Psychologist Initial Licensure

To obtain the Psychologist credential via Initial Licensure, applicants must meet the education requirements, supervised psychological experience requirements, pass the EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology), pass the Wisconsin statutes and rules exam, and complete the fingerprinting process.

Below are some general instructions for applying for a credential on LicensE. 

1. Create or log into your LicensE account. Please visit LicensE account Information page for detailed guidance on selecting your account type.

2. Select "Apply for a License."

3. Select your Category.

4. Select your License Type.

5. Select your Application Method, then "Next."

6. Review your Personal Information.

7. Enter the requested Information on each page of the application. Information may include Examination, Education, or License History, depending on your profession.

8. If applicable, request a Veterans Fee Waiver or Initial Credential Fee Reduction.

9. Submit the requested Documents you may already have. You do not need to have all documents ready to submit.

   Note: Forms are now hosted on AccessGov. Visit AccessGov Forms Directory to choose your form.

10. Respond to the Attestation questions.

11. Provide Payment Information. Fees may be found Credential Fees.

12. Submit your application.  

Profession specific application requirements can be found in the "Application Information" section.

Create or log into your LicensE account

Select Apply for a License

Category: Health

License Type: Psychologist

Application Method: Initial

On the 'School Information' tab of the application, schools outside of Wisconsin may be entered by clicking the ‘Add School’ button, then selecting ‘Other Accredited School' from the dropdown.  This generates a free text field where the school details can be manually entered.

Do not upload anything to the ‘Appointment/Completion Date’ field in Documents at this point.  Instructions will be provided on the application Due Diligence page upon initial review by an associate.

Per Psy 2.015, if an application is not fully completed within 3 years, the applicant must file a new Psychologist application.   This means if the applicant is still interested in obtaining the credential, they must submit a new application through LicensE (including applicable fees).

An official transcript submitted directly by the school is required.  To meet the education requirement, applicants must have one of the following:

• A doctoral degree in psychology that is accredited by the Americal Psychological Association (APA).

• A doctoral degree in psychology that is accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA).

• Substantially equivalent academic training as determined by the examining board.

  • Additional supporting documentation, such as course syllabi, may be requested.

• Academic credentials evaluated by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists.

Please note that education will only be reviewed as part of a submitted application; pre-application review is not available.

To become licensed as a psychologist in Wisconsin, you must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) Part 1 – Knowledge.

Authorization to Take the Exam

When you submit your Initial Licensure application, DSPS will review your application. If you are eligible, you will receive authorization to take the EPPP as part of that review.

Score Transfers

If you passed the EPPP in another state or jurisdiction, you must request an official score transfer through the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB).

DSPS will only accept official scores sent directly by ASPPB.

Upcoming Changes to the EPPP

The current EPPP Part 1 – Knowledge will remain available to approved candidates until the integrated EPPP is introduced in the fourth quarter of 2027.

After the integrated exam takes effect:

• First-time candidates will no longer be able to take EPPP Part 1 – Knowledge or EPPP Part 2 – Skills separately.

Candidates who *failed EPPP Part 1 – Knowledge** before the new exam takes effect may continue to retake that exam through March 31, 2028.

Beginning *April 1, 2028**, all candidates must take the integrated EPPP.

Authorization to take the EPPP is provided as part of the preliminary review of a submitted Initial Licensure application by an associate.  The initial exam authorization period is valid for 12 months.  After authorization is complete, applicants will receive an automated email from ASPPB and must follow the instructions therein to complete the scheduling process.

Applicants may make 4 attempts at the exam within a 12-month period per ASPPB guidelines.  A new authorization is required for each attempt at the exam.  

Applicants may submit a support ticket through LicensE to request an extension of their exam authorization window.

Applicants may make 4 attempts at the EPPP within a 12-month period per ASPPB guidelines.  A new authorization is required for each attempt at the exam.  

The following steps must be completed for each EPPP retake request:

1. The applicant pays the $15.00 exam retake fee directly through their LicensE account.

2. The applicant submits a re-take request via their Certemy account.

   • Applicants with accommodations please review the section below for additional steps.

3. An associate reviews the application and, after verifying completed payment of the retake fee, approves the retake request through Certemy.

4. After a new workflow is assigned by the associate through Certemy, an automated email is sent to the applicant with instructions to schedule the exam.

OEE BUILD

EPPP Accommodations Requests

A passing Wisconsin statutes and rules exam score is required for an Initial Licensure application. The instructions (including the student ID and password) are automatically emailed after the required fee is paid as part of submitting the application through LicensE.

The passing score is 85%.  The exam content is drawn from applicable state statutes and administrative code chapters specific to the profession. The purpose of the exam is to familiarize yourself with locating the statutes and administrative code that regulate the practice of the profession.

The test questions are drawn from the following Wisconsin Statutes and Administrative Code:

• PSY 1

• PSY 2

• PSY 4

• PSY 5

• Statute Chapter 51

The official score must be received and manually updated by the credentialing team. An automated email is sent when the score is posted; applicants do not need to upload a screenshot of their score.

An Initial Licensure application requires at least 3,000 hours of supervised graduate-level experience in the practice of psychology.  Each supervisor must submit form 2555 to verify the hours of experience they supervised the applicant.  Only one category of supervision may be verified per form.  Please see below for more information about the different supervision categories.

An internship of at least 1,500 hours after the completion of all doctoral level coursework is required.  Completion of all doctoral level coursework means all required courses associated with the doctoral degree are completed, unless otherwise determined by the board.  The official transcript is used to verify the dates/internship period. 

The internship is verified by the supervisor(s) via Category A on form 2555.  If an applicant completed more than 1,500 hours in the internship, the excess hours may be submitted by the supervisor on a separate form 2555 under Category B2.

Please note that only one category of supervision may be verified per form 2555.  If a single supervisor needs to verify multiple categories, a separate form must be submitted for each one.

1,500 hours of additional experience must be completed to reach the minimum required 3,000.  These hours are verified by the supervisor(s) via Category B on form 2555.  The hours may be comprised of any of the following:

B1: Pre-internship hours completed after the first year of a doctoral program of study leading to a doctorate in psychology (or its equivalent); or completed during the first year of the doctoral program of study if the applicant completed a master’s degree in psychology or its equivalent.

B2: Any internship hours completed in excess of the 1,500 required for Category A.

B3: Hours accrued after the internship but accumulated before the conferral of the doctoral degree.

B4: Hours acquired after the conferral of the doctoral degree.

Please note that only one category of supervision may be verified per form.  If a single supervisor needs to verify multiple categories, a separate form 2555 must be submitted for each one.

• Only one category of supervision may be verified per form.  If a single supervisor needs to verify multiple categories, a separate form 2555 must be submitted for each one.

• Reference the doctoral transcript for the applicable dates, such as what dates of supervision fall after the internship but before the conferral of the degree for Category B3.

• "Supervision From" and "Supervision To" must be specific dates.

  • It cannot be general, such as writing "current" or "now".

• The end date cannot be in the future.  Supervisors can only verify experience that has already been completed.

  • The latest the end date can be is the day the supervisor is completing and signing the form.

• The experience verified must be a specific number of hours.

  • Do not use a plus or minus symbol, or a general term such as "all".

All applicants must submit a head and shoulders photograph with form 2667-Authorization for Release of FBI Information. After these documents are received with a submitted application and processed by an associate, additional instructions to complete fingerprinting will be sent to the email address on file.

Print cards or other results obtained not following the emailed instructions will not be accepted.  Specific information on what to upload in the "Appointment/Completion" field in the Documents section of the application will be provided on the application Due Diligence page.

After you upload all required documents, submit your application, and pay the required fee(s):

1. Preliminary Application Reference Number (PAR)

   1. Your application will be assigned a Preliminary Application Reference number or PAR number. This number allows you and trusted parties to look up the status of your application without logging in. You can also reference this number in any support tickets you submit in regard to your application.

      • A trusted 3^rd party can look up your credential status by visiting LicensE, clicking “Application Status Lookup” and entering the PAR number you have provided to them.

2. Review Timeline

   1. Your materials will be reviewed within approximately 10 days by a member of the credentialing team.

      • Note: Some licenses do take longer to process due to complexity. You can see the performance data on our LicensE Dashboard to see what date we are reviewing for certain application types under "Application Review Times by Profession."

3. Pending Applicant Input Status

   1. After this review, if anything is missing or the credentialing team has any questions on your application, your application will go back into a status called “Pending Applicant Input.”  You will receive an email letting you know your application was moved into this status. You should then log into LicensE and check your application “Due Diligence.”

4. To check your "Due Diligence" 

   1. Your Due Diligence is a checklist of items required for your credential.

   2. The Due Diligence section is how DSPS staff will communicate with you regarding your credential requirements.

   3. Log in to your LicensE account

   4. Click on "Check Application Status" 

   5. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under “Action” select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop.

   6. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select “View Due Diligences.”

   7. The Due Diligence column lets you know what the requirement is.

   8. The “STATUS” column will you know if the item is “Met”, “Not Met”, or “Not Applicable.”

      • Items listed as “Not Met” are items that are needed by the Department.  

   9. The “NOTES” column of your Due Diligence will provide further written details or instructions about what is still needed.

5. To upload documents

   1. Some applications require additional document uploads.

   2. Log into your LicensE account

   3. Click on "Check Application Status"

   4. Your credential application should be shown on this page. Under "Action" select the button that looks like an upside-down triangle. If you are on mobile, you will need to turn your phone into landscape view. Note: LicensE is best viewed on a desktop or laptop. 

   5. After clicking the upside-down triangle, select "Upload Document."

   6. The document must be an allowable document type. 

   7. After uploading the document, click "submit." If you do not, it will not be sent to a reviewer. 

6. If you have any questions, you can submit a support ticket on LicensE by logging in and clicking "request support" at the top of the page.

LicensE statuses that require action from applicant:

LicensE statuses that indicate the application is with Department staff:

Support Ticket
Submit a support ticket on LicensE and click "request support." Please provide as much detail as possible regarding your concern so we can work to answer your question with a one touch resolution. 

Call
608-266-2112

Email
dsps@wisconsin.gov

Office Hours
7:45am-4:30pm
Department of Safety and Professional Services
4822 Madison Yards Way
Madison, WI, 53705

Note: The in-person office does not process same day.