How to Get Your Psychology License in Ohio: 2026 Requirements Guide
The path to becoming a licensed psychologist in Ohio takes 8-12 years and needs steadfast dedication. The rewards make it worthwhile – psychologists in Ohio earn an annual mean wage of $94,680. Clinical and counseling psychologists do even better with average earnings of $105,460.
Mental health professionals see growing opportunities in the state. Jobs for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists should rise by 8.2% by 2030. These numbers matter because more than 20% of Ohioans struggle with mental health conditions or substance use disorders. Yet only 30% of people with private insurance can find behavioral health providers easily.
Everything from the Ohio board of psychologists shapes your career path. This page guides you through educational pathways, supervised experience, licensing exams, application steps, continuing education, and state-specific requirements you should know for 2026 licensure.
Educational pathways
A structured educational pathway starts your trip toward getting your psychology license in Ohio. The Ohio Board of Psychology requires a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology from an accredited institution. This educational path takes 8-12 years to complete and covers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies along with supervised field experience.
Your foundation begins with a bachelor’s degree, which takes four years of full-time study. A psychology major gives you relevant background knowledge, though your undergraduate degree can be in another field. You might need to complete prerequisite psychology courses in spite of that if you choose a non-psychology bachelor’s degree.
Graduate studies come next after your undergraduate education. Many students complete a standalone master’s degree in 2-3 years, while others choose doctoral programs that include master’s degree coursework. This combined approach could reduce your total educational timeline to about eight years.
The doctoral degree represents the core of your educational requirements. Ohio accepts doctorates that meet at least one of these criteria:
- Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA)
- Accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)
- Listed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)/National Register (NR) of Health Service Providers in Psychology
APA accreditation guarantees your educational foundation meets set standards for clinical practice and scientific understanding. This accreditation shows licensing boards and potential employers that your education gives you solid groundwork for a successful psychology career.
Ohio has several accredited programs across the state. Seven universities currently offer APA-accredited doctoral programs: Bowling Green State University, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Miami University, Ohio State University, and Ohio University. Many other institutions also provide undergraduate and master’s psychology programs that can help you progress toward doctoral studies.
Your educational path should align with your chosen specialization in psychology. The Committee on Accreditation (CoA) accredits programs in multiple areas including clinical, counseling, school psychology, and combinations of these fields. You can focus your studies on specialized areas like clinical child psychology, clinical health psychology, forensic psychology, and neuropsychology.
Most doctoral programs blend clinical training with research components smoothly. Ohio University’s doctoral program in Clinical Psychology trains students in both clinical skills and research methods extensively. Students must complete coursework, clinical practica, independent research, and an internship to develop complete professional skills.
The quickest way to complete your education is to find a licensure-track doctoral program that doesn’t require a separate master’s degree. You can minimize your total time requirement by completing one year of supervised experience during doctoral studies and the second year after graduation.
Note that educational requirements are just one part of getting licensed. You’ll need supervised experience, passing scores on licensing examinations, and completion of the Ohio Board of Psychology’s formal application process to become a licensed psychologist in the state.
Supervised Experience Requirements
Getting your Ohio psychology license requires supervised professional experience as its main requirement. You’ll need 3,600 total hours of supervised practice to qualify for licensure. This hands-on training will give a solid foundation in practical skills you need to provide psychological services that work.
Your journey starts with a doctoral internship. The time commitment ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 hours spread across nine months minimum for school psychology doctorates and up to 24 months for other specialties. Most people complete their internships in 12-month, 2,000-hour contracts.
The remaining hours come after your internship to reach the 3,600-hour total. To name just one example, a 2,000-hour internship means you’ll need 1,600 more qualifying hours. A 1,500-hour internship would need 2,100 additional hours. These hours can be completed before or after your internship, or you can split them between both periods.
Your supervised experience must meet these key requirements:
- Face-to-face client contact should take up 25% of your weekly placement time
- You need individual face-to-face supervision for one hour per 20 hours spent on site
- Licensed psychologists must provide 75% of your supervision, while other licensed mental health professionals can cover the remaining 25%
- Each week should include at least one additional hour of learning activities like group supervision, case conferences, didactic consultations, or guided professional readings
You and your supervisor should create a written agreement before starting. This document outlines your training’s goals, content, experiences, working arrangements, and financial details. The next step involves registering your supervision relationship through the eLicense Ohio portal, where supervisors handle what they call “affiliations”.
Ohio offers flexibility in completing the 3,600-hour sequence. However, about 80% of other states and Canadian provinces still need post-doctoral training. This means completing your hours without post-doctoral experience might limit your ability to practice in other states later.
The Ohio Board of Psychologists oversees this structured training process. Their supervision requirements help build your professional identity, ethical decision-making skills, and clinical expertise in assessment and intervention techniques.
Licensing Examinations
The path to getting your Ohio psychology license includes two key exams that the Ohio board of psychologists oversees.
You need to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) first. The board lets you take this standardized test after you complete your doctoral degree and required internship. The EPPP tests your basic psychology knowledge and opens the door to practice. The Ohio board of psychologists works with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards to set the passing score. You can check this score on the license application, board website, or by calling their office.
The next step is an oral exam that covers Ohio’s legal and ethical rules. The board schedules this exam only after your application is complete. Starting October 1, 2025, your background check must reach the Board before scheduling your oral exam. A $50.00 fee applies if you cancel, reschedule, or need to retake the exam.
The oral exam has five questions and up to two backup questions if needed. Questions come straight from the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) and Ohio Administrative Code (OAC), covering four areas:
- Supervision Rules
- General Rules of Professional Conduct
- Other Psychology Board Laws and Rules
- Ohio laws relevant to psychology practice
You must answer five questions right to pass – two from Professional Conduct and one from each other area. If you miss a question, you get another try with a different question in that same area. Missing both questions in any area means you fail the exam.
The oral exam needs serious study time. Most people who pass spend 30-50 hours preparing. The Ohio Board gives you a study manual with all relevant laws and rules. This manual runs about 40 pages and packs a lot of detail.
People who’ve taken the test suggest organizing the content into headers and bullet points. Making flashcards and practicing out loud helps too. You don’t need to memorize everything word-for-word. Understanding the ideas and expressing them clearly works fine.
You also need a criminal background check done at an Ohio Web Check location. These checks stay valid for one year.
Application & Licensure Process
Getting your psychology license in Ohio requires completing an application through the state’s official eLicense portal. This online system makes it easy to submit your credentials and supporting documents to the Ohio Board of Psychology.
You’ll need an account on the eLicense portal first. Find the application for an Ohio psychologist license after logging in. The Ohio Board of Psychology charges a $300.00 application fee. Remember to put your degree credentials in the “last name” field exactly as you want them on your license. The system doesn’t have a separate field for academic degrees.
The application needs several key documents:
- Official transcripts from your educational institutions
- Training supervision verification forms
- Three professional references
- Results from a criminal background check
- Automated email confirmation and receipt
Your transcripts and training verification forms should come straight from the source by fax or email. Make sure these materials go directly to the board instead of submitting them yourself.
The board reviews your complete application with all verified supporting documents. Your final step is the oral examination. This exam gives a full picture of your qualifications before you receive your license.
The Psychology Licensure Compact should start operating in late summer or early fall 2025. Member states will join throughout 2025-2026 as they complete their database integration and regulatory arrangements. This compact will help qualified psychologists practice across state lines.
Ohio’s psychology licensure process demands careful documentation checks. Start your application early because you’ll need time before beginning your practice. The Board of Psychology examines each application carefully to verify your educational, experiential, and examination requirements.
The board issues your psychologist license after you meet all requirements. These include passing the required exams, verifying supervised experience, and getting your application approved. This license lets you practice legally in Ohio.
Continuing Education
Your Ohio psychology license renewal needs ongoing professional development through continuing education. The Ohio Board of Psychology requires psychologists to complete 23 hours of continuing education during each two-year renewal period. The biennial cycle starts September 1 of even-numbered years and ends August 31 two years later. The current period runs from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2026.
The 23-hour requirement includes at least 4 hours focused on professional conduct, ethics, or cultural/ethnic identity’s role in psychological assessment, consultation, or interventions. This ethics/cultural competency requirement started in 2014 to keep psychologists updated on essential professional standards.
Ohio’s psychology licensure requirements give you flexibility to earn CE credits. You can complete all 23 hours through distance learning courses from approved providers. The Ohio Board of Psychology recognizes continuing education from these authorized organizations:
- American Psychological Association (APA) approved providers
- Ohio Psychological Association (OPA) approved providers
- Ohio School Psychologists Association (OSPA) approved providers
New licensees have different requirements. Psychologists licensed in the first year of the biennial period need to complete only 13 hours of continuing education. The 4-hour ethics/cultural component still applies.
You must report your CE activities to either the Ohio Psychological Association or the Ohio School Psychologists Association by August 31 of each renewal year. These organizations track your continuing education officially and report it to the Board of Psychology.
The tracking organization registration costs $135 for members and $195 for non-members. You should submit your course certificates right after completion, especially for August courses in renewal years.
Ohio law has a unique provision that lets you meet up to one-third of CE requirements through volunteer services to indigent and uninsured persons. Each volunteer service hour counts as one CE hour, with a maximum of seven hours per biennium.
The board might grant CE requirement waivers in special cases. You need to submit a written petition that shows compelling reasons such as unusual circumstances, emergencies, or special hardships.
Missing the CE requirements deadline leads to license expiration on September 30 of the renewal year. Any false CE evidence counts as professional misconduct and can result in disciplinary action.
Special State Variations
Ohio’s psychology license requirements have several unique state variations that go beyond the standard requirements.
Psychologists licensed in any U.S. state or territory for at least one year can get licensed in Ohio through reciprocity. This efficient pathway needs you to pass Ohio’s oral exam and complete a background check, which makes moving between states easier.
Ohio went through a major administrative change recently. The State Board of Psychology will handle all school psychology licenses starting January 2025, whatever you’re seeking education-restricted or independent practice privileges. The Board of Psychology and Department of Education used to split these responsibilities before.
The state deals with unique mental health challenges. Studies show that all but one of these Ohioans with private insurance struggle to find behavioral health providers. Access becomes even more limited since many providers don’t take private insurance.
Ohio psychologists earn competitive salaries compared to national averages. Clinical and counseling psychologists make about $106,190 yearly, while school psychologists earn around $90,040. Industrial-organizational psychologists take home approximately $108,320.
Graduates from non-accredited programs must meet tougher requirements. They need to show 3,600 hours of supervised training, with at least half at the postdoctoral level. This process is nowhere near as simple as it is for graduates from accredited programs.