Online Sunshine Logo
Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature
March 18, 2024
Text: 'NEW Advanced Legislative Search'
Interpreter Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Go to MyFlorida House
Go to MyFlorida House
Select Year:  
The Florida Statutes

The 2023 Florida Statutes (including Special Session C)

Title XXXII
REGULATION OF PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
Chapter 490
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
View Entire Chapter
F.S. 490.014
490.014 Exemptions.
(1)(a) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to limit the practice of physicians licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459 so long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as psychologists or use a professional title protected by this chapter.
(b) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to limit the practice of nursing, clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, occupational therapy, or other recognized businesses or professions, or to prevent qualified members of other professions from doing work of a nature consistent with their training, so long as they do not hold themselves out to the public as psychologists or use a title or description protected by this chapter. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to exempt any person from the provisions of s. 490.012.
(2) No person shall be required to be licensed or provisionally licensed under this chapter who:
(a) Is a salaried employee of a government agency; a developmental disability facility or program; a mental health, alcohol, or drug abuse facility operating under chapter 393, chapter 394, or chapter 397; the statewide child care resource and referral network operating under s. 1002.92; a child-placing or child-caring agency licensed pursuant to chapter 409; a domestic violence center certified pursuant to chapter 39; an accredited academic institution; or a research institution, if such employee is performing duties for which he or she was trained and hired solely within the confines of such agency, facility, or institution, so long as the employee is not held out to the public as a psychologist pursuant to s. 490.012(1)(a).
(b) Is a salaried employee of a private, nonprofit organization providing counseling services to children, youth, and families, if such services are provided for no charge, if such employee is performing duties for which he or she was trained and hired, so long as the employee is not held out to the public as a psychologist pursuant to s. 490.012(1)(a).
(c) Is a student who is pursuing a course of study which leads to a degree in medicine or a profession regulated by this chapter who is providing services in a training setting, provided such activities or services constitute part of a supervised course of study, or is a graduate accumulating the experience required for any licensure under this chapter, provided such graduate or student is designated by a title such as “intern” or “trainee” which clearly indicates the in-training status of the student.
(d) Is certified in school psychology by the Department of Education and is performing psychological services as an employee of a public or private educational institution. Such exemption shall not be construed to authorize any unlicensed practice which is not performed as a direct employee of an educational institution.
(e) Is not a resident of the state but offers services in this state, provided:
1. Such services are performed for no more than 5 days in any month and no more than 15 days in any calendar year; and
2. Such nonresident is licensed or certified by a state or territory of the United States, or by a foreign country or province, the standards of which were, at the date of his or her licensure or certification, equivalent to or higher than the requirements of this chapter in the opinion of the department or, in the case of psychologists, in the opinion of the board.
(f) Is a rabbi, priest, minister, or member of the clergy of any religious denomination or sect when engaging in activities which are within the scope of the performance of his or her regular or specialized ministerial duties and for which no separate charge is made, or when such activities are performed, with or without charge, for or under the auspices or sponsorship, individually or in conjunction with others, of an established and legally cognizable church, denomination, or sect, and when the person rendering service remains accountable to the established authority thereof.
(3) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to limit the practice of any individual who solely engages in behavior analysis so long as he or she does not hold himself or herself out to the public as possessing a license issued pursuant to this chapter or use a title or description protected by this chapter.
(4) Nothing in this section shall exempt any person from the provisions of s. 490.012(1)(a)-(b).
(5) Except as stipulated by the board, the exemptions contained in this section do not apply to any person licensed under this chapter whose license has been suspended or revoked by the board or another jurisdiction.
History.ss. 1, 3, ch. 81-235; s. 36, ch. 82-179; s. 40, ch. 83-216; ss. 1, 3, ch. 83-265; s. 92, ch. 83-329; ss. 11, 18, 19, ch. 87-252; s. 36, ch. 88-392; ss. 9, 12, 13, ch. 89-70; s. 10, ch. 90-192; s. 4, ch. 90-263; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 114, ch. 92-149; s. 33, ch. 93-39; s. 9, ch. 95-279; s. 505, ch. 97-103; s. 8, ch. 97-198; s. 200, ch. 97-264; s. 156, ch. 98-403; s. 126, ch. 2001-277; s. 62, ch. 2006-227; s. 24, ch. 2010-210; s. 26, ch. 2013-252; s. 6, ch. 2022-30.