Hawaii Psychology License Guide: Requirements for 2026
Getting your Hawaii psychology license opens up great career opportunities. Clinical and counseling psychologists earn an average of $113,040 in the state. This is a big deal as it means that Hawaii’s salaries are higher than the national average of $106,850. The field shows strong growth potential. Psychology jobs should grow by 6% between 2024 and 2034, which is more than the national average.
The path to becoming a psychologist brings big responsibilities. Around 187,000 Hawaiians deal with psychological conditions. The numbers paint a worrying picture – 69.1% of adults with mental illness and 74.9% of depressed youth don’t get any treatment. Hawaii’s board of psychology sets strict license requirements to maintain high-quality care. The trip to licensure takes at least nine years. The process might be tough, but Hawaii’s professional community remains small with just 1,293 active licensed psychologists. This piece breaks down each step you’ll take to become part of Hawaii’s vital mental health community.
Educational pathways
A psychology career in Hawaii starts with basic education. A bachelor’s degree takes four years and serves as your first step. You don’t need to major in psychology, but it helps prepare you for graduate studies.
The next step is earning a doctoral degree that meets Hawaii’s psychology license requirements. The state board accepts degrees from two sources: APA-accredited programs or doctoral programs from regionally accredited institutions. Students usually choose between a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology with focus on research and teaching, or a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree that emphasizes clinical practice.
The time commitment varies between these paths. A PsyD takes 4-6 years while a PhD needs 5-8 years. Some students get a master’s degree first, especially those without psychology backgrounds. Many doctoral programs include master’s-level work, which makes a separate master’s degree optional.
Hawaii’s psychology license has specific curriculum requirements. Your doctoral program must include these hours in key areas:
- Biological bases of behavior: 6 semester hours (9 quarter hours)
- Cognitive-affective bases of behavior: 6 semester hours (9 quarter hours)
- Individual differences: 6 semester hours (9 quarter hours)
- Psychodiagnosis and assessment: 6 semester hours (9 quarter hours)
- Therapy approaches: 6 semester hours (9 quarter hours)
Students need at least 3 semester hours (4.5 quarter hours) in professional ethics, history and systems, research methodology, and statistics and psychometrics. Graduate studies must last at least three academic years.
Your doctoral training includes a 1,900-hour predoctoral internship. This internship needs APA approval or must be part of an organized health service training program. A licensed psychologist must supervise you, or someone with an ABPP diplomate certificate, or a psychology doctorate holder with two years of postdoctoral experience.
Hawaii has several APA-accredited options. The University of Hawaii at Manoa runs a competitive Clinical Psychology PhD program that accepts less than 10% of applicants each year. Chaminade University’s APA-accredited PsyD program focuses on professional psychology practice and holds accreditation until 2030. Hawaii Pacific University offers a PsyD program currently seeking APA accreditation.
Graduates from non-APA accredited programs need extra steps. Their schools must verify that coursework meets Hawaii’s requirements. Students with doctoral degrees in non-clinical psychology must complete an accredited respecialization program before seeking licensure.
Research and clinical experience are vital for competitive program admissions. Strong recommendation letters from professors and research supervisors make applications stand out.
Supervised Experience Requirements
Supervised professional experience is a vital training component to qualify for a Hawaii psychology license. The Hawaii Board of Psychology requires 3,800 hours of supervised experience, split equally between predoctoral and postdoctoral training.
Your predoctoral internship should cover 1,900 hours of supervised experience. You must complete this training through your doctoral program at an APA-approved internship or a hosted health service training program. The predoctoral phase helps you develop hands-on clinical skills with proper supervision. Many programs need at least 500 direct service hours.
The next step requires 1,900 hours of postdoctoral experience in a health service setting. Both training phases must follow strict supervision standards. You’ll need at least two hours of individual supervision each week from licensed professionals.
Hawaii’s psychology license requirements state that supervision must come from qualified professionals. Your supervisor must be one of these professionals during predoctoral and postdoctoral experiences:
- A licensed psychologist
- A psychologist holding an American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) diplomate certificate
- For predoctoral supervision only: A person with a doctoral degree in psychology who has two years of postdoctoral experience
Supervisors with degrees from before 1970 need to be listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology for postdoctoral supervision.
You’ll need to use titles like “psychology resident” during your postdoctoral training. This helps the public understand you don’t have a psychology license yet. This supervised phase lets you build professional competence before independent practice.
The Hawaii Board of Psychology needs specific forms for documentation. Your supervisor must fill out the Pre-doctoral Internship Verification form (PSY-03) with a notarized affidavit that summarizes your internship duties. The Postdoctoral Verification form (PSY-05) documents your postdoctoral experience. Both forms need detailed information about your supervised activities.
These affidavits must cover your work in psychological assessment, counseling, psychotherapy, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, and other psychological services. So it’s important to keep detailed records throughout your supervised experience.
Hawaii strictly follows the 1,900-hour predoctoral internship and 1,900-hour postdoctoral experience structure, unlike states that accept practicum hours. Planning your supervision experience early in your doctoral program will help create a smooth path to licensure.
Licensing Examinations
The next big step to get your Hawaii psychology license comes after you finish your supervised experience. You need to pass standardized exams. The Hawaii Board of Psychology requires all candidates to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). This exam is a nationally recognized way to assess psychology knowledge and competence.
The Hawaii Board of Psychology reviews your application materials to check if you can take the exam. Once approved, you can register for the EPPP through the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). The exam happens on a computer and has 225 multiple-choice questions. These questions test your knowledge of psychology concepts and practices thoroughly.
Hawaii has one Prometric testing center on Oahu. Notwithstanding that, you can take your exam at any Prometric center in the United States or Canada. This helps candidates who might complete their training elsewhere before starting their practice in Hawaii.
Here’s what you need to know about exam costs:
- EPPP registration fee: $600
- Additional testing center fee: approximately $80
- Active psychology license renewal (every even-numbered year): $278
- Inactive psychology license renewal: $12
You’ll get an Authorization to Test (ATT) during registration. This gives you 60 days to schedule and take your exam. Hawaii requires candidates to score 500 or higher on the EPPP to pass.
The exam results usually come about 15 business days after testing. Your scores automatically go to the Hawaii Board of Psychology as part of your license application.
Yes, it is worth noting that Hawaii has different paths for experienced psychologists. “Senior Psychologists” with at least twenty years of continuous licensure in other places might not need to take the exam under certain conditions. This works if the EPPP wasn’t required where you worked before, or if your previous score matches or beats Hawaii’s passing mark.
If you take this path, you must still verify all your previous licenses. It also means getting ASPPB to transfer your scores directly through their website. This service usually costs extra.
Passing the EPPP marks a major milestone in your path to practicing psychology in Hawaii. The exam needs complete preparation, and many candidates use practice exams and study materials from ASPPB to get ready.
Application & Licensure Process
Getting your license from the Hawaii Board of Psychology marks a significant step in your career. The board welcomes applications throughout the year without deadlines. This flexibility helps candidates at different stages of their professional development. You can start your application after completing all requirements except the national examination.
Your Hawaii psychology license application needs these essential documents:
- Completed application form with a non-refundable $50 application fee
- Official transcripts sent straight from your educational institution
- Photostat or certified copy of your doctoral diploma
- Verification forms for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral supervised experiences
- License verification from states where you held previous licenses
Graduates from non-APA accredited programs need extra documentation. A detailed training form must show how your courses met specific core requirements. Submit this form with your application.
The Hawaii Board of Psychology will review your application to determine eligibility. You’ll then receive a Notice of Approval with your status, expiration date, and steps to contact the Professional Vocational Licensing (PVL) Examination Branch for EPPP registration. Testing happens year-round but only on Oahu.
Your application becomes abandoned if you don’t complete the licensing process within a year of filing. The same applies if you fail to take and pass the examination after becoming eligible. The board will destroy abandoned applications, and you’ll need to reapply under current requirements.
The board provides multiple paths to licensure. Qualified candidates can choose the standard examination route, examination waiver, or temporary permits. Military spouses can also request temporary licenses that last through their active-duty spouse’s Hawaii service.
After meeting all requirements, you’ll pay a licensing fee. The amount changes based on your license’s issue date. Hawaii psychology licenses need renewal by June 30 of even-numbered years. Active status renewal costs $278, while inactive status is $12.
Missing the renewal deadline means your license becomes forfeit and you can’t practice. You have a year to restore it by paying higher fees – $378 for active status or $112 for inactive. The board requires a complete reapplication if you don’t restore within this timeframe.
Continuing Education
Your Hawaii psychology license requires ongoing professional development through continuing education (CE). The Hawaii Board of Psychology requires 18 credit hours of continuing education each licensing renewal biennium. Psychologists must complete these requirements before June 30 of each even-numbered year.
Licensed psychologists should keep detailed records of their CE activities. The board requires every psychologist to certify under oath that they’ve met the continuing education requirements during renewal. The board might ask for proof of compliance. Random audits happen regularly, and selected licensees must provide CE documentation within 60 days after receiving notice.
The board gives new psychologists a break. First-time licensees don’t need continuing education credits for their original license renewal. After that, psychologists can complete all 18 required CE hours through home study programs.
The board only accepts CE courses from approved providers. These include American Psychological Association (APA) approved providers.
The board might grant CE requirement extensions in special cases:
- Practice in isolated geographical areas with limited CE access
- Inability to complete hours due to incapacity, undue hardship, or serious extenuating circumstances
Psychologists who receive an extension must complete 36 hours during the next licensing biennium.
Renewal fees depend on your license status. Active psychology licenses cost $278 to renew, while inactive status renewals cost $12. Late renewals within one year cost more: $378 for active status or $112 for inactive status. Missing this one-year window means starting over with a complete reapplication under current Hawaii psychology license requirements.
Special State Variations
Hawaii stands out from other states by offering multiple paths to licensure for out-of-state psychologists. The Hawaii board of psychology lets relocating psychologists get their credentials through different routes based on their experience and certifications.
Psychologists from other states can qualify in several ways. Those with a diplomate certificate from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), a Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), or a Health Service Provider credential from the National Register of Health Service Psychologists can take advantage of a more efficient licensure process. These applications need less paperwork than standard ones.
The “senior psychologist” designation creates a special path for practitioners licensed in other states for 20+ years. This option recognizes their unique experience, as long as they’ve managed to keep a clean disciplinary record throughout their career.
Hawaii grants permits to out-of-state psychologists who want to practice temporarily. These permits allow up to 90 days of practice per year, with possible extensions approved by the board. This helps visiting professionals who don’t plan to set up permanent practice in Hawaii.
The state exempts certain psychology professionals from getting a license. These include:
- Psychology researchers, teachers, and consultants hired by colleges or universities
- Psychological assistants working under licensed psychologists
- Government employees in school psychologist positions
- Psychology trainees, interns, and residents in supervised settings
Industrial/organizational psychologists follow a different path in Hawaii – they need registration instead of full licensure. While they must have doctoral degrees, they face fewer requirements than clinical practitioners.
The University of Hawaii determines credential equivalency for internationally educated psychologists. These graduates must show their doctoral degrees are as rigorous as U.S. requirements.
While neighboring states have joined interstate compacts, Hawaii hasn’t joined PSYPACT. This shows how Hawaii wants to keep control over its psychology licensure standards locally.