Psychology License from Alabama to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Alabama to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations), verify your Alabama license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — Board Rule 1.12(C) lets the applicant attest to a written competence examination required and passed in any jurisdiction, including one other than the state the applicant is endorsing from; if no written exam was required when the applicant was first licensed, the Board accepts 20 years of independent doctoral-level practice in an ASPPB jurisdiction instead. Every endorsement applicant must pass the Board-developed Colorado Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination — Rule 1.12(D) applies it with no exemptions.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Alabama and Colorado both participate in PSYPACT, and it is worth being blunt about what that does and does not buy you, because the compact's name misleads a lot of psychologists. It does not transfer your license. Moving from Alabama to Colorado means applying to the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Colorado's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in Alabama, you can serve Colorado clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Colorado for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, Alabama → Colorado
| Alabama (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $400 ($400 nonrefundable application processing fee payable to the Board; separately + $38.25 payable to ALEA for the state/federal criminal history check and + $50 PSE fee due when sitting for the exam) | Not verifiable from a primary source. DORA/DPO does not publish a psychologist endorsement application fee on any public page — the Psychology Applications page states only that fees are shown on the respective application, and the endorsement application itself is filed inside the DPO Online Services portal behind a login. No fee amount is asserted here rather than guessed |
| Processing time | 13–17 weeks (Board states the process for previously licensed applicants 'generally takes three (3) to four (4) months from the time the application is received'; files are reviewed only at regular Board meetings, generally the second Friday of odd-numbered months, and must be complete by the first day of an odd-numbered month) | No board-stated range. DORA/DPO publishes no processing time for psychologist licensure by endorsement; the only related timing note on the Psychology Applications page is that a license issued within 120 days of the upcoming renewal expiration is given the next expiration date |
| Licensing authority | Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology | Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current, unrestricted psychologist license in good standing in another state, U.S. territory or through the federal government, held for at least one year.
- Hold a doctoral degree in psychology, or a doctoral degree with a major the licensing jurisdiction determined equivalent to psychology.
- Attest to one year of supervised post-doctoral experience before your original licensure, or to one year of active practice averaging at least 20 hours per week.
- Pass the Colorado Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination — an open-book online exam on Colorado mental health law and rules.
- Submit verification of licensure from every jurisdiction, federal agency and military branch where you have ever been licensed, registered, listed or certified.
- Be at least 21 years of age and pass a Colorado Bureau of Investigation background check.
- Pay the fees (Not verifiable from a primary source. DORA/DPO does not publish a psychologist endorsement application fee on any public page — the Psychology Applications page states only that fees are shown on the respective application, and the endorsement application itself is filed inside the DPO Online Services portal behind a login. No fee amount is asserted here rather than guessed) and allow No board-stated range. DORA/DPO publishes no processing time for psychologist licensure by endorsement; the only related timing note on the Psychology Applications page is that a license issued within 120 days of the upcoming renewal expiration is given the next expiration date.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Colorado accept a Alabama psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Alabama to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations), verify your Alabama license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — Board Rule 1.12(C) lets the applicant attest to a written competence examination required and passed in any jurisdiction, including one other than the state the applicant is endorsing from; if no written exam was required when the applicant was first licensed, the Board accepts 20 years of independent doctoral-level practice in an ASPPB jurisdiction instead. Every endorsement applicant must pass the Board-developed Colorado Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination — Rule 1.12(D) applies it with no exemptions.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Alabama to Colorado?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — Board Rule 1.12(C) lets the applicant attest to a written competence examination required and passed in any jurisdiction, including one other than the state the applicant is endorsing from; if no written exam was required when the applicant was first licensed, the Board accepts 20 years of independent doctoral-level practice in an ASPPB jurisdiction instead. Every endorsement applicant must pass the Board-developed Colorado Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination — Rule 1.12(D) applies it with no exemptions.
What does the move cost?
Not verifiable from a primary source. DORA/DPO does not publish a psychologist endorsement application fee on any public page — the Psychology Applications page states only that fees are shown on the respective application, and the endorsement application itself is filed inside the DPO Online Services portal behind a login. No fee amount is asserted here rather than guessed (Not verifiable from a primary source. DORA/DPO does not publish a psychologist endorsement application fee on any public page — the Psychology Applications page states only that fees are shown on the respective application, and the endorsement application itself is filed inside the DPO Online Services portal behind a login. No fee amount is asserted here rather than guessed).
How long will it take?
No board-stated range. DORA/DPO publishes no processing time for psychologist licensure by endorsement; the only related timing note on the Psychology Applications page is that a license issued within 120 days of the upcoming renewal expiration is given the next expiration date — No board-stated range. DORA/DPO publishes no processing time for psychologist licensure by endorsement; the only related timing note on the Psychology Applications page is that a license issued within 120 days of the upcoming renewal expiration is given the next expiration date.
Alabama and Colorado are both PSYPACT states — doesn't my license transfer automatically?
No. PSYPACT never transfers a license, including between two participating states. It authorizes telepsychology into Colorado (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Alabama. Relocating to Colorado requires licensure by endorsement from the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Colorado clients before my Colorado license is issued?
While your Alabama license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Colorado clients by telepsychology, and a TAP covers up to 30 days a year of in-person work there. Those are the compact's limits, and they end when Alabama stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Colorado license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners — Rules, 3 CCR 721-1, Rule 1.12 Occupational Credential Portability Program (endorsement criteria, exam attestation, NR/ABPP/CPQ exemptions, jurisprudence exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Colorado DPO — Psychology Applications and Forms (initial license by examination, endorsement or telehealth method filed through DPO Online Services; jurisprudence examination guide) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Colorado DPO — Psychology Licensing Guide (EPPP and Colorado Mental Health Jurisprudence Exam requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PSYPACT — PSYPACT Map/States (Colorado participating) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology — Information for Psychologist Applicants (previous licensure, reciprocity statement, PSE, fees, 3-4 month timeline, Rule 750-X-2-.08) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology — Fees ($400 psychologist application) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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