Psychologist Licensure in Nebraska: Degree, Supervised Hours and the EPPP

Nebraska issues one independent licence, licensed psychologist, plus a supervised provisional licence and a special licence.

Persons in supervised work may use only the titles psychological trainee, psychological intern, psychological resident, or psychological assistant (38-3113(5)).

The special licence covers psychologists whose diagnosis and treatment of major mental and emotional disorders runs under supervision: the statute lets them continue to use the title licensed psychologist but requires disclosure of supervisory relationships (38-3116(3)).

The provisional licensee must use the title Provisionally Licensed Psychologist (38-3124).

There is no master's-level licence: the psychological assistant and psychologist associate are supervisory registrations for testing, not licences.

The licence requires a doctoral degree from a program of graduate study in professional psychology, and the statute names the accreditation standard directly: the program must meet the standards of accreditation adopted by the American Psychological Association.

A graduate of a program that does not meet them has one alternative in the statute — a certificate of retraining from a program of respecialization that does.

The same standard repeats in the provisional-licence rule (38-3122(1)): a program that is not APA-accredited is acceptable only if the applicant provides evidence of equivalence.

The psychology regulations (172 NAC) were not among the sources read, so finer coursework detail is not covered here.

Before taking the examination, an applicant must show two years of supervised professional experience: one must be an internship meeting APA accreditation standards, and one must be supervised postdoctoral experience.

The statute gives no hour count for either year, and the research records the postdoc hour count as not located, with the regulations unread.

The postdoctoral year must be compatible with the knowledge and skills acquired during formal doctoral or postdoctoral education and relevant to the intended area of practice.

You complete it on a provisional licence — the DHHS credential page describes that licence as being for the required one year of supervised postdoctoral experience obtained in Nebraska — and you must apply before the year begins (38-3122(3)).

DHHS also offers an APA Internship Equivalency form for internship questions.

To sit the EPPP you must hold an active provisional licence and submit the examination application; the Department pre-approves you, enters your information into ASPPB's online registration system, and you have 90 days from the first email to verify your account.

The EPPP passing score is not stated in the sources read.

The Board-Developed Jurisprudence Examination also requires an active provisional licence; it consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and is open-book.

The statute lets the board require a written examination, an oral examination, or both — the exam described on the DHHS page is the written jurisprudence exam, and no oral exam in use was found in the texts read.

No EPPP Part 2 requirement was found.

ASPPB is replacing the two-part EPPP with one integrated exam for first-time takers from fall 2027, the only version from April 1, 2028.

The postdoctoral year runs on a registration of supervisory relationship filed with the department (38-3122(4)(c); 38-3116(2)).

The application contains a general description of the supervisee's practice and plan of supervision, a supervisor's statement of the experience and training to supervise the area, and a supervisor's statement accepting legal and professional responsibility for the supervisee's practice with individuals having major mental and emotional disorders.

On DHHS's supervisory registration form, psychologist assistants and associates must have weekly supervision sessions, and DHHS lists a separate Change in Supervisor application.

A provisionally licensed psychologist must disclose supervisory relationships to clients or patients for whom supervision is required and to third parties when relevant, and may not supervise other mental health professionals or independently evaluate persons under the commitment acts (38-3124).

The provisional licence expires on receipt of the full licence or two years after issuance, whichever occurs first (38-3125).

Nebraska describes the licensed psychologist's practice as psychological testing and evaluation, counseling, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, hypnosis, biofeedback, behavior analysis and therapy, diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders, alcoholism and substance abuse, disorders of habit or conduct, and the psychological aspects of physical illness, accident, injury or disability, plus psychoeducational evaluation, therapy, remediation and consultation.

Nebraska psychologists have no prescriptive authority.

Practising or representing yourself as a psychologist without a licence under the Act is a Class II misdemeanor, with each day of violation a separate offense, and filing another person's diploma or a forged affidavit of identification is a Class IV felony (38-3130).

School psychologists certified by the State Board of Education, and holders of an Equivalent License under the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact, may use the title school psychologist and practise psychology if restricted to regular employment within a setting under the State Board of Education's jurisdiction — as employees, not independent contractors — or to employment through a service agency with special education programs and rates approved by the State Department of Education (38-3113(4)).

Nebraska adopted PSYPACT in 2018 (LB1034), and the statute makes the board's chairperson, or a designee, the compact's administrator for the state.

DHHS states it plainly: Nebraska is a PSYPACT state.

The PSYPACT Commission map, as read in September 2026, lists Nebraska as a member in effect: enacted April 23, 2018, effective July 1, 2020.

PSYPACT is doctoral-only, so a psychological assistant or associate registration cannot use it.

A Nebraska psychologist practises telepsychology in other participating states through ASPPB's E.Passport plus the Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology, or does temporary in-person work through the Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate plus the Temporary Authorization to Practice, capped at 30 days per year.

The department may waive all or portions of the examination for a psychologist licensed in an equal-or-exceeding jurisdiction, for the 20-year route, and for ABPP board-certified applicants (38-3115).

That route licenses an applicant with at least twenty years of doctoral-based licensure in a United States or Canadian jurisdiction, no disciplinary sanction during the entire period, and a pass on the Nebraska board-developed examination (38-3117).

A person holding a doctoral degree in psychology and licensed as a psychologist in an equal-or-exceeding jurisdiction may provide no more than an aggregate of thirty days of professional services; DHHS counts them over the 12 months from the authorization letter issued on notice and licensure evidence, and calls this the 30-Day Practice Authorization.

A psychologist licensed in another jurisdiction may get a one-year authorization pending licensure if they applied and met Nebraska's education and experience requirements, the former jurisdiction's requirements equal or exceed Nebraska's, with no past or pending disciplinary action elsewhere — denial of licensure terminates it; military spouses may apply for a temporary license under 38-129.01 (38-3120).

Reciprocity by agreement also exists (38-3121).

Licensed psychologists and special licensed psychologists expire 01/01 each odd-numbered year and need 24 CE hours.

The provisionally licensed psychologist credential runs two years from issuance with 0 hours; the temporary license runs one year from issuance or ends upon a change of supervisor, also 0 hours; the 30-day permit runs one year; and the psychological assistant or psychologist associate registration ends upon change of supervisor or termination.

To reinstate from inactive or expired status you must meet the same 24-hour requirement, and DHHS notes those hours can also be used to renew at the end of that period.