Florida Statutes, Chapter 490: Scope, Licensure, and Discipline
Domain 1 covers the statutory skeleton: who may practice psychology in Florida, how licensure is earned and kept, what is exempt, and how discipline works. The authority is Chapter 490, F.S., read with the general licensing chapter, Chapter 456, F.S., and the rules of the Department of Health.
Board, department, and division
The Board of Psychology governs licensure and discipline within the Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance. The Department investigates complaints; disputed facts go to an administrative law judge of the Division of Administrative Hearings; the Board imposes penalties, from reprimand and fine to revocation. The Board adopts rules in Chapter 64B19, F.A.C.
Scope and title protection
Section 490.003 defines the practice of psychology broadly: observation, description, evaluation, interpretation, and modification of behavior through scientific and professional principles, including psychological testing, psychotherapy, consultation, and research. The titles "psychologist" and "psychology" are restricted to licensees; unlicensed use is a violation even where the service itself falls within an exemption.
Licensure routes
- Examination (s. 490.005): doctoral degree from an APA-accredited program or its equivalent, completion of supervised experience, and passing both the EPPP and the Florida laws-and-rules examination.
- Endorsement (s. 490.006): licensure in another jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements.
- Renewal is biennial and expires May 31 of odd-numbered years; 40 continuing-education hours are required each biennium, including the medical-errors and laws-and-rules hours set by Rule 64B19-13.
- Grounds for discipline appear in s. 490.009 and s. 456.072: incompetence, fraud, unprofessional conduct, sexual misconduct (s. 490.0111), and violating a Board order.
Exemptions
Section 490.014 exempts physicians, attorneys, clergy, Department of Education-certified school psychologists, supervised students and interns, and specified agency employees. Each exemption is limited to the described activity and setting.
Worked example
A DOE-certified school psychologist opens a Saturday practice evaluating adults for ADHD and advertises as a psychologist. The school exemption reaches only school-psychology services; private practice and the title require a Chapter 490 license. Answer: unlicensed practice.
Traps
Confusing the EPPP with the jurisprudence exam; treating CE as annual; assuming an exemption carries title privileges; omitting the license number from advertising, which s. 456.062 requires.