Florida PPY Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Florida’s Board of Psychology issues a Provisional Psychologist license (license prefix PPY) for doctoral‑level psychologists who are working toward full psychologist licensure while practicing under supervision. This status is called a “provisional psychologist licensee” in Florida law. (flsenate.gov)

Below is a structured guide to (1) qualifying for the PPY license and (2) the specific hour requirements you must ultimately meet to become fully licensed.

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1. What the PPY Provisional Psychologist License Is

Under Florida’s Psychological Services Act, a “provisional psychologist licensee” is defined as a person provisionally licensed to provide psychological services under supervision. (flsenate.gov)

Key features of the PPY license:

• It is a time‑limited, supervised license that allows a doctoral‑level psychologist to practice psychology in Florida while under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.
• By statute, a provisional license expires 24 months after issuance and cannot be renewed or reissued. (flsenate.gov)
• A provisional licensee must work under the supervision of a licensed psychologist until fully licensed as a psychologist. (flsenate.gov)

In the Department of Health’s licensing system, this category appears under the license prefix PPY – Provisional Psychologist. (pdf4pro.com)

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2. Eligibility Requirements for a PPY License

2.1. Education

Florida statute requires that a PPY applicant:

• Earn a doctoral degree from an American Psychological Association (APA)–accredited program. (flsenate.gov)

In practice, the Board describes this as:

• A Psy.D., Ed.D. in psychology, or Ph.D. in psychology from a program that:
  • Had institutional accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (or Universities Canada), and
  • Had programmatic accreditation from an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education—currently, this is the APA. (floridaspsychology.gov)

Because APA‑accredited doctoral programs must include an approved predoctoral internship, completion of such a program is also how Florida recognizes your first 2,000 hours of supervised experience (see Section 4 below). (floridaspsychology.gov)

2.2. Background Screening (Fingerprinting)

Recent statutory changes require background screening (electronic fingerprints) for psychology applicants, including provisional licensees. Chapter 490 now explicitly ties licensure to background screening under section 456.0135, effective July 1, 2025, and the Board’s provisional license page notes that House Bill 975 requires fingerprinting before approval. (flsenate.gov)

2.3. Application Form and Fees

To apply for a PPY license, you must:

1. Submit the provisional licensure application (Form DH‑MQA 1189).

   • Rule 64B19‑11.011 requires all provisional applicants to complete and submit “Application for Provisional Psychology Licensure,” Form DH‑MQA 1189. (flrules.elaws.us)

2. Pay the required fees.

   • Rule 64B19‑12.012 sets:
     • A nonrefundable application fee of $250, and
     • An initial licensure fee of $250 for the provisional license. (law.cornell.edu)

2.4. Supervising Psychologist Agreement

Before a PPY license can be issued, you must already have a supervising psychologist:

• You must submit a letter signed by a licensed psychologist (in good standing and not under disciplinary investigation) who agrees to supervise you “according to law.” (flrules.elaws.us)
• On the application, you must state that you are not under investigation in Florida or any other state for an offense that would violate Florida law. (flrules.elaws.us)

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3. Supervision Rules While You Hold a PPY License

3.1. Continuous Supervision is Mandatory

By statute, a provisional licensee:

• “Must work under the supervision of a licensed psychologist” until they receive a full psychologist license (or written notice that they are licensed). (flsenate.gov)

Under Rule 64B19‑11.011:

• If supervision ends, the supervisor must notify the Board in writing immediately, and
• The provisional psychologist must cease practice until a new supervisor is approved by the Board. (flrules.elaws.us)

The Board’s website emphasizes that provisional psychology licensees should not practice without appropriate supervision, and that supervision must meet Rule 64B19‑11.011. (floridaspsychology.gov)

3.2. Weekly Supervision Requirements

Rule 64B19‑11.011 sets supervision responsibilities for the supervisor of a provisional psychologist. In summary, the supervisor must:

• Take professional responsibility for the provisional licensee’s work and determine that the licensee is capable of providing competent and safe care. (flrules.elaws.us)
• Provide two (2) hours of clinical supervision each week, of which:
  • At least one (1) hour must be individual, face‑to‑face supervision;
  • The second hour may be individual or group, but must still be clinical supervision. (flrules.elaws.us)
• Stay informed about all professional services performed by the provisional licensee and notify the Board if there are ethics, competence, or professional concerns. (flrules.elaws.us)

Although Rule 64B19‑11.005 (postdoctoral supervised experience) has a parallel 2‑hours‑per‑week supervision requirement, Rule 64B19‑11.011 is the specific authority for PPY supervision.

3.3. Title and How You Hold Yourself Out

Under section 490.012, Florida law requires that:

• A person provisionally licensed “as a provisional psychologist licensee” must conspicuously display the provisional license (or a true copy) at each location where services are provided. (leg.state.fl.us)
• All promotional materials—cards, brochures, stationery, advertisements, signs—must clearly include the words “provisional psychologist licensee.” (leg.state.fl.us)
• No person licensed or provisionally licensed may use any title that indicates a different licensure status than the one actually granted. (leg.state.fl.us)

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4. Hour Requirements You Are Ultimately Working Toward

While the PPY license itself does not set a standalone number of hours you must complete just to obtain that provisional status, it is designed for applicants who are on the path to full psychologist licensure, which has very specific experience requirements.

4.1. Total Experience Required for Full Psychologist Licensure

By statute, an applicant for licensure by examination must have:

• At least 2 years or 4,000 hours of experience “in the field of psychology in association with or under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.” (flsenate.gov)

The Board’s general requirements page clarifies how that is counted:

• A total of 4,000 hours of supervised experience.
• The Board accepts the doctoral‑level psychology internship as satisfying the first 2,000 hours.
• The remaining 2,000 hours must be completed as postdoctoral supervised experience under Rule 64B19‑11.005. (floridaspsychology.gov)

In other words, Florida effectively structures experience as:

• 2,000 hours – Doctoral psychology internship (predoctoral)
• 2,000 hours – Postdoctoral supervised experience

PPY licensees are typically using their provisional license period to complete the postdoctoral portion.

4.2. Doctoral Internship (First 2,000 Hours)

The Board does not re‑specify the micro‑breakdown (e.g., exact direct‑service minutes) of the internship in rule. Instead, it simply recognizes that:

• The APA‑accredited doctoral internship counts as 1 year or 2,000 hours of the required 4,000 hours. (floridaspsychology.gov)

Those internship standards (direct service, supervision, didactics) are governed by APA and the internship site, not the Florida Board rules directly.

4.3. Postdoctoral Supervised Experience (Second 2,000 Hours)

Rule 64B19‑11.005 spells out the exact structure and types of hours required for the postdoctoral 2,000 hours. Key points:

1. Overall Requirement

   • You must complete at least 1 year or 2,000 hours of postdoctoral experience under a qualifying supervisor. (flrules.elaws.us)

2. Weekly Workload / Timeframe

   • Postdoctoral training must involve either:
     • An average of at least 40 hours/week for 1 year, or
     • An average of at least 20 hours/week for 2 years. (flrules.elaws.us)

   In either case, the total must amount to at least 2,000 hours.

3. Direct Client Contact Hours

   Within those 2,000 postdoctoral hours, a minimum of 900 hours must be “activities related to direct client contact.” (flrules.elaws.us)

   The rule does not split the remainder into specific categories, but the direct client contact requirement means:

   • At least 900 hours must be spent in activities such as psychotherapy, psychological assessment, feedback, and other direct clinical services to clients.

4. Supervision Hours During Postdoc

   Rule 64B19‑11.005 also requires that:

   • On average, you must receive at least 2 hours of clinical supervision each week during the postdoctoral period. (flrules.elaws.us)
   • Of those:
     • At least 1 hour/week must be individual, face‑to‑face supervision, which can be conducted via HIPAA‑compliant video.
     • The second hour may be individual or group supervision or case presentation, and may also use HIPAA‑compliant video. (flrules.elaws.us)

5. Use of Telehealth / Technology

   • The rule allows the postdoctoral experience to use synchronous or asynchronous telecommunications technology under the supervisor’s authority,
   • But asynchronous technology may not be used to obtain the 900 hours of direct client contact (those must be synchronous clinical encounters). (flrules.elaws.us)

6. Supervisor Qualifications

   The rule defines a supervisor broadly as:

   • A licensed Florida psychologist in good standing, or
   • Certain out‑of‑state or telehealth‑registered psychologists meeting statutory criteria, including those practicing under the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. (law.cornell.edu)

   The supervisor must enter into a written agreement with you, maintain responsibility for your work, provide the required supervision, and inform the Board of any concerns. (flrules.elaws.us)

4.4. Putting the Hours in Plain Numbers

For full Florida psychologist licensure (which a PPY is working toward), the experience requirement is:

• Total supervised experience:

  • 4,000 hours over at least 2 years, including:
    • 2,000 hours from your doctoral psychology internship, and
    • 2,000 hours from postdoctoral supervised experience.

• Within the 2,000 postdoctoral hours:

  • At least 900 hours must be direct client contact.
  • You must average 2 hours/week of clinical supervision, with at least 1 hour/week individual face‑to‑face supervision. (flrules.elaws.us)

Florida does not phrase this as “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience,” but rather as 4,000 total supervised hours, with the specific 900‑hour minimum for direct client contact built into the postdoctoral year.

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5. Examinations and Time Limits (Context for PPY Holders)

Although your question focuses on hours, two timing points matter for PPY holders:

1. Exams for Full Licensure

   For full licensure, you must ultimately pass:

   • The EPPP (national psychology licensing examination), and
   • Florida’s laws and rules examination. (floridaspsychology.gov)

   The Board notes that the “provisional application method does not allow you to take the EPPP.” To sit for the EPPP while accruing hours, applicants typically apply via the licensure‑by‑examination route (often called “bifurcation”) rather than relying solely on provisional status. (floridaspsychology.gov)

2. 24‑Month Window

   • The provisional license expires 24 months after issuance and cannot be renewed. (flsenate.gov)
   • Separately, section 490.005(3) authorizes the Board to close an application file if the applicant fails to pass the required examinations or submit evidence of completion of postdoctoral supervised experience within a Board‑defined timeframe (no longer than 24 months), though an extension process exists. (flsenate.gov)

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6. Practical Summary

To become and practice as a PPY Provisional Psychologist in Florida, and ultimately transition to full licensure, you should plan for the following:

1. Before Applying for PPY

   • Complete an APA‑accredited doctoral program in psychology (including its internship).
   • Undergo or be prepared for electronic fingerprint background screening. (flsenate.gov)

2. Apply for the PPY License

   • File Form DH‑MQA 1189 with the Board.
   • Pay $250 application fee + $250 initial licensure fee. (flrules.elaws.us)
   • Secure a supervising licensed psychologist who provides a signed supervision letter and agrees to the supervisory duties in Rule 64B19‑11.011. (flrules.elaws.us)

3. While Holding PPY

   • Practice only under supervision; stop practicing if supervision ends until a new supervisor is Board‑approved. (flrules.elaws.us)
   • Receive 2 hours of clinical supervision per week, at least 1 hour individual face‑to‑face, and ensure your supervisor maintains responsibility for your work. (flrules.elaws.us)
   • Display your provisional license at every practice site and use the title “provisional psychologist licensee” on all advertising and promotional materials. (leg.state.fl.us)

4. To Qualify for Full Psychologist Licensure

   • Document 4,000 hours of supervised experience, including:
     • 2,000 internship hours recognized by Florida, and
     • 2,000 postdoctoral hours structured under Rule 64B19‑11.005, of which:
       • At least 900 hours are direct client contact, and
       • You receive 2 hours/week of clinical supervision (≥1 hour individual face‑to‑face). (flrules.elaws.us)
   • Pass the EPPP and the Florida laws and rules exam within Board timelines. (floridaspsychology.gov)

Taken together, Florida’s system expects a PPY provisional psychologist to function as a carefully supervised, doctoral‑level practitioner who is accumulating the second 2,000 hours of supervised practice and meeting all examination and legal requirements on the way to full psychologist licensure.