CHAPTER 6.6. Psychologists [2900. - 2999.106.]

Chapter 6.6 repealed and added by Stats. 1967, Ch. 1677.

§§ 2900–2999.106 · 114 sections

1. ARTICLE 1. General Provisions §§ 2900–2919 · 30 sections

   • § 2900 The Legislature finds and declares that practice of psychology in California affects the public health, safety, and welfare and is to be subject to regulation…
   • § 2901 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Psychology Licensing Law.”
   • § 2902 For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply: (a) “Licensed psychologist” means an individual to whom a license has been issued pursuant to…
   • § 2903 (a) No person may engage in the practice of psychology, or represent themselves to be a psychologist, without a license granted under this chapter, except as…
   • § 2903.1 A psychologist licensed under this chapter may use biofeedback instruments which do not pierce or cut the skin to measure physical and mental functioning.
   • § 2904 The practice of psychology shall not include prescribing drugs, performing surgery or administering electroconvulsive therapy.
   • § 2904.5 A psychologist licensed under this chapter is a licentiate for purposes of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 805, and thus is a health care provider…
   • § 2905 The practice of psychology shall be as defined as in Section 2903, any existing statute in the State of California to the contrary notwithstanding.
   • § 2907 Corporations shall have no professional rights, privileges, or powers, and shall not be permitted to practice psychology, nor shall the liability of any…
   • § 2907.5 Nothing in Section 2907 shall be deemed to apply to the acts of a psychological corporation practicing pursuant to the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation…
   • § 2908 Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent qualified members of other recognized professional groups licensed to practice in the State of…
   • § 2910 (a) This chapter shall not be construed to restrict persons who are employed in positions as psychologists or registered psychological associates of accredited…
   • § 2911 Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the activities and services of a graduate student or psychology intern enrolled in a doctoral program…
   • § 2912 (a) Notwithstanding Section 2903, a person who holds a license in another jurisdiction of the United States or in Canada as a psychologist may provide…
   • § 2913 A person other than a licensed psychologist may perform psychological functions in preparation for licensure as a psychologist only if all of the following…
   • § 2914 (a) An applicant for licensure as a psychologist shall not be subject to denial of licensure under Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475). (b) (1) On and…
   • § 2914.1 The board shall encourage every licensed psychologist to take continuing professional development in geriatric pharmacology.
   • § 2914.2 The board shall encourage licensed psychologists to take continuing professional development in psychopharmacology and biological basis of behavior.
   • § 2914.3 (a) The board shall encourage institutions that offer a doctorate degree program in psychology to include in their biobehavioral curriculum, education and…
   • § 2914.4 In determining its continuing professional development, the board shall consider including a course in menopausal mental health.
   • § 2914.5 In determining its continuing professional development, the board shall consider including a course in maternal mental health.
   • § 2915 (a) Except as provided in this section, the board shall issue a renewal license only to a licensed psychologist who has completed 36 hours of approved…
   • § 2915.1 (a) Any person applying for a license as a psychologist or registration as research psychoanalyst shall, in addition to any other requirements, show by…
   • § 2915.2 (a) The Legislature finds that there is a need to ensure that professionals of the healing arts who have demonstrable contact with victims and potential…
   • § 2915.3 (a) The board shall consider adoption of continuing education requirements, including training in the area of recognizing chemical dependency and early…
   • § 2915.4 (a) Effective January 1, 2020, an applicant for licensure as a psychologist shall show, as part of the application, that they have completed a minimum of six…
   • § 2915.5 (a) Any applicant for licensure as a psychologist, as a condition of licensure, shall complete a minimum of six contact hours of coursework or applied…
   • § 2916 If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any of the…
   • § 2918 The confidential relations and communications between psychologist and client shall be privileged as provided by Article 7 (commencing with Section 1010) of…
   • § 2919 A licensed psychologist shall retain a patient’s health service records for a minimum of seven years from the patient’s discharge date. If the patient is a…
2. ARTICLE 2. Administration §§ 2920–2936 · 19 sections

   • § 2920 (a) The Board of Psychology shall enforce and administer this chapter. The board shall consist of nine members, four of whom shall be public members. (b) This…
   • § 2920.1 Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the Board of Psychology in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions.…
   • § 2920.2 Notwithstanding any other law, the repeal of Section 2920 renders the board subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.
   • § 2921 Each member of the board shall hold office for a term of four years, and shall serve until the appointment and qualification of his or her successor or until…
   • § 2922 In appointing the members of the board, except the public members, the Governor shall use his or her judgment to select psychologists who represent, as widely…
   • § 2923 Each member of the board shall have all of the following qualifications: (a) He or she shall be a resident of this state. (b) Each member appointed, except the…
   • § 2924 The Governor has power to remove from office any member of the board for neglect of any duty required by this chapter, for incompetency, or for unprofessional…
   • § 2925 The board shall elect annually a president and vice president from among its members.
   • § 2926 The board shall hold at least one regular meeting each year. Additional meetings may be held upon call of the chairman or at the written request of any two…
   • § 2927 Five members of the board shall at all times constitute a quorum.
   • § 2927.5 Notice of each regular meeting of the board shall be given in accordance with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of…
   • § 2928 The board shall administer and enforce this chapter.
   • § 2929 The board shall adopt a seal, which shall be affixed to all licenses issued by the board.
   • § 2930 The board shall from time to time adopt rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate this chapter. In adopting rules and regulations the board shall…
   • § 2931 The board shall examine and pass upon the qualifications of the applicants for a license as provided by this chapter.
   • § 2934 Notwithstanding Section 112, the board may issue, biennially, a current geographical directory of licensed psychologists. The directory may be sent to…
   • § 2934.1 The board may post on its internet website information on all current and former licensees and registrants, including the following: (a) Any record of a…
   • § 2935 Each member of the board shall receive a per diem and expenses as provided in Section 103.
   • § 2936 The board shall adopt a program of consumer and professional education in matters relevant to the ethical practice of psychology. The board shall establish as…
3. ARTICLE 3. License §§ 2940–2949 · 7 sections

   • § 2940 To obtain a license from the board, an applicant shall submit any applications and pay any applicable fees as prescribed in Section 2987. These fees shall not…
   • § 2941 (a) Each applicant for licensure as a psychologist shall take and pass any examination required by the board. An applicant may be examined for knowledge in any…
   • § 2942 The board may examine by written or computer-assisted examination or by both. All aspects of the examination shall be in compliance with Section 139. The…
   • § 2943 The board may examine for knowledge in whatever theoretical or applied fields in psychology as it deems appropriate. It may examine the candidate with regard…
   • § 2946 (a) The board shall grant a license to any person who passes the board’s supplemental licensing examination and, at the time of application, has been licensed…
   • § 2948 The board shall issue a license to all applicants who meet the requirements of this chapter and who pay to the board the initial license fee provided in…
   • § 2949 (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code,…
4. ARTICLE 3.5. Research Psychoanalysts §§ 2950–2954.6 · 10 sections

   • § 2950 (a) Graduates of the Psychoanalytic Center of California, the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies, the San Francisco Center for…
   • § 2951 (a) The use of any controlled substance or the use of any of the dangerous drugs specified in Section 4022, or of alcoholic beverages, to the extent, or in…
   • § 2952 (a) Each person to whom registration is granted under the provisions of this article shall pay into the Psychology Fund a fee to be fixed by the board at a sum…
   • § 2953.1 (a) The board shall require an applicant for registration as a research psychoanalyst and applicant for registration as a student research psychoanalyst, as…
   • § 2954 This article shall take effect on January 1, 2025.
   • § 2954.1 (a) An applicant for registration as a research psychoanalyst shall not be subject to denial of registration under Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).…
   • § 2954.2 (a) Except as provided in this section, the board shall renew the registration of a research psychoanalyst only if the research psychoanalyst has completed 36…
   • § 2954.4 (a) Effective January 1, 2026, an applicant for registration as a research psychoanalyst shall show, as part of the application, that they have completed a…
   • § 2954.5 (a) Effective January 1, 2026, an applicant for registration as a research psychoanalyst, as a condition of licensure, shall complete a minimum of six contact…
   • § 2954.6 (a) The board shall adopt a program of consumer and professional education in matters relevant to the ethical practice of psychoanalysis. The board shall…
5. ARTICLE 4. Denial, Suspension and Revocation §§ 2960–2969 · 18 sections

   • § 2960 The board may refuse to issue any registration or license, or may issue a registration or license with terms and conditions, or may suspend or revoke the…
   • § 2960.01 (a) The board shall require an applicant for licensure as a psychologist, as defined in Section 2902, to undergo a fingerprint-based state and national…
   • § 2960.02 (a) The Board of Psychology shall require an applicant for registration as a psychological associate, as defined in Section 2913, to undergo a…
   • § 2960.05 (a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b), (c), and (e), any accusation filed against a licensee pursuant to Section 11503 of the Government Code shall be…
   • § 2960.1 Notwithstanding Section 2960, any proposed decision or decision issued under this chapter in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 5 (commencing…
   • § 2960.2 A licensed psychologist shall meet the requirements set forth in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) of Section 1031 of the Government Code…
   • § 2960.5 The board may refuse to issue any registration or license whenever it appears that an applicant may be unable to practice their profession safely due to mental…
   • § 2960.6 The board may deny any application for, or may suspend or revoke a license or registration issued under this chapter for, either of the following: (a) The…
   • § 2961 After a hearing pursuant to Section 2965, the board may deny an application for a license or registration, issue a license or registration subject to terms and…
   • § 2962 (a) A person whose license or registration has been revoked, suspended, or surrendered, or who has been placed on probation, may petition the board for…
   • § 2963 A plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere made to a charge which is substantially related to the qualifications,…
   • § 2964 Whenever the board revokes a license, it shall report the action to the National Practitioner Data Bank.
   • § 2964.3 Any person required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code, is not eligible for a license or registration by the board.
   • § 2964.5 The board may require any licensee or registrant it places on probation or whose license or registration it suspends to obtain additional continuing…
   • § 2964.6 The board may require any licensee or registrant it places on probation to pay the monetary costs associated with probation.
   • § 2965 The proceedings under this article shall be conducted by the board in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of…
   • § 2966 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, if a licensee or registrant is incarcerated due to conviction of a felony, regardless of whether the conviction has been…
   • § 2969 (a) (1) A licensee who fails or refuses to comply with a request for the medical records of a patient, that is accompanied by that patient’s written…
6. ARTICLE 5. Penalties §§ 2970–2971 · 2 sections

   • § 2970 Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six…
   • § 2971 Whenever any person other than a licensed psychologist, registered psychological associate, psychological testing technician, research psychoanalyst, or…
7. ARTICLE 7. Revenue §§ 2980–2989 · 14 sections

   • § 2980 There is in the State Treasury the Psychology Fund. The board shall report to the Controller at the beginning of each calendar month, for the month preceding,…
   • § 2981 The money in the Psychology Fund shall be used for the administration of this chapter.
   • § 2982 (a) All licenses expire and become invalid at 12 midnight on the last day of February, 1980, and thereafter shall expire at 12 midnight of the last date of the…
   • § 2983 Every person to whom a license is issued shall, as a condition precedent to its issuance, and in addition to any application, examination or other fee, pay the…
   • § 2984 Except as provided in Section 2985, a license that has expired may be renewed at any time within three years after its expiration on filing of an application…
   • § 2985 (a) A suspended license or registration is subject to expiration and shall be renewed as provided in this article. While the license or registration remains…
   • § 2986 A psychology license is void if it is not renewed within three years from the expiration date. Once void, the board shall not restore or reissue that license.…
   • § 2987 The amount of the fees prescribed by this chapter shall be determined by the board, and shall be as follows: (a) The application fee for a psychologist shall…
   • § 2987.2 (a) In addition to the fees charged pursuant to Section 2987 for the biennial renewal of a license, the board shall collect an additional fee of twenty dollars…
   • § 2987.5 Every person licensed under this chapter is exempt from the payment of the renewal fee in any one of the following instances: While engaged in full-time active…
   • § 2988 A licensed psychologist who for reasons, including, but not limited to, retirement, ill health, or absence from the state, is not engaged in the practice of…
   • § 2988.5 (a) The board may issue, upon an application prescribed by the board and payment of a fee not to exceed seventy-five dollars ($75), a retired license to a…
   • § 2988.7 (a) The board may, in its discretion, accept the offer of a surrender of a license. The acceptance of the offer of a surrender shall be in writing. (b) The…
   • § 2989 The fees in this article shall be fixed by the board and shall be set forth with the regulations which are duly adopted under this chapter.
8. ARTICLE 9. Psychological Corporations §§ 2995–2999 · 7 sections

   • § 2995 A psychological corporation is a corporation that is authorized to render professional services, as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code, so long…
   • § 2996 It shall constitute unprofessional conduct and a violation of this chapter for any person licensed under this chapter to violate, attempt to violate, directly…
   • § 2996.1 A psychological corporation shall not do or fail to do any act the doing of which or the failure to do which would constitute unprofessional conduct under any…
   • § 2996.2 The income of a psychological corporation attributable to professional services rendered while a shareholder is a disqualified person, as defined in Section…
   • § 2997 Except as provided in Sections 13401.5 and 13403 of the Corporations Code, each shareholder, director and officer of a psychological corporation, except an…
   • § 2998 The name of a psychological corporation and any name or names under which it may render professional services shall contain one of the words specified in…
   • § 2999 The board may adopt and enforce regulations to carry out the purposes and objectives of this article, including regulations requiring (a) that the bylaws of a…
9. ARTICLE 10. Psychological Testing Technicians §§ 2999.100–2999.106 · 7 sections

   • § 2999.100 (a) “Psychological testing technician” means an individual not otherwise authorized to provide psychological and neuropsychological testing under this chapter…
   • § 2999.101 To register as a psychological testing technician, a person shall submit the following to the board: (a) An application that includes the following…
   • § 2999.102 (a) All psychological testing technician services shall be provided under the direct supervision of a licensed psychologist. (b) A supervisor of psychological…
   • § 2999.103 (a) A psychological testing technician shall renew their registration annually by submitting the following to the board: (1) The registrant’s name,…
   • § 2999.104 Nothing in this article shall be construed to expand or constrict the scope of practice of a person who is licensed under any other provision of this division.
   • § 2999.105 This article shall become operative on January 1, 2024.
   • § 2999.106 (a) The Board of Psychology shall require an applicant for registration as a psychological testing technician, as defined in Section 2999.100, to undergo a…