Nevada PT Requirements & Hours Tracker

Nevada regulates “PT” (Psychological Trainee) status through registration with the Nevada Board of Psychological Examiners, not through a separate license. A PT is a graduate student or doctorate‑level trainee in psychology who performs certain professional activities under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.

Below is an organized description of the current requirements and hour‑related rules, based on Nevada statutes, regulations and the Board’s own materials as of late 2025.

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1. What “Psychological Trainee (PT)” means in Nevada

Nevada law defines a psychological trainee simply as a person registered with the Board as a psychological trainee under NRS 641.226(3). (leg.state.nv.us)

The statute allows registration as a PT if the person:

1. Is in a doctoral training program in psychology at:
   • An accredited educational institution approved by the Board, or
   • A doctorate‑level program the Board deems equivalent in subject matter and training; and (leg.state.nv.us)
2. Wishes to perform professional activities or services under the supervision of a psychologist. (leg.state.nv.us)

So, PT status is intended for doctoral students/doctrine‑level trainees doing supervised psychological work that is not part of a formal internship (interns have a different registration category).

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2. When PT registration is actually required

The Board’s own guidance clarifies that you only have to register as a PT if your supervisor will be billing Nevada Medicaid for your services:

Registration as a Psychological Trainee is required only for those individuals whose supervisors will be submitting Nevada Medicaid Insurance reimbursement for the services provided by the student. (psyexam.nv.gov)

If your activities are solely educational/clinical under your doctoral program and are not tied to Medicaid billing, you may function under the broader “graduate student” exception in NRS 641.390, as long as you are supervised by a licensed psychologist and follow Board regulations. (nevada.public.law)

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3. Baseline eligibility for PT registration

Under Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 641.1516, the Board requires:

1. Enrollment in a qualifying doctoral program

   You may apply for PT registration only after you have provided proof that you are currently enrolled (at least part‑time) to obtain a doctoral degree from: (law.cornell.edu)

   • A program accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or meeting the Board’s equivalent program requirements (NAC 641.062); or
   • An institution that meets the Board’s requirements for doctoral‑level psychology training (NAC 641.050).

2. Registration term and renewal limits

   NAC 641.1516 sets these time limits for PT registration: (law.cornell.edu)

   • Initial PT registration is valid for 2 years.
   • It may be renewed once for 2 more years and a second time for 1 year, unless the Board approves otherwise.
   • By statute, a PT may not be registered longer than 5 total years without special Board approval.

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4. Application process and Board paperwork

4.1. Application and fee

To register as a PT, you must:

• Complete the PT Registration Application (online or paper) provided by the Board; and
• Pay the application fee (the Board currently lists a $150 PT application fee on its PT registration pages). (psyexam.nv.gov)

NRS 641.226 requires that the application be on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Board, include all information needed to complete the application, and be accompanied by the required fee. (leg.state.nv.us)

The Board notes that once your application and fee are received, you will be contacted with additional steps and documents required to complete registration. (psyexam.nv.gov)

4.2. Fingerprints and background check

Under NRS 641.226:

• An application for initial PT registration is not complete until the Board receives:
  • A complete set of fingerprints (or verification that they were forwarded electronically to the Nevada Central Repository); and
  • The initial registration fee. (leg.state.nv.us)

The Board may submit your fingerprints to state and federal law‑enforcement agencies and obtain background information as needed. (leg.state.nv.us)

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5. Supervision and hour‑related requirements for PTs

Nevada does not set a specific, fixed total number of hours (e.g., “1,500 hours of direct experience plus 1,500 hours of supervision”) for someone to become a PT.

Instead, the regulations focus on how your time is supervised and the ratio of supervision to direct service while you are registered.

5.1. Required supervision ratio for PTs

NAC 641.152 requires the supervising psychologist to ensure that: (law.cornell.edu)

• A psychological trainee receives at least 1 hour of individual supervision for every 10 hours of “service delivery” per week.
• At least half of that individual supervision each week must be provided directly by the supervising psychologist.
• No more than 1 hour per week of that supervision may be provided by a psychological assistant or psychological intern under a “nested” supervision model (see below).

The regulation defines service delivery (paraphrased to avoid verbatim length limits) as:

Activities that involve direct contact with a client, either in person or through telehealth.

In other words:

• Your direct client contact hours (service delivery) are what drive the required minimum supervision.
• The Board is explicit that the one‑to‑ten ratio applies to those service delivery hours, not to every hour you are present at a site.

5.2. Supervision structure and nested supervision

NAC 641.152 and related sections describe how supervision can be structured: (law.cornell.edu)

• A PT may be supervised directly by a licensed psychologist who meets Board requirements for supervisors (including specific training in clinical supervision).
• The Board allows a nested model where:
  • A psychological assistant or psychological intern (who is under the psychologist’s supervision) may in turn supervise a PT for some of the supervision hours;
  • But the licensed psychologist retains ultimate responsibility for client care and overall supervision.

5.3. Supervisor qualifications

A psychologist who wants to supervise PTs must: (law.cornell.edu)

• be licensed by the Nevada Board of Psychological Examiners (unless the Board approves an exception), and
• have completed specified training in clinical supervision, which can be met via:
  • At least 15 hours of continuing education in supervision, or
  • A semester‑equivalent of supervised supervisory experience in a nested model.

5.4. Documentation and responsibility

Regulations require the supervisor to: (regulations.justia.com)

• Maintain documentation of supervision provided.
• Take ethical and legal responsibility for:
  • Adequate supervision of the PT;
  • The welfare of patients/clients seen by the PT; and
  • The PT’s development of competency.

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6. Types of hours and how the Board characterizes them

For the PT role itself, Nevada’s rules emphasize the supervision ratio tied to service delivery, not a large, pre‑set number of total hours. You can think of your hours in three categories:

1. Service delivery / direct client contact hours

   • Defined in NAC 641.152 as direct contact with a client, in person or via telehealth. (law.cornell.edu)
   • These are the hours that trigger the 1:10 supervision requirement (1 hour individual supervision for each 10 hours of service delivery per week).

2. Supervision hours

   • The supervisor (and, in a nested model, possibly a psychological assistant or intern for part of the time) provides individual supervision based on the 1:10 rule. (law.cornell.edu)
   • At least half of this supervision must come from the primary supervising psychologist.

3. Other professional or training hours

   • Time spent in teaching, research, documentation, or administrative activities that do not involve direct client contact are not counted as “service delivery” for the PT supervision ratio.
   • They may still be important for your doctoral program but do not change the Board‑mandated minimum supervision hours.

Because the PT registration category is not itself a licensure pathway milestone (unlike the supervised experience required for psychologist licensure in NAC 641.080), Nevada has not set a total “X number of supervised hours” requirement purely for PT status. The regulation is instead: for every 10 service‑delivery hours in a week, you must receive at least 1 hour of individual supervision meeting the conditions above.

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7. Duration, renewal, and overall limits on PT status

From NRS 641.226 and NAC 641.1516: (leg.state.nv.us)

• Initial PT registration: valid for 2 years.
• Renewals:
  • May be renewed once for 2 additional years; and
  • A second time for 1 additional year (for a total of up to 5 years), unless the Board approves otherwise.
• To renew, you must:
  • Apply before expiration,
  • Pay the renewal fee set by the Board, and
  • Submit any information required for renewal.

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8. Scope of practice and use of the PT title

8.1. Activities allowed only under supervision

NRS 641.226(9) requires that any activity or service performed by a PT must be under the supervision of a psychologist, according to regulations adopted by the Board. (leg.state.nv.us)

NRS 641.390 further clarifies that graduate students and trainees may use the title “psychological trainee” only if their activities are supervised by a licensed psychologist and comply with Board regulations. (nevada.public.law)

8.2. Advertising and identification

NAC 641.161 provides that a psychological trainee: (regulations.justia.com)

• May not advertise independently or represent themselves as independently licensed.
• Must clearly indicate their title and status as a “psychological trainee” and identify their supervisor whenever listed on rosters, panels, directories, or professional materials.

8.3. Prohibited acts

NRS 641.440 makes it a gross misdemeanor to: (nevada.public.law)

• Represent yourself as a psychological trainee without holding valid registration; or
• Practice as a psychological trainee without such registration.

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9. Quick comparison of hour‑related rules (context only)

To put the PT requirements in context, Nevada’s regulations also specify hour‑based supervision rules for other roles:

• Psychological Trainee (PT)

  • At least 1 hour of individual supervision per 10 hours of service delivery each week; at least half of that supervision must be provided by the supervising psychologist. (law.cornell.edu)

• Psychological Intern

  • At least 4 hours of supervision per week, with at least 2 hours of face‑to‑face individual supervision by one or more licensed psychologists with primary responsibility for the intern’s cases. (law.cornell.edu)

• Psychological Assistant (postdoctoral)

  • At least 1 hour of individual supervision for each 40 hours worked per week (pro‑rated for part‑time). (law.cornell.edu)

These comparisons illustrate that the Board ties minimum supervision to the intensity and level of responsibility of each role rather than imposing a single fixed block of hours for PTs.

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10. Key takeaways for becoming a PT (Psychological Trainee) in Nevada

1. Status: PT is a registration category, not a separate license.
2. Education requirement: You must be enrolled (at least part‑time) in an approved or Board‑equivalent doctoral program in psychology. (law.cornell.edu)
3. When registration is required: Registration as a PT is required only if your supervisor will submit Nevada Medicaid reimbursement for your services. (psyexam.nv.gov)
4. Application pieces: Board PT application form, fee, proof of enrollment, fingerprints/background check, and any other documents the Board requests. (leg.state.nv.us)
5. Time limits: Initial 2‑year registration; renewable up to a total of 5 years absent special Board approval. (leg.state.nv.us)
6. Hour‑related rule: No fixed total hours are specified for PT status; instead, the Board requires at least 1 hour of individual supervision per 10 hours of direct client “service delivery” per week, with most of that supervision coming from the licensed psychologist supervisor. (law.cornell.edu)

If you structure your training around those statutory and regulatory points, you will be aligned with Nevada’s current requirements for registration and practice as a PT (Psychological Trainee) under the Nevada Board of Psychological Examiners.