Rhode Island Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements
Rhode Island psychologists must complete 24 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their Psychologist license.
24
total hours / 2 years
Biennial renewal · calculating the next statewide deadline
Rhode Island Psychologist requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 24 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: renewal filing due July 1 of even years; license expires June 30. |
| Renewal fee | $230 board renewal fee every 2 years; a late (delinquent) renewal adds a $50 fee. |
| Format limits | Up to 24 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. |
| New licensees | Newly licensed psychologists are exempt from continuing education for their first renewal: "Psychologists initially licensed by examination after the July 1st renewal date shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements stated in this Part until the date of the next renewal cycle (i.e., the thirtieth (30th) day of June of the next even-numbered year)." (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.2(B)(2); the general requirements clause of 15.9.1(A) states the same exception). The full 24-credit requirement begins with the following biennial cycle. The exemption sentence says "initially licensed by examination"; the rule states no parallel sentence for endorsement licensees, and 15.9.1(A)'s cross-reference speaks generally of "those initially licensed" — the exemption is encoded for a licensee's first renewal generally, with the by-examination phrasing flagged for review. |
| Approved providers | All twenty-four (24) credits must be relevant to psychology and "approved by the Board" (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.1(B)). Board approval runs through six classes of sponsoring or approving organizations (15.9.1(A)): programs sponsored or approved by the American Psychological Association or the Rhode Island Psychological Association; by other recognized professional psychological organizations, including the national and state professional associations for all licensed mental health professions in this state; by the Rhode Island State Nurses Association or another state nurses association; by the Rhode Island Medical Society, another state medical society, or a medical school (and its affiliated training institutions) that has an APA-approved post-doctoral program in psychology (15.9.1(A)(4)); appropriate post-doctoral coursework from any regionally accredited college or a board-approved department or school of psychology; or such other professional or accrediting agency as the Board may approve. Because these are broad sponsor classes with a board catch-all rather than a published roster of named providers, the provider lists here are informational and are not enforced as an automated gate (provider_lists_enforced: false). The must_be_within_cycle_window flag is set because credits must be "completed over the two (2) year period preceding renewal of licensure" (15.9.1(B)) — no carryover provision exists, so hours earned in excess of the 24 credits in one biennium cannot be applied to the next. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 4 years after each renewal. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Late renewal | A late renewal allows a $50 late fee. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 24 hours can come from.
- home study / self-studymax 24 hrs
Keeping the proof in order: what to keep for a CE audit, with every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.
Total hours
24 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: renewal filing due July 1 of even years; license expires June 30.
Renewal fee
$230 board renewal fee every 2 years; a late (delinquent) renewal adds a $50 fee.
Format limits
Up to 24 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.
New licensees
Newly licensed psychologists are exempt from continuing education for their first renewal: "Psychologists initially licensed by examination after the July 1st renewal date shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements stated in this Part until the date of the next renewal cycle (i.e., the thirtieth (30th) day of June of the next even-numbered year)." (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.2(B)(2); the general requirements clause of 15.9.1(A) states the same exception). The full 24-credit requirement begins with the following biennial cycle. The exemption sentence says "initially licensed by examination"; the rule states no parallel sentence for endorsement licensees, and 15.9.1(A)'s cross-reference speaks generally of "those initially licensed" — the exemption is encoded for a licensee's first renewal generally, with the by-examination phrasing flagged for review.
Approved providers
All twenty-four (24) credits must be relevant to psychology and "approved by the Board" (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.1(B)). Board approval runs through six classes of sponsoring or approving organizations (15.9.1(A)): programs sponsored or approved by the American Psychological Association or the Rhode Island Psychological Association; by other recognized professional psychological organizations, including the national and state professional associations for all licensed mental health professions in this state; by the Rhode Island State Nurses Association or another state nurses association; by the Rhode Island Medical Society, another state medical society, or a medical school (and its affiliated training institutions) that has an APA-approved post-doctoral program in psychology (15.9.1(A)(4)); appropriate post-doctoral coursework from any regionally accredited college or a board-approved department or school of psychology; or such other professional or accrediting agency as the Board may approve. Because these are broad sponsor classes with a board catch-all rather than a published roster of named providers, the provider lists here are informational and are not enforced as an automated gate (provider_lists_enforced: false). The must_be_within_cycle_window flag is set because credits must be "completed over the two (2) year period preceding renewal of licensure" (15.9.1(B)) — no carryover provision exists, so hours earned in excess of the 24 credits in one biennium cannot be applied to the next.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 4 years after each renewal.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal allows a $50 late fee.
Full board policy details
- STRUCTURE: Rhode Island's rule has no activity categories, no lettered or named groups, no rule requiring hours from a minimum number of categories, no per-activity maxima, and no subject-matter (topic) floors — the single requirement is 24 credits relevant to psychology per biennial cycle from board-approved sponsors (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.1(A)-(B)). The enumerated lists in 15.9.1(A) are classes of sponsoring/approving ORGANIZATIONS (a provider-approval roster), not activity categories.
- FORMAT: No delivery-format quotas exist. Non-interactive programs (internet courses, correspondence courses, tapes) and formal programs (courses, workshops, institutes) are equally "acceptable for continuing education credits" (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.2(A)). The definitions section defines "live hours" (15.2(A)(17)) but the CE section as amended effective 5/6/2023 never uses the term — no live-hour minimum exists; the defined term is vestigial in the current text.
- CREDIT CONVERSIONS: None. The rule states no non-1:1 conversions — no academic-unit ratio, no teaching or presentation multiplier, no publication or board-certification credit. Credits are claimed as documented by the approved sponsoring organization, whose documentation must show "the number of credits earned" (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.2(B)). The rule likewise grants no instructor/teaching credit, so no course-repeat restriction on teaching credit arises, and it is silent on an attendee repeating a course within a cycle.
- LICENSE STATUS RULES: A psychologist who does not intend to continue practicing may, on written request, be transferred to the inactive list under R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-16 (incorporated by 216-RICR-40-05-15.10.1); while inactive no renewal fee is owed and the renewal-time CE attestation of 15.10(A) does not arise. Reinstatement from inactive status requires notifying the Department and remitting the renewal fee together with an attestation of completion of the continuing education requirements completed within the immediate two (2) years prior to the request for reinstatement — the standard biennial volume (24 credits over a trailing two-year window) measured from the reinstatement request rather than the fixed cycle boundary; that rolling-window variant stays prose-only by design. There is no retired or emeritus tier in Part 15. A licensee who fails to renew by July 1 of the even-numbered year holds a lapsed license and "may be reinstated upon submission of an application with payment of the current renewal fee, plus an additional fee" (15.10(B)); using the psychologist title or practicing while lapsed is subject to the penalties of the Act (15.10(C)).
- EXTENSIONS AND ENFORCEMENT: "An extension of time to complete the continuing education requirements may be granted to a psychologist solely at the discretion of the Board for reasons of hardship or other extenuating circumstances." (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.2(B)(3)) — no qualifying-condition list, maximum duration, or procedure is stated, and no outright waiver provision exists; case-specific, manual review. Renewal may be denied for failure to provide satisfactory evidence of CE completion (15.9.2(C)), and noncompliance with 15.9 is subject to the sanctions of 15.11 with hearings under 15.12 (15.9.2(D)). There is no conditional or provisional registration for licensees short on CE.
- OVERLAYS: Rhode Island participates in PSYPACT (codified as R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-44.1; implemented at 216-RICR-40-05-15.8.4). PSYPACT telepsychology practice requires an active ASPPB e-Passport and compliance with Chapters 5-44 and 5-44.1; temporary in-person practice additionally requires an active ASPPB Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (15.8.4(A)). These are mobility overlays on the Rhode Island license with their own ASPPB-side credentials — neither adds CE hours to this rule. Rhode Island grants psychologists no prescriptive authority (no RxP tier exists in Part 15). The temporary permit (15.8.2; R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-13) is a pre-licensure supervised candidate status, not a renewable license subject to this CE rule.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Rhode Island Psychologist record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Rhode Island Psychologist CE free →Rhode Island Psychologist CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Rhode Island Psychologist licensees need?
Rhode Island requires 24 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a Psychologist license. Biennial cycle: renewal filing due July 1 of even years; license expires June 30.
How often do Rhode Island Psychologist licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: renewal filing due July 1 of even years; license expires June 30.
How much does Rhode Island Psychologist license renewal cost?
The board's renewal fee is $230 every 2 years, per the Rhode Island board fee schedule. Renewing late adds a $50 delinquency fee on top. CE course costs are separate and set by course providers.
Can Rhode Island Psychologist licensees complete CE online or by home study?
Up to 24 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.
Is the first renewal different for new Rhode Island Psychologist licensees?
Newly licensed psychologists are exempt from continuing education for their first renewal: "Psychologists initially licensed by examination after the July 1st renewal date shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements stated in this Part until the date of the next renewal cycle (i.e., the thirtieth (30th) day of June of the next even-numbered year)." (216-RICR-40-05-15.9.2(B)(2); the general requirements clause of 15.9.1(A) states the same exception). The full 24-credit requirement begins with the following biennial cycle. The exemption sentence says "initially licensed by examination"; the rule states no parallel sentence for endorsement licensees, and 15.9.1(A)'s cross-reference speaks generally of "those initially licensed" — the exemption is encoded for a licensee's first renewal generally, with the by-examination phrasing flagged for review.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Rhode Island board rule
- Fee schedule
- Rhode Island board fee schedule
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Rhode Island board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is for guidance only, not legal or board advice. Always confirm requirements with your licensing board before renewing. See something wrong? Report it →
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What to keep for a CE audit
What boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, what the notice looks like, and a printable checklist.
Rhode Island mental health workforce data
7,061 active providers, or 633.5 per 100,000 residents, ranked 10 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.
Other Rhode Island CE requirement pages
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