Get Your New Mexico Psychology License: Expert Guide 2026
Here’s something interesting about New Mexico psychology license holders – they have a unique advantage. New Mexico stands among the few states that lets licensed psychologists prescribe medication after they complete extra training.
A psychology license in New Mexico enables you to serve the state’s 2.13 million residents who need mental health services. The New Mexico Board of Psychology Examiners manages the licensing process. The journey typically takes 5-9 years of post-bachelor education and experience. You’ll need a doctoral degree, 3,000 hours of supervised experience spread across two years, and must pass two examinations. The career outlook looks promising too. Clinical, counseling, and school psychologist positions should grow by 18.1% by 2034.
This detailed guide shows you each step to get your New Mexico psychology license, from education requirements to application steps. You’ll also find why many psychologists choose this state. Clinical and counseling psychologists earn an average of $92,530 yearly, while school psychologists make around $106,940 annually.
Educational Pathways
Getting a New Mexico psychology license starts with the right education. A career in psychology needs much academic preparation through several educational stages.
The experience begins with a bachelor’s degree that typically takes four years of full-time study (about 120 credits) to finish. You don’t need to major in psychology as an undergraduate, but this choice helps meet graduate program prerequisites. Students at the University of New Mexico should take diverse courses instead of specializing early.
After your bachelor’s degree, you can choose between two paths: entering a doctoral program right away or getting a master’s degree first. Master’s degrees give you great experience before doctoral programs, though they’re optional. New Mexico also offers master’s-level psychology licenses, which creates a good career option if you prefer not to pursue a doctorate.
The doctoral degree serves as the foundation of your educational experience. The New Mexico Board of Psychology Examiners requires graduation from a doctoral program that meets one of these criteria:
- A nationally recognized designation system must designate it as a doctoral program in psychology OR
- A nationally recognized accreditation body must accredit it
Your doctoral degree should focus on clinical, counseling, or school psychology from a university with full-time psychology courses. New Mexico accepts both PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) and PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) degrees to get licensed.
The program needs accreditation from either the American Psychological Association (APA) or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). Students with degrees from outside the US or Canada might qualify if the New Mexico Board finds their training matches APA and CPA standards.
Most doctoral programs take four to seven years based on training needs. Students can build supervised experience hours toward licensure during this time. The program allows up to 1,500 hours through practicum activities, another 1,500 hours via an APA-approved doctoral internship, and up to 750 hours through a non-APA-approved doctoral internship.
Several doctoral psychology programs exist in New Mexico. To name just one example, New Mexico State University runs a Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology based on the scientist-practitioner model. The University of New Mexico also features a clinical psychology program with accreditation from both the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System and the American Psychological Association.
Students should focus on programs that meet state requirements while planning their educational path toward a New Mexico psychology license. This approach will give a clear path to eligibility under the New Mexico Board of Psychology regulations.
Supervised Experience Requirements
Getting a New Mexico psychology license requires specific supervised experience that meets state board standards. These requirements help you prepare for independent practice.
The New Mexico Board of Psychology Examiners requires 3,000 hours of supervised experience for licensure. You can build these hours through different paths:
- Up to 1,500 hours from doctoral practicum experiences that meet Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) guidelines
- Up to 1,500 hours from an APA-accredited doctoral internship
- Up to 750 hours from a non-APA-accredited doctoral internship
- The remaining hours must come from postdoctoral supervised experience
Your practicum hours need strict criteria. Your doctoral program must approve and integrate the practicum setting. The experience should take place in psychological service settings that train professional psychologists. A licensed psychologist must take responsibility to maintain your training’s quality and integrity.
Your practicum requires specific time allocation. At least 50% of supervised hours should focus on service activities like treatment, assessment, interviews, report-writing, case presentations, and consultations. You need at least 25% face-to-face client contact. A licensed psychologist must supervise one hour for every eight hours of your experience.
Non-APA accredited internships need extra requirements to count as 750 hours. You must complete the internship within 24 consecutive months and work at least 20 hours weekly. Your doctoral program’s clinical training director needs to certify the internship as part of your degree requirements.
The board needs your supervisory plan before starting postdoctoral hours in New Mexico. You’ll hear back about your plan’s acceptance within 60 days. Board approval registers you in an approved supervision program.
A licensed psychologist must serve as your primary supervisor and guide your professional growth. Weekly one-on-one supervision must last at least one hour, adding up to 46 hours yearly. Your supervisor takes clinical and professional responsibility for your work and stays available for client-related decisions.
Clients must know about the supervision arrangement. Written communications need to identify your primary supervisor as the person responsible for clinical and professional services. The board might reject experience hours that don’t meet these requirements.
Proper documentation and following these guidelines will help you gain the supervised experience you need for your New Mexico psychology license.
Licensing Examinations
Getting your New Mexico psychology license requires passing two crucial exams. You’ll need to prove your professional competence after completing your education and supervised experience requirements.
First, you’ll take the New Mexico Jurisprudence Examination. This open-book test covers state-specific laws and ethical guidelines. The exam evaluates your knowledge of the New Mexico Psychologists Code of Conduct, state statutes, rules, and regulations. The fee for this exam is $75. You need a passing score of at least 70%, though some sources suggest it might be 75%. The board allows you to retake the exam within thirty days with an additional $75 fee.
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) comes next. This detailed national test is administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. The New Mexico Board must approve your license application before you can take this exam, unless you’ve already passed it elsewhere. The test includes 225 multiple-choice questions that cover psychology topics of all types.
The New Mexico Board needs your EPPP application at least 60 days before your planned test date. You’ll pay about $600 for registration, plus an $80 fee to Prometric, which manages the testing centers. You get eighteen months to finish the examination process, with up to three attempts allowed during this time. Your Authorization to Test stays valid for 60 days after registration.
A scaled score of 500 or higher means you’ve passed the EPPP. You can take the exam at any authorized Prometric Center nationwide. Each retry comes with additional fees.
These exams verify your general psychology knowledge and understanding of New Mexico’s regulations. Proper preparation for both tests will help you meet these requirements for your psychology license.
New Mexico offers reciprocity options that can speed up the licensing process. This applies to psychologists licensed in other states for at least 10 years who have no pending disciplinary actions, no formal disciplinary actions in the past 5 years, and no past suspensions or revocations.
Application & Licensure Process
The New Mexico Board of Psychologist Examiners manages the psychology licensing process through an automated system. This digital platform has replaced all paper forms and makes applications easier in 2025.
You’ll need to start by creating an account on the New Mexico Professional Licensing User System website. Your complete application must include these components:
- A notarized application form with a $300 application fee
- Official transcripts sent directly from your educational institution
- Verification of supervised experience using the required forms
- Three letters of reference from licensed psychologists who can attest to your competency and moral character
- Fingerprint-based background check results
- EPPP score verification
- Completed jurisprudence examination with a $75 fee
The background check process requires registration with Cogent (3M Cogent) on their website and payment of a $44 fee. Applicants from other states who can’t complete the Livescan procedure in New Mexico can send two completed fingerprint cards with payment to the board office.
The board reviews all materials after receiving your application. You’ll get notification about your eligibility to take required examinations if you haven’t passed them already. The board conducts a final review of your application and supporting documents after you pass both exams.
New Mexico welcomes psychologists licensed in other jurisdictions through reciprocity options. A reciprocal license might be yours if you’ve held a license for at least ten years without disciplinary actions in the last five years. The application process becomes simpler for psychologists with five or more years of licensure who hold a Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) or National Register (NR) credential.
Licensed psychologists must renew their license every two years by July 1. The renewal costs $500, and late applications come with an extra $100 fee. New licensees must show they understand New Mexico’s cultural issues within their first year.
The board’s core mission stays clear throughout: protecting public safety by regulating psychology practice. They achieve this through appropriate licensure requirements, exam administration, and enforcement of psychological practice laws and regulations.
Continuing Education
New Mexico psychologists must complete continuing education (CE) to keep their licenses active. The state’s Board of Psychology Examiners sets these requirements to help licensees stay current with evolving psychological practices and standards.
Regular psychologists and psychologist associates need 40 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) every two years. Those with prescribing authority need more – 60 hours of CPE in the same period. The board also requires specific training in these areas:
- Cultural diversity: minimum of 2 hours every two years
- Equity and inclusion: minimum of 4 hours focusing on race, ethnicity, systemic racism, structural inequality, poverty, or related topics
- Ethics: minimum of 4 hours in professional ethics
- Prescribing psychologists must complete 40 hours in psychopharmacology or psychopharmacotherapy
CPE credits fall into two categories based on design and monitoring standards. Psychologists must get at least 15 of their 40 hours from Category I, which has formally hosted workshops, seminars, and classes with monitored attendance. The remaining hours can come from either Category I or Category II, which has independent study programs, presentations at conventions, publications, and committee participation.
New Mexico lets psychologists complete 25 CE credits through online courses. CE providers for in-person education must have approval from recognized organizations like the American Psychological Association.
License renewal happens on July 1 of the renewal year. The board can audit any licensee’s CPE credits, so keeping detailed records for two years after the reporting period is crucial. Failing to complete or properly report continuing education requirements can result in license renewal denial or suspension.
New psychologists have a special requirement before their first renewal. They must complete eight hours of cultural awareness coursework about New Mexico cultures. This requirement is different from the regular CE requirements they’ll need throughout their career.
Special State Variations
New Mexico stands out from other states with several unique features beyond standard licensing requirements. The state is among the few that give prescribing authority to licensed psychologists who complete extra training. Psychologists need an active New Mexico psychology license, a postdoctoral master’s degree in clinical psychopharmacology, and specific practical experience. This includes an 80-hour practicum in clinical assessment and a 400-hour practicum treating patients with mental disorders.
The state creates valuable opportunities for professionals at various career stages. A notable feature is the master’s-level psychology license as a psychologist associate. This license lets people with a master’s in psychology practice under supervision without doctoral education. These associates must work under a licensed psychologist or board-certified psychiatrist’s supervision.
New Mexico takes a different approach from many states by allowing telehealth practice for licensed psychologists. Licensed psychologists can provide telehealth services to clients who are physically in New Mexico. The state may offer temporary licenses to out-of-state providers for COVID-19 related situations.
The state provides expedited licensure options along with traditional paths. Psychologists licensed elsewhere can get reciprocity if they have 10 years of experience, no pending disciplinary actions, no formal disciplinary actions in the last 5 years, and no past suspensions or revocations. The board must process these expedited applications within 30 days for qualified out-of-state licensees.
The New Mexico Board of Psychologist Examiners keeps a current list of jurisdictions on its website. These lists show which states qualify for expedited licensure and which don’t. The board reviews this policy each year to see if changes are needed.
New Mexico has become an attractive option for psychology professionals who want flexible practice options or specialized credentials.