{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-1353","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 59-1353","heading":"License required - Activities exempt","body":"No person shall represent himself or herself as a psychologist\n\nor engage in the practice of psychology unless the person is\n\nlicensed pursuant to the provisions of the Psychologists Licensing\n\nAct. The provisions of the Psychologists Licensing Act shall not\n\napply to:\n\n1. The teaching of psychology, the conduct of psychological\n\nresearch, or the provision of psychological services or consultation\n\nto organizations or institutions; provided, that such teaching,\n\nresearch, or service does not involve the delivery or supervision of\n\ndirect psychological services to individuals or groups of\n\nindividuals who are themselves, rather than a third party, the\n\nintended beneficiaries of the services, without regard to the source\n\nor extent of payment for services rendered. Nothing in the\n\nPsychologists Licensing Act shall prevent the provision of expert\n\ntestimony by psychologists who are otherwise exempt from the\n\nprovisions of Section 1351 et seq. of this title. Persons holding\n\nan earned doctoral degree in psychology from an institution of\n\nhigher education may use the title \"psychologist\" in conjunction\n\nwith the activities permitted by this subsection;\n\n2. Qualified members of other professions, including, but not\n\nlimited to, physicians, licensed social workers, licensed\n\nprofessional counselors, licensed marital and family therapists, or\n\npastoral counselors, doing work of a psychological nature consistent\n\nwith their training and consistent with the code of ethics of their\n\nrespective professions provided they do not hold themselves out to\n\nthe public by any title or description incorporating the word\n\npsychological, psychologist, or psychology, or derivatives thereof,\n\nexcluding psychotherapy;\n\n3. The activities, services, and use of an official title by a\n\nperson in the employ of a state agency, if such activities,\n\nservices, and use are a part of the duties of the office or position\n\nof such person within an agency or institution;\n\n4. The activities and services of a person in the employ of a\n\nprivate, nonprofit behavioral services provider contracting with the\n\nstate to provide behavioral services to the state if such activities\n\nand services are a part of the official duties of such person with\n\nthe private nonprofit agency.\n\na. Any person who is unlicensed and operating under these\n\nexemptions shall not use any of the following official\n\ntitles or descriptions or derivatives thereof:\n\n(1) psychologist, psychology or psychological,\n\n(2) licensed social worker,\n\n(3) clinical social worker,\n\n(4) certified rehabilitation specialist,\n\n(5) licensed professional counselor,\n\n(6) psychoanalyst, or\n\n(7) marital and family therapist.\n\nb. Such exemption to the provisions of the Psychologists\n\nLicensing Act shall apply only while the unlicensed\n\nindividual is operating under the auspices of a\n\ncontract with the state and within the employ of the\n\nnonprofit agency contracting with the state. Such\n\nexemption will not be applicable to any other setting.\n\nc. State agencies contracting to provide behavioral\n\nhealth services will strive to ensure that quality of\n\ncare is not compromised by contracting with external\n\nproviders and that the quality of service is at least\n\nequal to the service that would be delivered if that\n\nagency were able to provide the service directly. The\n\npersons exempt under the provisions of this act shall\n\nprovide services that are consistent with their\n\ntraining and experience. Agencies will also ensure\n\nthat the entity with which they are contracting has\n\nqualified professionals in its employ and that\n\nsufficient liability insurance is in place to allow\n\nfor reasonable recourse by the public;\n\n5. The activities and services of a person in the employ of a\n\nprivate, for-profit behavioral services provider contracting with\nre consistent with their\n\ntraining and experience. Agencies will also ensure\n\nthat the entity with which they are contracting has\n\nqualified professionals in its employ and that\n\nsufficient liability insurance is in place to allow\n\nfor reasonable recourse by the public;\n\n5. The activities and services of a person in the employ of a\n\nprivate, for-profit behavioral services provider contracting with\n\nthe state to provide behavioral services to youth and families in\n\nthe care and custody of the Office of Juvenile Affairs or the\n\nDepartment of Human Services on March 14, 1997, if such activities\n\nand services are a part of the official duties of such person with\n\nthe private for-profit contracting agency.\n\na. Any person who is unlicensed and operating under these\n\nexemptions shall not use any of the following official\n\ntitles or descriptions or derivatives thereof:\n\n(1) psychologist, psychology or psychological,\n\n(2) licensed social worker,\n\n(3) clinical social worker,\n\n(4) certified rehabilitation specialist,\n\n(5) licensed professional counselor,\n\n(6) psychoanalyst, or\n\n(7) marital and family therapist.\n\nb. Such exemption to the provisions of this act shall\n\napply only while the unlicensed individual is\n\noperating under the auspices of a contract with the\n\nstate and within the employ of the for-profit agency\n\ncontracting with the state. Such exemption shall only\n\nbe available for ongoing contracts and contract\n\nrenewals with the same state agency and will not be\n\napplicable to any other setting.\n\nc. State agencies contracting to provide behavioral\n\nhealth services will strive to ensure that quality of\n\ncare is not compromised by contracting with external\n\nproviders and that the quality of service is at least\n\nequal to the service that would be delivered if that\n\nagency were able to provide the service directly. The\n\npersons exempt under the provisions of this act shall\n\nprovide services that are consistent with their\n\ntraining and experience. Agencies will also ensure\n\nthat the entity with which they are contracting has\n\nqualified professionals in its employ and that\n\nsufficient liability insurance is in place to allow\n\nfor reasonable recourse by the public;\n\n6. The activities and services of a student, intern, or\n\nresident in psychology, pursuing a course of study at a university\n\nor college that is regionally accredited by an organization\n\nrecognized by the United States Department of Education, or working\n\nin a training center recognized by that university or college, if\n\nthe activities and services constitute a part of the supervised\n\ncourse of study for the student, intern, or resident;\n\n7. Individuals who have been certified as school psychologists\n\nby the State Department of Education. They shall be permitted to\n\nuse the term \"certified school psychologist\". Such persons shall be\n\nrestricted in their practice to employment within those settings\n\nunder the purview of the State Board of Education;\n\n8. The activities and services of a person who performs\n\npsychological services pursuant to the direct supervision of a\n\nlicensed psychologist or psychiatrist or an applicant for licensure\n\nwho is engaged in the applicant's postdoctoral year of supervision.\n\nSuch person shall be subject to approval by the Board and to such\n\nrules as the Board may prescribe pursuant to the provisions of the\n\nPsychologists Licensing Act;\n\n9. The activities and services of a nonresident of this state\n\nwho renders consulting or other psychological services if such\n\nactivities and services are rendered for a period which does not\n\nexceed in the aggregate more than five (5) days during any year and\n\nif the nonresident is authorized pursuant to the laws of the state\n\nor country of the person's residence to perform these activities and\n\nservices. Such person shall inform the Board prior to initiation of\n\nservices;\n\n10. The activities and services of a nonresident of this state\nservices are rendered for a period which does not\n\nexceed in the aggregate more than five (5) days during any year and\n\nif the nonresident is authorized pursuant to the laws of the state\n\nor country of the person's residence to perform these activities and\n\nservices. Such person shall inform the Board prior to initiation of\n\nservices;\n\n10. The activities and services of a nonresident of this state\n\nwho renders consulting or other psychological services if such\n\nactivities and services are rendered in cooperation with the\n\nAmerican Red Cross or as a member of the Disaster Response Network\n\nof the American Psychological Association. The Board shall be\n\ninformed prior to initiation of services; or\n\n11. For one (1) year, the activities and services of a person\n\nwho has recently become a resident of this state and has had his or\n\nher application for licensing accepted by the Board, and if the\n\nperson was authorized by the laws of the state or country of his or\n\nher former residence to perform such activities and services.","path":["OK Code","Title 59"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os59.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"9456fcf2279cf49a939f5d18dceeda67881a131d89d8c46da334e90877896f6c","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-1352.1","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-1354"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}