to be dating a rich widow to afford the fees.

 

[MiniLop]

I did Colorado. It was a piece of cake. However, I'm going back and doing my home state and it is an absolute nightmare. I had to get a background check, had to get a release of information form NOTARIZED in the midst of a pandemic, had to enter every single one of my courses and what category they fall under (i.e., assessment and diagnosis, biological bases of behavior, etc.), submit online attestations of hours to be signed by my training directors, and my PhD training director had to verify my completion of the program. Not to mention, one of my letter writer's letter got lost 3 times, and they were initially asking for the letters to be snail-mailed (again, in the midst of the pandemic!). Now that all of that is submitted, I am waiting to receive the honor of taking their oral and jurisprudence exams. I sort of wish I had done this during post-doc year but the positive thing is that I have been able to go at my own pace with the harder, more expensive application. Price really is an important consideration when you are still in training.

$50 says you're talking about New Jersey.

 

[Mercury in Taurus]

I'm not sure, but Arizona is where a lot of the people working in VA's get licensed initially. Not sure about step 2 bc I don't live there, but know a few peeps who have been licensed there.

AZ has adopted EPPP part II requirement.

Home | Board of Psychologist Examiners

psychboard.az.gov

"ENHANCED EPPP - CURRENT STATUS FOR ARIZONA APPLICANTS​

The Board has voted to adopt the enhanced EPPP, with the anticipated adoption date of November 1, 2020. On July 9, 2020, the Board clarified the application of the adoption date for the Enhanced EPPP. Please see the matrix in the document, "Who Is Required to Take the Enhanced EPPP (Parts 1 & 2)?" to determine if you will be authorized to sit for the EPPP (Part 1 only) or the Enhanced EPPP (Parts 1 & 2)."

 

[jltpsyd]

Virginia was pretty easy, no part II and no formal postdoc required. I'm not sure how it compares cost-wise.

 

[PhD 4 Me Plz]

No postdoc requirements in WA, but the DOH takes forever to do anything.

Okay, I'm looking into WA. Do you recall what you had to do with the professional reference form? Did each of your references have to complete one and mail it to the DOH? I am hoping to do it all virtually.

 

[R. Matey]

Okay, I'm looking into WA. Do you recall what you had to do with the professional reference form? Did each of your references have to complete one and mail it to the DOH? I am hoping to do it all virtually.

I believe they have to be mailed in because the DOH doesn't have a standard inbox for receiving that information. Call customer service to be sure though. They take forever to do things, but I have always had pleasant experience talking with their customer service reps.

 

[mind_over_matter277]

Hi all! I am working on licensure. What is the easiest state to get licensed in that does not require the EPPP part 2? Any help is much appreciated! The information I am finding appears to be out of date.

Thanks!

Alabama
West Virginia
Virginia
Iowa
Hawaii
Kansas
Washington
Arizona


Alabama and WV do not explicitly require any postdoc hours. They both involve an oral exam, which may or may not be administered virtually (might have done so due to Covid but returned to F2F).

Virginia requires 1,500 internship and 1,500 postdoc hours. No JP exam. Predoctoral practicum hours can be utilized to satisfy some or even all the postdoc hours. Verification from the doctoral program director is needed. I believe internship hours that are in excess of 1,500 may also be utilized.

Iowa requires 1,500 pre doc internship and 1500 post doc hours. There is no JP exam. After the initial application is approved, Candidates are permitted to take the eppp anytime while accruing postdoc hours. Apparently, a full license is issued within a week of submitting all requirements.

Kansas requires 1600 internship and 1600 postdoc hours. The board will not permit candidates to take the eppp until all hours are completed.

Hawaii requires 1,900 postdoc hours. Not sure about internship hour requirement. No JP. The application process is apparently very quick and short. However, you cannot sit for the eppp until you finish the postdoc hours.

Washington does not explicitly require postdoc hours but you have to take a jurisprudence exam that is only offered in person. Arizona is the same but requires the eppp part 2, which will become mandatory in all states very soon.


I know a lot of psychologists who work in the federal sector or on military bases opt to get licensed in Alabama, Virginia, or Iowa. I would be very careful about the states with easier requirements. It might be difficult or even impossible to obtain licensure in a state that has more stringent requirements (eg, high number of postdoc hours) later on down the road.

In terms of the most difficult states to obtain licensure, the following states have been identified:
Michigan
New Jersey
New York
Florida
California
Louisiana
Arkansas
Georgia
Tennessee

 

[ClinicalABA]

Counterpoint: plan on going for your licensure now in one of the more time consuming, restrictive states. If you're still in school or on predoctoral internship, it will be a HELL OF A LOT EASIER to get those pre- and post-doctoral hours or equivalents, track down and get signatures of training directors, and track down and get signatures of internship directors and/or supervisors, or take that extra course than it will be in, say, 5-10 years when you are way more reliant on the income of a licensed psychologist but may have to unexpectedly (or expectedly, for that matter) move to a different location with stricter standards. Seriously- don't handcuff yourself to specific regions by only looking to meet the most minimal of licensure standards.

 

[WisNeuro]

Counterpoint: plan on going for your licensure now in one of the more time consuming, restrictive states. If your still in school or on predoctoral internship, it will be a HELL OF A LOT EASIER to get those pre- and post-doctoral hours or equivalents, track down and get signatures of training directors, and track down and get signatures of internship directors and/or supervisors, or take that extra course than it will be in, say, 5-10 years when you are way more reliant on the income of a licensed psychologist but may have to unexpectedly (or expectedly, for that matter) move to a different location with stricter standards. Seriously- don't handcuff yourself to specific regions by only looking to meet the most minimal of licensure standards.

So much this. I know so many people who now live/work in a different state then they ever thought they'd be in. Put the work in early, to make your life/career as easy as possible once your training is over.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Counterpoint: plan on going for your licensure now in one of the more time consuming, restrictive states. If your still in school or on predoctoral internship, it will be a HELL OF A LOT EASIER to get those pre- and post-doctoral hours or equivalents, track down and get signatures of training directors, and track down and get signatures of internship directors and/or supervisors, or take that extra course than it will be in, say, 5-10 years when you are way more reliant on the income of a licensed psychologist but may have to unexpectedly (or expectedly, for that matter) move to a different location with stricter standards. Seriously- don't handcuff yourself to specific regions by only looking to meet the most minimal of licensure standards.

Yep. Or at least look into banking as many of those documents and verifications as possible.

 

[ClinicalABA]

Yep. Or at least look into banking as many of those documents and verifications as possible.

Seriously- plan on getting older and crankier and less tolerant of (and able to deal with) state licensing policies and bureaucracy, old supervisors who don't (or can't!) respond to your need for signatures, taking additional courses, etc. Take care of all that early so you can sit back and complain about it later.

 

[msc545]

Hi all! I am working on licensure. What is the easiest state to get licensed in that does not require the EPPP part 2? Any help is much appreciated! The information I am finding appears to be out of date.

Thanks!

I don't think that anyone who has the bad judgment to ask a question like this in a public forum like this one should have any type of professional healthcare license. If you can't meet the requirements of our profession, find another career. We are not in the business of helping people to get licensed via "easy mode".

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I didn't read the OP as looking to skirt minimum requirements, which doesn't really jive with trying to get licensed, but rather as someone wanting to know which of those various sets of minimum requirements is the most minimum. I personally chose an "easy" state to get licensed in while on VA postdoc for a variety of reasons, including that I could then sit for the EPPP, I didn't know where I'd end up afterward, if I took a VA job it wouldn't matter where I was licensed, and I could say I was licensed while applying for jobs (e.g., qualifying for GS step 12 or 13). I imagine the OP may have their own various reasons.

As an aside, I'm also licensed in one of the more "difficult" states listed above. I've noticed zero impact that it's had on my ongoing professional development and practice (other than the obvious factors, like being able to practice at all in said state).

 

[psych.meout]

I don't think that anyone who has the bad judgment to ask a question like this in a public forum like this one should have any type of professional healthcare license. If you can't meet the requirements of our profession, find another career. We are not in the business of helping people to get licensed via "easy mode".

But they're asking the opposite. They want to know which state has the easiest to achieve requirements while also being able to avoid EPPP step 2.

Not sure why you're having such a strong reaction to this, especially with EPPP step 2 being such obvious BS.

 

[WisNeuro]

But they're asking the opposite. They want to know which state has the easiest to achieve requirements while also being able to avoid EPPP step 2.

Not sure why you're having such a strong reaction to this, especially with EPPP step 2 being such obvious BS.

I'm actually fully on-board with the EPPP-2.

 

[psych.meout]

I'm actually fully on-board with the EPPP-2.

Will you be taking it as well?

 

[WisNeuro]

Will you be taking it as well?

I've been independently licensed for some time, and I can guarantee that ABPP Boards for Neuropsych are more rigorous than anything at the initial license level. Regardless, if they wanted to make this a requirement, sure, why not?

 

[ClinicalABA]

I didn't read the OP as looking to skirt minimum requirements...

Neither was I. However- being a site specifically for students/early career folks, just wanted to emphasize that it's easier to do all the pre-licensure stuff when you are still in or just out of grad school. I think the post-doc is the big one. As much as it sucks to do another year of training and low wages, it would suck a lot more to have to move later in your career and not be eligible due to lack of post-doc. That'd be a tough requirement to make up later.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Neither was I. However- being a site specifically for students/early career folks, just wanted to emphasize that it's easier to do all the pre-licensure stuff when you are still in or just out of grad school. I think the post-doc is the big one. As much as it sucks to do another year of training and low wages, it would suck a lot more to have to move later in your career and not be eligible due to lack of post-doc. That'd be a tough requirement to make up later.

Agreed. Even though I've heard people say there are more states moving toward eliminating the postdoc requirement, there's no guarantee it'll happen in a state you may need to move to at some point in the future. In licensing situations, it's always better to be overqualified than under. I'd encourage everyone to go ahead and get a year of supervised practice, even if not a formal postdoc, just in case.

As for the EPPP part 2, I imagine it may not even be possible to take if not required by your state. Even if it were, I might be inclined to wait to take it until it became necessary.

 

[psy.d. 2021]

Counterpoint: plan on going for your licensure now in one of the more time consuming, restrictive states. If you're still in school or on predoctoral internship, it will be a HELL OF A LOT EASIER to get those pre- and post-doctoral hours or equivalents, track down and get signatures of training directors, and track down and get signatures of internship directors and/or supervisors, or take that extra course than it will be in, say, 5-10 years when you are way more reliant on the income of a licensed psychologist but may have to unexpectedly (or expectedly, for that matter) move to a different location with stricter standards. Seriously- don't handcuff yourself to specific regions by only looking to meet the most minimal of licensure standards.

Yep. I did New York and now feel like it'll be easy to get reciprocity across the US if I need to leave the VA system / move.

 

[bluecolourskies]

Alabama
West Virginia
Virginia
Iowa
Hawaii
Kansas
Washington
Arizona


Alabama and WV do not explicitly require any postdoc hours. They both involve an oral exam, which may or may not be administered virtually (might have done so due to Covid but returned to F2F).

Virginia requires 1,500 internship and 1,500 postdoc hours. No JP exam. Predoctoral practicum hours can be utilized to satisfy some or even all the postdoc hours. Verification from the doctoral program director is needed. I believe internship hours that are in excess of 1,500 may also be utilized.

Iowa requires 1,500 pre doc internship and 1500 post doc hours. There is no JP exam. After the initial application is approved, Candidates are permitted to take the eppp anytime while accruing postdoc hours. Apparently, a full license is issued within a week of submitting all requirements.

Kansas requires 1600 internship and 1600 postdoc hours. The board will not permit candidates to take the eppp until all hours are completed.

Hawaii requires 1,900 postdoc hours. Not sure about internship hour requirement. No JP. The application process is apparently very quick and short. However, you cannot sit for the eppp until you finish the postdoc hours.

Washington does not explicitly require postdoc hours but you have to take a jurisprudence exam that is only offered in person. Arizona is the same but requires the eppp part 2, which will become mandatory in all states very soon.


I know a lot of psychologists who work in the federal sector or on military bases opt to get licensed in Alabama, Virginia, or Iowa. I would be very careful about the states with easier requirements. It might be difficult or even impossible to obtain licensure in a state that has more stringent requirements (eg, high number of postdoc hours) later on down the road.

In terms of the most difficult states to obtain licensure, the following states have been identified:
Michigan
New Jersey
New York
Florida
California
Louisiana
Arkansas
Georgia
Tennessee

I took the JP exam for Washington state online in 2022. It was open book (as I took it at home).

Idk if maybe they changed it since 2022 and now require in person

 

[mind_over_matter277]

Hi all! I am working on licensure. What is the easiest state to get licensed in that does not require the EPPP part 2? Any help is much appreciated! The information I am finding appears to be out of date.

Thanks!

Alabama
West Virginia
Virginia
Iowa
Texas
Kansas
Hawaii
Illinois
Colorado
New York