Iowa PROV Requirements & Hours Tracker

In Iowa, the “PROV” license corresponds to what the law and rules call a “provisional license in psychology.” It is a time‑limited license that lets you practice psychology only under supervision while you complete your predoctoral internship and/or your postdoctoral residency.

Below is a structured guide based on the Iowa Code and Iowa Administrative Code as of mid‑/late‑2024.

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1. What a Provisional License in Psychology Is

Iowa Code §154B.6 describes the credential this way:

• A person who has a doctoral degree in psychology from a board‑approved institution, but has not yet completed all other licensure requirements, may apply for a license that is “designated as a ‘provisional license in psychology’.” (law.justia.com)
• A person who is still enrolled in a doctoral program and is in their predoctoral internship may also apply for this same provisional license. (law.justia.com)
• The provisional license “authorizes the licensee to practice psychology under the supervision of a supervisor who meets the qualifications determined by the board by rule.” (law.justia.com)

The Iowa Board of Psychology’s title‑designation rule then requires:

Persons who possess provisional licenses shall add the designation “provisional license in psychology” following the “resident,” “intern,” or “fellow” designation. (law.cornell.edu)

In many licensing systems this credential appears under the shorthand PROV, but the legal name is “provisional license in psychology.”

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2. Who Is Eligible for a PROV (Provisional Psychology) License?

Under Iowa law and rule, there are two main pathways. (law.justia.com)

Pathway A – Predoctoral Internship

You may hold a provisional license while on internship if you:

1. Are enrolled in a doctoral program in psychology at a program that meets Iowa’s educational standards (APA‑ or CPA‑accredited, ASPPB/National Register–designated, or equivalent). (law.cornell.edu)
2. Have been accepted into a qualifying predoctoral internship (see the hour breakdown below). (law.cornell.edu)

This is the situation covered by Iowa Code §154B.6(4) and rule 645‑240.7(1). (law.justia.com)

Pathway B – Postdoctoral Residency

You may also hold a provisional license after you’ve earned your doctorate if you:

1. Possess a doctoral degree in psychology from a board‑approved program. (law.justia.com)
2. Still need to complete your postdoctoral residency (supervised professional experience) and/or pass the licensing examination. (law.justia.com)

This is the situation covered by Iowa Code §154B.6(3) and rule 645‑240.7(2). (law.justia.com)

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3. Hour and Supervision Requirements Tied to the PROV License

The provisional license itself does not come with a separate “PROV‑only” hour requirement. Instead, you hold the PROV license while you complete the internship and/or residency hours that the Board defines by rule. Those requirements are quite specific.

3.1 Predoctoral Internship Hours (while PROV, Pathway A)

Iowa’s internship standards are set out in rule 645‑240.6, which describes an “organized health service training program.” (law.cornell.edu)

For an internship to count:

• It must provide a minimum of 1,500 hours of training experience completed in not less than 12 months and within a 24‑month window. (law.cornell.edu)
• The program must ensure at least 375 hours of direct patient contact (i.e., face‑to‑face clinical service with recipients of psychological services). (law.cornell.edu)
• Supervision and learning activities must include:
  • At least 2 hours per week of formal, face‑to‑face individual supervision focused on the intern’s direct services. (law.cornell.edu)
  • At least 2 additional hours per week of scheduled learning activities, such as case conferences, seminars on clinical issues, cotherapy with discussion, group supervision, or additional individual supervision. (law.cornell.edu)

In practice, that means:

• 1,500 total internship hours, of which at least 375 must be direct clinical contact, and
• Structured weekly supervision and didactic activities throughout the internship year.

You may hold a PROV license while accruing these internship hours if you are otherwise eligible.

3.2 Postdoctoral Residency Hours (while PROV, Pathway B)

The Iowa Board’s postdoctoral residency requirement is set out in rule 645‑240.5. (law.cornell.edu)

Key elements:

• The residency may begin only after:
  • All academic requirements for the doctoral degree are complete, including the predoctoral internship. (law.cornell.edu)
• The residency must consist of a minimum of 1,500 hours completed in no less than ten months. (law.cornell.edu)

Supervision and structure:

• Supervision must be by a licensed psychologist who is actively licensed where the supervision occurs. (law.cornell.edu)
• The supervisee and supervisor must:
  • Complete a supervision plan on the Board’s prescribed form. This plan must be on file if you are using a provisional license while in residency. (law.cornell.edu)
  • Ensure the supervisor has no more than three full‑time supervisees (or the part‑time equivalent). Full‑time is defined as 40 hours per week. (law.cornell.edu)
  • Meet individually, in person or via videoconference, during each week in which residency hours are accrued, with a minimum total of 45 hours of individual supervision over the 1,500‑hour residency. Group supervision does not count toward this 45‑hour minimum. (law.cornell.edu)
  • Ensure the supervisor is readily available (on‑site or by electronic/telephone means) whenever you are providing services, with a crisis plan in place whenever the supervisor is not physically present. (law.cornell.edu)
  • Provide training appropriate to your functions and ensure you do not perform any psychological practice the supervisor cannot perform competently. (law.cornell.edu)

In short:

• 1,500 hours of supervised postdoctoral residency,
• Spanning at least 10 months,
• With at least 45 hours of one‑to‑one supervision, plus ongoing weekly contact and close supervisor accountability.

3.3 How These Hours Relate to Full Licensure

Iowa Code §154B.6(1)(a) requires that a new applicant for psychologist licensure, in addition to holding a qualifying doctoral degree, must have “completed at least one year of supervised professional experience under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.” (law.justia.com)

The Board’s current rules operationalize that “year” as the 1,500‑hour postdoctoral residency described above, with the internship governed separately by its own 1,500‑hour standard. (law.cornell.edu)

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4. Step‑by‑Step: Applying for a PROV License

The specific application requirements appear in rule 645‑240.7. (law.cornell.edu)

4.1 For a Predoctoral Internship (PROV during Internship)

You must provide:

1. Completed provisional application and fee

   • Submit the Board’s provisional application and pay the nonrefundable provisional licensure fee specified in rule 645‑5.16 (currently $120). (law.cornell.edu)

2. Internship acceptance documentation

   • A copy of your acceptance letter for the predoctoral internship, showing you have actually secured the internship placement. (law.cornell.edu)

3. Training director information

   • Identification of the training director and the director’s contact information. (law.cornell.edu)

4. Proof of enrollment in an approved doctoral program

   • Evidence that you are enrolled in a doctoral program meeting rule 645‑240.3’s educational standards (APA/CPA accreditation, ASPPB/National Register designation, or equivalent). (law.cornell.edu)

4.2 For a Postdoctoral Residency (PROV during Residency)

You must provide:

1. Completed application and fee

   • A completed licensing application and the nonrefundable provisional licensure fee in rule 645‑5.16. (law.cornell.edu)

2. Doctoral transcripts

   • Official transcripts sent directly from your school documenting that you meet the doctoral education requirements in rule 645‑240.3. (law.cornell.edu)

3. Supervision plan

   • A completed supervision plan on the Board’s form, signed by all supervisors. Any change in supervisor or in the terms of supervision requires submitting a new plan. (law.cornell.edu)

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5. Duration and Renewal Limits for the PROV License

Both the Iowa Code and the Board’s rules limit how long you can hold a provisional license.

• Initial term: A provisional license is valid for two years from the date of issuance. (law.justia.com)
• Renewal:
  • Rule 645‑240.7(3) allows one renewal for an additional two‑year period, if you submit:
    • A provisional license renewal application,
    • The provisional license renewal fee (rule 645‑5.16 sets it at $170), and
    • A current supervision plan. (law.cornell.edu)

That means, in practical terms:

• You may hold a PROV license for up to four years total (two years initial + one two‑year renewal), assuming the Board approves the renewal.

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6. Fees Associated with the PROV License

Under rule 645‑5.16 (Psychology license fees): (law.cornell.edu)

• Provisional license fee: $120
• Provisional license renewal fee: $170

All fees are nonrefundable.

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7. Using the Correct Professional Title While PROV‑Licensed

While you hold a provisional license, you must use titles that correctly reflect your status, as required in rule 645‑240.13: (law.cornell.edu)

• If you are in your predoctoral internship, you may be titled:
  • “psychology intern” or “intern in psychology.”
• If you are completing your postdoctoral residency, you may be titled:
  • “psychology resident,” “resident in psychology,” “psychology postdoctoral fellow,” or “postdoctoral fellow in psychology.”
• In all cases, if you hold the provisional license you must add the phrase “provisional license in psychology” after your intern/resident/fellow title (for example, “Psychology Intern – Provisional License in Psychology”).

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8. Transition from PROV to Full Psychologist Licensure

Once you have:

1. Completed a qualifying doctoral degree in psychology (rule 645‑240.3), (law.cornell.edu)
2. Completed the postdoctoral residency of at least 1,500 supervised hours over not less than ten months, including the supervision requirements in rule 645‑240.5, (law.cornell.edu)
3. Passed the licensing examination (EPPP and any state‑required components), as required by Iowa Code §154B.6(1)(b), (law.justia.com)

you may apply to the Board for a full license to practice psychology. At that point, the provisional license terminates and you practice under your standard psychologist license rather than under supervision required by PROV status.

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Hour Summary at a Glance

Putting the key numbers together:

• Predoctoral internship (while possibly PROV‑licensed):

  • At least 1,500 total training hours,
  • Including at least 375 hours of direct patient contact,
  • With weekly individual supervision (≥2 hours/week) plus ≥2 additional hours/week of structured learning activities. (law.cornell.edu)

• Postdoctoral residency (while possibly PROV‑licensed):

  • 1,500 hours of supervised practice,
  • Completed in no less than 10 months,
  • At least 45 hours of one‑to‑one supervision, with weekly individual contact in any week you accrue residency hours, and close supervisory availability and oversight as detailed in rule 645‑240.5. (law.cornell.edu)

These are the hour and supervision standards you are expected to satisfy while you hold the PROV (provisional license in psychology) on your way to full licensure in Iowa.