South Dakota Psychology Licensure Requirements

Not yet independently verified for this state. Confirm with the board →

SDCL 36-27A-12(3) requires a supervised psychology internship of not less than 1,800 hours completed over not more than two consecutive calendar years. The postdoctoral requirement is stated only as time, not hours: SDCL 36-27A-12(4) requires 'one year of supervised postdoctoral psychology practice' and the board's own Post-Doctoral Psychological Experience Form repeats that 'South Dakota licensing law requires one year of post-psychological experience as a prerequisite for licensure' - no hour figure exists in statute, rule, or board form, so postDoc is left null. ARSD 20:60:08:01 adds internship quality standards: at least 25 percent of the intern's time in direct client contact, a minimum of two hours a week of formal face-to-face individual supervision plus at least one additional hour a week of supervised learning activities, and at least two-thirds of internship supervision provided by doctoral-level licensed psychologists. For the postdoctoral year, ARSD 20:60:06:01 requires supervision by one or more doctoral-level licensed psychologists and 'a minimum of two hours a month of regularly scheduled, formal, face-to-face supervision.' A provisional license of up to twelve months is available under SDCL 36-27A-12.1 while the postdoctoral year is being completed.

Required

Oral examination before the Board, taken in addition to the EPPP. ARSD 20:60:05:07 says it 'shall focus on ethical and professional issues as they relate to the clinical practice of psychology' and may also evaluate the applicant's knowledge base for clinical practice; a majority of board members must hear and score it. The board's application cover letter describes it as covering 'ethical practice and South Dakota state law governing psychologists and several board issued memorandums,' and the FAQ adds questions on the applicant's practice, the ASPPB Code of Conduct, and mandatory reporting. Passing score is 75 percent.

Fee: Included in the $300 application fee; $200 to retake

Waived for endorsement applicants: per the board FAQ, 'on September 8, 2023, the board unanimously voted to waive the oral examination requirement for applicants who meet the licensure by endorsement requirements effective September 9, 2023.' A licensee who lets a license lapse past January 1 of the following year must repeat the initial application process including retaking the oral examination. There is no separate written jurisprudence/state-law exam - the state law content is tested inside the oral examination.

1. Earn a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited university or professional school of psychology, covering the four substantive areas (biological, cognitive-affective, and social bases of behavior, and individual differences); an all-inclusive online program does not meet South Dakota requirements, and APA accreditation is not mandatory if the program otherwise satisfies SDCL 36-27A.
2. Complete a supervised psychology internship of at least 1,800 hours within no more than two consecutive calendar years, meeting the ARSD 20:60:08:01 standards - at least 25 percent direct client contact and at least two hours a week of formal individual supervision.
3. Send the Application for Licensure, the signed cover letter, official transcripts direct from every graduate institution, the internship confirmation forms, licensure verifications, and the non-refundable $300 application fee to the Board office at 810 N. Main St. #298, Spearfish, SD 57783.
4. Once the board's education review officer approves your file you will be authorized to register for the EPPP; complete applications must reach the board ten weeks before the testing date, and South Dakota does not require EPPP Part 2.
5. Pass the board's oral examination on ethics, the ASPPB Code of Conduct, mandatory reporting, South Dakota law, and board memorandums with a score of at least 75 percent - waived if you qualify for licensure by endorsement.
6. Complete one year of supervised postdoctoral psychology practice certified by your supervising psychologist on the Post-Doctoral Psychological Experience Form, using a provisional license of up to twelve months under SDCL 36-27A-12.1 if you need to practice during that year.
7. Pay the prorated initial licensure fee ($50-$200 depending on the quarter) to have the license issued, then renew every year by June 30 with a $300 fee and proof of 1.5 continuing education units (15 contact hours).

PSYPACT member

South Dakota has no psychology-specific reciprocity statute; it relies on the state's general licensure-by-endorsement chapter, SDCL 36-1D, which the board's FAQ points to directly ('South Dakota has an endorsement specific statue'). Under SDCL 36-1D-1 a board must issue a license to an applicant who holds a current license from another state, territory, or country whose requirements the board determines are 'substantially equivalent to or exceed' South Dakota's, who demonstrates competency, has no disqualifying acts, is in good standing and undisciplined, and pays the board's fees; SDCL 36-1D-4 applies the chapter to any occupation licensed under title 36, which includes psychologists. Effective September 9, 2023 the board waives the oral examination for applicants who meet the endorsement requirements. Separately, SDCL 36-27A-11 lets a psychologist licensed in another state or Canadian province practice in South Dakota for up to six months while credentials are reviewed (application required within thirty days of starting practice), and directs the board to license anyone holding an out-of-state license issued under at least South Dakota's minimum requirements who has practiced five years and has no pending complaints. SDCL 36-27A-17 lets the board, at its discretion, exempt an ABPP diplomate holding a current out-of-state license from the SDCL 36-27A-12 requirements and any other examination requirements. The board recognizes the ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) and the National Register to expedite paperwork, but an application is still required, and a still-valid EPPP score from another jurisdiction may be transferred. South Dakota IS a PSYPACT state: the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact was enacted as SDCL chapter 36-27B by SL 2024, ch 161. Note that telepsychology is otherwise not addressed in the board's own statutes and rules - the board directs psychologists to SDCL chapter 34-52 (telehealth for health care professionals).

South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists

(605) 642-1600

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