§ 40-55-80 — Application for license; qualifications of applicants.

To be licensed as a psychologist a person shall make application to the Board of Examiners in Psychology upon forms and in such manner as prescribed by the board. A candidate for licensure shall furnish the board with: (1) references of individuals having personal knowledge of the candidate's professional experience and competency and the board may not require more than three references unless there are mitigating circumstances; (2) satisfactory evidence that the candidate has obtained a doctoral degree in psychology from: (a) an institution of higher education that is: (i) regionally accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education; or (ii) authorized by provincial statute or royal charter to grant doctoral degrees; and (b) a program accredited by the American Psychological Association or the Canadian Psychological Association or designated as a psychology program by the designation committee of the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology and the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB); or (c) an institution of higher education that is: (i) regionally accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education; or (ii) authorized by provincial statute or royal charter to grant doctoral degrees; and (d) a program that includes at least three years of full-time graduate study not including predoctoral internship as specified in the ASPPB Agreement of Reciprocity and includes instruction in the scientific and professional subject areas specified by the ASPPB Agreement of Reciprocity. Competence must be demonstrated by appropriate course work in each content area as determined by the Board of Examiners in Psychology; (3) satisfactory evidence that the candidate is competent in psychology as shown by passing written and oral examinations as required by the board; (4) satisfactory evidence that the candidate has completed two years of supervised experience as approved by the board and specified in the ASPPB Agreement of Reciprocity; (5) satisfactory evidence that the candidate has not engaged in unethical practices; (6) satisfactory evidence that the candidate has not within the preceding six months failed an examination given by the board; (7) submission to a state criminal records check, supported by fingerprints, by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and a national criminal records check, supported by fingerprints, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The results of these criminal records checks must be reported to the department. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is authorized to retain the fingerprints for certification purposes and for notification of the department regarding criminal charges. The department shall keep information received pursuant to this section confidential, except that information relied upon in denying licensure may be disclosed as may be necessary to support the administrative action. The results of these criminal records checks must not be shared outside the department; and (8) documentation of any disciplinary action taken against the applicant while the applicant was participating in a psychology internship program or other psychology-related training program, or during previous psychology-related employment.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 56-1543.108; 1968 (55) 2412; 1980 Act No. 499; 1981 Act No. 87 SECTION 1; 1982 Act No. 430, SECTION 4; 1994 Act No. 391, SECTION 2; 1998 Act No. 396, SECTION 5; 2022 Act No. 159 (H.3833), SECTION 4, eff May 13, 2022. Effect of Amendment 2022 Act No. 159, SECTION 4, rewrote (7).