Regulations governing the out-of-state practice of psychology: implications for forensic neuropsychologists

Many states allow psychologists licensed in other jurisdictions to practice temporarily without obtaining a full license. However, both the restrictions of practice and the procedures required before practice is allowed vary extensively among states. This article examines the regulations of U.S. and Canadian territories governing temporary practice of nonresident psychologists. Current licensing laws were obtained from each state's respective psychological board or related Web sites from May to July 2004. Results highlighted vast regulatory and procedural differences for temporary practice among jurisdictions. Due to the degree of variability in each jurisdiction's regulations governing, caution must be taken so that psychologists comply with up-to-date guidelines before practicing outside of the regions in which they are licensed. The out-of-state psychologist must contact the appropriate state or provincial licensing board for guidelines and pertinent regulation.