Mississippi Temporary License Requirements & Hours Tracker

Mississippi’s psychology board offers a short‑term credential, the Temporary License to Practice Psychology, for already‑licensed psychologists who are in the process of obtaining full Mississippi licensure. Understanding how this temporary license fits into the overall licensure structure—and what supervised hours underlie it—can prevent missteps.

Below is a step‑by‑step explanation grounded in the board’s rules and regulations and in Mississippi Code §73‑31‑13.

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1. How Mississippi Uses “Temporary” Credentials

Mississippi uses three different “temporary” mechanisms related to practice:

1. Temporary License (board‑issued)

   • A short‑term Mississippi license for psychologists who are already licensed in another jurisdiction, have passed the EPPP, and are waiting to complete Mississippi’s oral/jurisprudence examination on their way to full licensure. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

2. Temporary Practice Certificate (board‑issued)

   • A separate, short‑term permission for non‑resident, out‑of‑state psychologists who only need to practice in Mississippi briefly (for example, a limited forensic case), and who are not in the process of seeking full Mississippi licensure. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

3. PSYPACT Temporary Authorization to Practice (TAP)

   • For psychologists from other PSYPACT states who obtain an Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (IPC) and a TAP through the PSYPACT Commission, not directly through the Mississippi Board. Mississippi joined PSYPACT effective April 8, 2024. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

Your question targets the board‑issued Temporary License to Practice Psychology (item 1), but the hour requirements that matter are actually the underlying internship and supervised experience requirements for full licensure, because the temporary license is only given to people who already meet another state’s full licensure standard.

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2. Eligibility for a Temporary License to Practice Psychology

2.1. Who can receive a Temporary License?

Under the Mississippi Board of Psychology’s Rules and Regulations (Rule 4.7.A), a Temporary License may be issued only to applicants who:

• Are already licensed as psychologists in another jurisdiction.
  Rule 4.7.A states that applicants must be “duly licensed in other jurisdictions.” (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

• Have passed the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

• Have not yet taken Mississippi’s oral examination.
  The temporary license is specifically for the period before you complete the Mississippi oral/jurisprudence exam. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

In addition, a temporary license cannot be issued if:

• You are under investigation by another psychology licensure board.
• You have previously failed the Mississippi oral exam.
• You have had a psychology license suspended or revoked by any board. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

2.2. What underlying education and hours must you already have?

The temporary license does not have its own separate hour requirements. Instead, you must already meet the qualifications Mississippi requires for a full psychologist license, summarized in Mississippi Code §73‑31‑13 and the board’s rules:

1. Doctoral degree in psychology from a regionally accredited or otherwise authorized institution, normally from a program accredited by APA or CPA, or a program that the Board deems to meet “recognized acceptable professional standards” if not accredited (including foreign doctoral programs meeting board standards). (law.justia.com)

2. Supervised experience in the same area as your degree, including an internship that meets statutory standards. Rule 4.6 requires that the supervised experience match the applicant’s area of emphasis and must include an internship consistent with §73‑31‑13. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

3. Supervised internship hours (this is where the hour requirement appears):

   • Mississippi Code §73‑31‑13(e) requires that licensure applicants have completed a supervised internship from an APA‑ or CPA‑accredited program (or one meeting board‑defined standards).
   • That internship must include at least 1,800 hours of actual work, and those hours must include:
     • Direct service to clients/patients
     • Training activities
     • Supervision time (law.justia.com)

   In other words, Mississippi does not divide the internship requirement into “X hours direct + Y hours supervision” like some states do; instead, it sets a single minimum of 1,800 hours of actual work, and explicitly says that total must include direct client service, training, and supervisory hours.

4. Examinations:

   • Passage of the EPPP (written, national exam).
   • Successful completion of Mississippi’s oral/jurisprudence examination on psychology law and practice, unless waived via board review of credentials (this oral is what you are waiting on while holding the Temporary License). (law.justia.com)

Mississippi law and the board’s rules do not specify an additional, numeric “postdoctoral supervised experience” hour requirement (such as 1,500 postdoc hours). The only explicit hour minimum is the 1,800‑hour supervised internship described above.

Because the Temporary License is only available to psychologists who are already licensed in another jurisdiction and who have passed the EPPP, the board assumes you have already satisfied those underlying educational and internship‑hour requirements when your original license was issued.

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3. How the Temporary License Works in Practice

3.1. Purpose and timing

The Temporary License exists to allow an incoming, already‑licensed psychologist to practice in Mississippi while waiting for the next oral/jurisprudence exam administration.

• You apply for Mississippi licensure as a psychologist licensed in another jurisdiction, through the PLUS system run by ASPPB, via the “Licensed in Another Jurisdiction” path on the board’s “Applying for a License” page. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)
• While that application is in process, if you meet the Rule 4.7.A criteria (licensed elsewhere, passed EPPP, in good standing), you may request a Temporary License.

3.2. Duration and lapse of the Temporary License

Rule 4.7.A sets very clear limits:

• The Temporary License automatically lapses at the next administration of the Mississippi oral examination after it was issued, unless the board grants an extension for good cause. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)
• If you fail the oral exam, the temporary license also lapses. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)
• A Temporary License can be suspended or revoked in the same way and for the same reasons as a permanent license. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

Practically, this means:

• You cannot use a Temporary License as long‑term authorization to practice in Mississippi.
• You use it only to cover the interim period between arrival/credentialing and your oral exam date.

3.3. Fees and application mechanics

The board’s fee schedule lists: (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

• Application and background check fee: $400
• Oral examination fee: $150
• Temporary License fee: $50
• Temporary Practice Certificate fee (separate from Temporary License): $100

The board processes all license applications through ASPPB’s PLUS system, and requires a background check and demographic form as part of this process. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

In practice, the steps for someone seeking a Temporary License look like this:

1. Apply to the Mississippi Board as “Licensed in Another Jurisdiction” through the PLUS system. Submit:

   • Demographic form
   • Required fees
   • Background check (fingerprints, criminal history)
   • Official transcripts and documentation of licensure in your current jurisdiction

2. Verify that you meet Temporary License criteria:

   • Hold an active license as a psychologist in another jurisdiction, based on a doctoral degree and internship meeting that jurisdiction’s standards (which, to be accepted by Mississippi, effectively must align with §73‑31‑13, including the 1,800‑hour internship requirement). (law.justia.com)
   • Have passed the EPPP.
   • Are not under investigation and have not had a license revoked or suspended.

3. Request the Temporary License from the Board:

   • Pay the Temporary License fee in addition to your main application fees. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)
   • The Board issues the Temporary License once it has sufficient documentation to confirm your eligibility.

4. Schedule and sit for the Mississippi oral/jurisprudence examination.

   • Your Temporary License remains valid only until that next administration (unless specifically extended). (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

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4. How This Differs From the Temporary Practice Certificate

Because the terminology is similar, it is important not to confuse the Temporary License with the Temporary Practice Certificate.

• The Temporary Practice Certificate is for psychologists already licensed elsewhere who have a limited or temporary need to provide services in Mississippi—for example, a one‑time forensic evaluation or consultation. The board explains that it is not intended for people who are actively pursuing a permanent Mississippi license or who have had a Mississippi license denied or revoked. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

• Under the rules, practice under a Temporary Practice Certificate:

  • Must be limited to no more than 30 days of work in any consecutive 12‑month period (any day with any psychological work counts as a day).
  • Must not be used to avoid obtaining full Mississippi licensure, and is unavailable to someone intending to practice full‑time or a major portion of their time in Mississippi. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

• The Temporary Practice Certificate also requires:

  • Verification that your home‑state license is in good standing and based on a doctoral degree.
  • A statement to the board describing the nature and scope of the temporary work you will perform.
  • Payment of the separate Temporary Practice Certificate fee and, in some cases, passing a brief Mississippi jurisprudence exam. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)

No additional hour counts beyond those required for your underlying licensure are specified for the Temporary Practice Certificate either.

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5. Summary of “Type of Hours” Mississippi Requires

For psychology licensure that underlies the Temporary License to Practice Psychology:

• Predoctoral supervised internship

  • Minimum: 1,800 hours of “actual work.”
  • Those 1,800 hours must include:
    • Direct psychological services to clients/patients
    • Training activities
    • Supervision time
  • The internship must be supervised and from an APA‑ or CPA‑accredited program (or another program that the Board accepts as meeting equivalent standards). (law.justia.com)

• Other supervised experience

  • Must be in the same area of emphasis as your doctoral degree and must include an internship that meets the statute above. (psychologyboard.ms.gov)
  • The board’s rules and statute do not specify a numeric postdoctoral supervised‑experience requirement (such as “1,500 postdoctoral hours”) separate from the internship; any such requirement would have to be imposed by your training program or your original licensing jurisdiction, not by Mississippi.

• Temporary License‑specific hours

  • The Board does not impose additional or separate hour totals for the Temporary License itself. Eligibility is based on:
    • Your existing out‑of‑state license
    • Your EPPP passage
    • Your meeting the underlying doctoral and internship standards in §73‑31‑13 and Rule 4.6

So, unlike some states that require, for example, a specified number of postdoctoral supervision hours in addition to internship hours, Mississippi’s law centers its explicit numeric requirement on a single 1,800‑hour supervised internship that already includes direct client work, training, and supervision.