Texas Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements
Texas psychologists must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their Psychologist license, including 6 hours of ethics and 6 hours of distinct populations.
40
total hours / 2 years
6
ethics hours
6
distinct populations hours
Biennial · renewal date depends on the licensee's birth month.
Texas Psychologist requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month. |
| Renewal fee | $295 board renewal fee every 2 years. |
| Ethics | 6 hours required each cycle. |
| Distinct Populations | 6 hours required each cycle. |
| Format limits | Up to 1 hours may be completed through home study / self-study. |
| Carryover | Up to 10 unused hours can carry into the next cycle. |
| Approved providers | Qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by accredited university, nonprofit religious or charitable organization, hospital, international professional association, national professional association, regional professional association, state professional association, local professional association, public school district, education service center, and governmental agency. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 3 years after the end of each cycle. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Late renewal | A late renewal allows a 365-day grace period after expiration and a late fee. |
| One-time requirements | Passage of the jurisprudence examination may be claimed as 1 hour of ethics professional development (22 TAC §463.35(g)(1)). (1 hour, one time). |
| Other mandates | All licensees who provide direct patient care must complete a human trafficking prevention course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) each renewal period (Occ. Code §§116.002, 116.003). The completion may also be claimed as 1 PD hour under 22 TAC §463.35(g)(6). |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.
- home study / self-studymax 1 hrs
- first time presentationmax 5 hrs
- publicationmax 5 hrs
- teachingmax 5 hrs
- board servicemax 20 hrs
- carryovermax 10 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.
Texas Psychologistrequired trainings & mandates
Beyond the 40-hour CE total, Texas requires specific trainings — some once around initial licensure, some on their own recurring schedule.
One-time requirements
- Passage of the jurisprudence examination may be claimed as 1 hour of ethics professional development (22 TAC §463.35(g)(1)). (1 hour, one time).
Recurring mandates outside the 2 years cycle
- All licensees who provide direct patient care must complete a human trafficking prevention course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) each renewal period (Occ. Code §§116.002, 116.003). The completion may also be claimed as 1 PD hour under 22 TAC §463.35(g)(6).
Full board policy details
- Self-study/home-study is capped at a maximum of 1 hour per renewal period (22 TAC §463.35(g)(5)); at least 39 of the 40 hours must be provider-delivered activity.
- At least 50% of the 40 hours must be obtained from a provider listed in §463.35(e): an accredited institution of higher education; religious or charitable organizations devoted to improving mental/behavioral health; a hospital or hospital system; international/national/regional/state/local associations of medical, mental, or behavioral-health professionals; public school districts/charter schools/ESCs; city/county/state/federal governmental entities; or any provider approved or endorsed by a listed provider. Texas does not pre-approve providers or hours (§463.35(h)).
- Per-activity maximum credits (§463.35(g)): passage of the jurisprudence exam = 1 hour (ethics); preparing/giving a presentation = 5 hours; authoring a book or peer-reviewed article = 5 hours; teaching or attending a graduate-level course = 5 hours; self-study = 1 hour; completing a §116.002 human-trafficking course = 1 hour; providing supervision to supervisees in a rural mental-health HPSA = 20 hours (may NOT count toward the ethics or distinct-populations requirements). All other activity credited 1:1.
- COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS: §463.35(d)(4) — multiple instances or occurrences of a professional development activity may not be claimed for the same renewal period. An instructor cannot claim credit for repeatedly teaching the same course within one renewal period beyond the single activity/cap (presentation credit capped at 5 hours). All PD must be directly related to the practice of psychology; the Council determines relevancy (§463.35(d)(1)-(2)).
- LICENSE STATUS RULES (22 TAC §882.21/§882.22): A licensee on inactive status is NOT required to comply with CE requirements while inactive, but must renew inactive status each renewal period. A retired licensee may not practice, so no CE accrues. Reactivating from inactive status requires proof of completion of the full renewal CE for that license before reactivation; a licensee whose license has been inactive for four years or more must also take and pass the relevant jurisprudence exam. This duration-dependent jurisprudence-exam requirement cannot be evaluated by the current credit window and is preserved here for manual review. Reinstating an expired/retired/resigned license (§882.22) requires documentation of any CE required by a member board. §463.35 contains no general CE hardship/illness/disability/military CE waiver or extension.
- No first-renewal CE proration or exemption. §463.35 requires 40 hours during each renewal period; Occ. Code §501.301(b) prorates only the licensing fee, not CE hours.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Texas Psychologist record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Texas Psychologist CE free →Texas Psychologist CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Texas Psychologist licensees need?
Texas requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a Psychologist license. Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
How many ethics hours are required for Texas Psychologist licensees?
Of the total, 6 hours must be in ethics.
How often do Texas Psychologist licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: renews at the end of your birth month.
How much does Texas Psychologist license renewal cost?
The board's renewal fee is $295 every 2 years, per the Texas board fee schedule. CE course costs are separate and set by course providers.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Texas Psychologist licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Texas requires 6 hours of distinct populations.
Can Texas Psychologist licensees complete CE online or by home study?
Up to 1 hours may be completed through home study / self-study.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Texas board rule
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.1
Reviewed against the Texas 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 →
Track your Texas Psychologist CE without the spreadsheet.
Log your hours, watch every category pace toward your biennial renewal, and keep your certificates in one record. Free to start, no credit card required.
Create your free recordTexasguides & data
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.
Texas mental health workforce data
68,626 active providers, or 216.4 per 100,000 residents, ranked 50 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.