Virginia LSP-L Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

In Virginia, the Licensed School Psychologist‑Limited (LSP‑L) credential is a license issued by the Virginia Board of Psychology that allows practice of school psychology only within public school divisions. The regulations define a “school psychologist‑limited” as a person licensed under §54.1‑3606 “to provide school psychology services solely in public school divisions.” (dhp.virginia.gov)

The LSP‑L route is tied closely to the Virginia Board of Education license and does not have its own supervised‑residency hour requirement like the full Licensed School Psychologist (LSP) credential. The “hours” related to LSP‑L come from (1) your school psychology training/endorsement under the Board of Education, and (2) your annual continuing education obligation once licensed.

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1. Core eligibility requirements for LSP‑L

The controlling rule is 18VAC125‑20‑43, Requirements for licensure as a school psychologist‑limited, together with the Board’s School Psychologist & School Psychologist‑Limited Licensure Process Handbook. (dhp.virginia.gov)

To qualify, you must meet all of the following:

1. Master’s degree in psychology

   • You must have completed a master’s degree in psychology (not necessarily in “school psychology,” but in psychology at the graduate level). (dhp.virginia.gov)
   • An official transcript showing the conferred degree must be sent directly to the Board.

2. Current Virginia Board of Education license with a psychology endorsement

   • The Board of Psychology requires “a copy of a current license issued by the Board of Education showing an endorsement in psychology.” (dhp.virginia.gov)
   • For school psychology practice, this endorsement is obtained under 8VAC20‑23‑690 (School psychology), which requires:
     • Completion of an approved program in school psychology,
     • At least 60 graduate‑level hours (minimum of 54 hours as academic coursework) culminating in at least a master’s degree, and
     • Completion of a supervised internship in school psychology (described in more detail in Section 3 below). (law.lis.virginia.gov)

3. Current employment in a Virginia public school system

   • You must be currently employed by a school system under the Virginia Department of Education, documented on an Employment Verification Form submitted to the Board. (dhp.virginia.gov)

4. Application and fee

   • Submit the online Application for School Psychologist‑Limited via the Board’s “Apply for a License” portal. (dhp.virginia.gov)
   • Pay the $85 application fee for the School Psychologist‑Limited category. (dhp.virginia.gov)

At renewal, if you change school divisions, you must submit an updated Employment Verification Form showing your new Virginia public school employer. (dhp.virginia.gov)

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2. Experience and supervision hours: what is and is not required

2.1 No Board of Psychology residency hours for LSP‑L

The Board’s 1,500‑hour supervised residency requirement applies only to applicants for full Licensed School Psychologist or Licensed Clinical Psychologist status, not to LSP‑L.

Under 18VAC125‑20‑65 (Residency), candidates for clinical or school psychologist licensure (the full licenses) must complete:

• “a minimum of 1,500 hours of supervised experience in the delivery of clinical or school psychology services,”
• completed over no less than 12 months and no more than three years, and
• with at least two hours of supervision for every 40 hours of experience (one of those hours must be individual supervision; the other may be group under specific conditions). (dhp.virginia.gov)

However, 18VAC125‑20‑43, the section governing school psychologist‑limited licensure, does not reference this 1,500‑hour residency at all. It requires only the Board of Education license with psychology endorsement, the master’s degree in psychology, proof of current school employment, and the application/fee. (dhp.virginia.gov)

Implication:
If you are applying only for the LSP‑L credential, the Virginia Board of Psychology does not require any specific number of post‑degree supervised hours (such as 1,500, 3,000, etc.) beyond whatever was required to obtain your Board of Education endorsement.

2.2 Internship/field experience hours come from the Board of Education

To obtain the Board of Education school psychology endorsement (the license you must already hold when you apply for LSP‑L), you must satisfy 8VAC20‑23‑690 (School psychology). This provision requires:

• Completion of 60 graduate‑level hours, with at least 54 as academic coursework, and
• Completion of an internship documented by the degree‑granting institution that:
  • Occurs full‑time over one year or half‑time over two consecutive years,
  • Occurs under appropriate supervision (the school‑based supervisor must be licensed as either a school psychologist or a clinical psychologist), and
  • Includes experiences at multiple age levels, at least half of which occur in a public or accredited nonpublic school setting. (law.lis.virginia.gov)

The regulation describes the structure and conditions of the internship (full‑time vs. half‑time, supervision, multiple age levels, and minimum proportion in school settings) but does not specify a numeric clock‑hour total (e.g., “1,200 hours”). Any specific hour totals you see in individual school psychology programs (often 1,200+ hours to meet NASP standards) are program‑level or national‑standard requirements, not explicit hour counts in Virginia’s administrative code.

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3. Continuing education hours once you are licensed

Once you hold any Virginia psychology license—including School Psychologist‑Limited—you must meet the Board’s continuing education (CE) hours for annual renewal:

• At least 14 hours of Board‑approved CE each year,
• Including a minimum of 1.5 hours focused on ethics, laws, and regulations governing psychology and the Board’s Standards of Practice, and
• At least 6 of the 14 hours must be face‑to‑face or real‑time interactive education; the rest may be other approved formats.
• You may carry forward up to 7 hours of surplus CE to the next renewal cycle. (dhp.virginia.gov)

These are ongoing educational hours, not supervised practice hours, but they are the only numerical hour requirements that the Board of Psychology itself explicitly ties to the LSP‑L once you are licensed.

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4. Step‑by‑step pathway to the LSP‑L (LSP‑Limited) license

Step 1 – Complete a qualifying graduate program

• Earn at least a master’s degree in psychology (for the Board of Psychology). (dhp.virginia.gov)
• To meet Board of Education endorsement requirements, complete an approved school psychology program that provides:
  • At least 60 graduate‑level credits, and
  • A supervised school psychology internship structured as described in 8VAC20‑23‑690. (law.lis.virginia.gov)

Step 2 – Obtain a Virginia Board of Education license with school psychology endorsement

• Apply to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for a license (Pupil Personnel Services License) with the School Psychology endorsement, meeting the education and internship requirements in 8VAC20‑23‑690 or holding a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential as an alternative. (law.lis.virginia.gov)

Step 3 – Secure employment in a Virginia public school system

• Obtain current employment with a school system under the Virginia Department of Education in a role that utilizes school psychology services.
• Have your employing division complete the Employment Verification Form that the Board of Psychology requires for LSP‑L applicants. (dhp.virginia.gov)

Step 4 – Prepare documentation

Gather the items required under 18VAC125‑20‑43(A):

1. Copy of current VDOE license showing an endorsement in psychology. (dhp.virginia.gov)
2. Official graduate transcript showing conferral of a master’s degree in psychology. (dhp.virginia.gov)
3. Employment Verification Form confirming current employment by a Virginia public school division. (dhp.virginia.gov)

Step 5 – Apply to the Virginia Board of Psychology

• Use the online “Apply for a License” system and select School Psychologist‑Limited as the license type. (dhp.virginia.gov)
• Upload or arrange for submission of the required documents.
• Pay the $85 LSP‑L application fee. (dhp.virginia.gov)

Step 6 – Maintain and renew your LSP‑L license

Each year:

1. Renew on or before June 30, paying the school psychologist‑limited renewal fee. (dhp.virginia.gov)
2. Complete at least 14 hours of CE (with 1.5 hours in ethics/law/regulation and at least 6 real‑time or face‑to‑face). (dhp.virginia.gov)
3. Submit a new Employment Verification Form if you have moved to a different school division. (dhp.virginia.gov)

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5. Scope and limitations of the LSP‑L credential

The Board’s applicant page and handbook emphasize that the Licensed School Psychologist‑Limited is qualified to provide testing and measuring, counseling, consultation, and program development “only in public school settings.” Holding this license does not authorize practice outside school settings, and it is distinct from the full Licensed School Psychologist credential used for autonomous practice (including private practice). (dhp.virginia.gov)

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Key takeaway on “hours”

• Supervised residency hours (1,500 hours) – required only for the full Licensed School Psychologist, not for LSP‑L. (dhp.virginia.gov)
• Internship/field hours – required indirectly via the Board of Education school psychology endorsement, structured as one full‑time year or two half‑time years of supervised internship across multiple age levels with at least half in school settings; no specific numeric clock‑hour total is stated in Virginia regulations. (law.lis.virginia.gov)
• Continuing education hours – 14 hours per year, including at least 1.5 hours in ethics/law/regulations, are required from all licensees, including LSP‑L, to maintain the license. (dhp.virginia.gov)

There is no separate requirement in Virginia’s Board of Psychology regulations for something like “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience” for the Licensed School Psychologist‑Limited credential.