Psychology License from Alabama to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Alabama to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council), verify your Alabama license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 22 TAC 463.30(c) provides that an applicant who took the EPPP in another jurisdiction is not required to retake it provided the score meets the Council's current minimum (500 computer-based, per 463.31); every applicant must still pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination (85% cut-off) before a license is granted, and it must be passed no more than six months before applying.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Both Alabama and Texas are PSYPACT participants, which helps you right up until you actually relocate. As long as Alabama remains your licensed home state, the compact lets you treat Texas clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Texas in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Texas. A permanent move puts you in front of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) for endorsement — your EPPP score carries over rather than being retaken, but the degree, supervised experience, jurisprudence exam, and background check are all reviewed on Texas's terms.
What changes, Alabama → Texas
| Alabama (current) | Texas (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) | $425 (22 TAC 885.1: 'LP Application (including reciprocity applications)' totals $425 ($410 base + $10 Texas.gov + $5 Office of Patient Protection). The psychologist Jurisprudence Exam fee is $39 and the fingerprint criminal history check is billed separately by the vendor. All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.) |
| 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) | 4–6 weeks (Council states most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process and asks applicants not to inquire until six weeks have elapsed. Its published FY2025 figures for psychologist applications were 1 day minimum, 310 days maximum, 43-day median, 46-day average.) |
| Licensing authority | Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology | Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination before submitting the application; the passing result is valid for six months.
- Submit a self-query report from the National Practitioner Data Bank.
- Complete the fingerprint-based criminal history record check triggered after the online application is submitted.
- Have official doctoral transcripts sent directly from the university.
- Supervised-experience documentation is waived for an applicant actively licensed as a doctoral-level psychologist in good standing who has practiced in another jurisdiction for at least five years (22 TAC 463.10(e)).
- An active ASPPB CPQ satisfies all licensure requirements except the jurisprudence exam; active ABPP specialist certification satisfies all except the EPPP and the jurisprudence exam.
- Pay the fees ($425 (22 TAC 885.1: 'LP Application (including reciprocity applications)' totals $425 ($410 base + $10 Texas.gov + $5 Office of Patient Protection). The psychologist Jurisprudence Exam fee is $39 and the fingerprint criminal history check is billed separately by the vendor. All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.)) and allow 4–6 weeks (Council states most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process and asks applicants not to inquire until six weeks have elapsed. Its published FY2025 figures for psychologist applications were 1 day minimum, 310 days maximum, 43-day median, 46-day average.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas accept a Alabama psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Alabama to Texas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council), verify your Alabama license, and meet Texas's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 22 TAC 463.30(c) provides that an applicant who took the EPPP in another jurisdiction is not required to retake it provided the score meets the Council's current minimum (500 computer-based, per 463.31); every applicant must still pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination (85% cut-off) before a license is granted, and it must be passed no more than six months before applying.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Alabama to Texas?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 22 TAC 463.30(c) provides that an applicant who took the EPPP in another jurisdiction is not required to retake it provided the score meets the Council's current minimum (500 computer-based, per 463.31); every applicant must still pass the Texas Jurisprudence Examination (85% cut-off) before a license is granted, and it must be passed no more than six months before applying.
What does the move cost?
$425 (22 TAC 885.1: 'LP Application (including reciprocity applications)' totals $425 ($410 base + $10 Texas.gov + $5 Office of Patient Protection). The psychologist Jurisprudence Exam fee is $39 and the fingerprint criminal history check is billed separately by the vendor. All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.) (22 TAC 885.1: 'LP Application (including reciprocity applications)' totals $425 ($410 base + $10 Texas.gov + $5 Office of Patient Protection). The psychologist Jurisprudence Exam fee is $39 and the fingerprint criminal history check is billed separately by the vendor. All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.).
How long will it take?
4–6 weeks (Council states most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process and asks applicants not to inquire until six weeks have elapsed. Its published FY2025 figures for psychologist applications were 1 day minimum, 310 days maximum, 43-day median, 46-day average.) — Council states most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process and asks applicants not to inquire until six weeks have elapsed. Its published FY2025 figures for psychologist applications were 1 day minimum, 310 days maximum, 43-day median, 46-day average..
Alabama and Texas 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 Texas (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Alabama. Relocating to Texas requires licensure by endorsement from the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Texas clients before my Texas license is issued?
While your Alabama license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Texas 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 Texas license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council — Applying for a Psychology License (application types, including the Oklahoma reciprocity application) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- TBHEC Consolidated Rulebook for Psychology (22 TAC 463.2, 463.10, 463.13, 463.30, 463.31 and 885.1 fee schedule) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- TBHEC — Licensed Psychologist Checklist & Licensure Process (NPDB, fingerprints, transferred EPPP score, CPQ/ABPP) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- TBHEC — Current Application Processing Timelines (30-40 day average; FY2025 psychologist statistics) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- TBHEC — Psychology Forms and Publications (Oklahoma Licensed Psychologist Reciprocity Application and documentation checklist) ↗ (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)
- PSYPACT — PSYPACT Map/States (Alabama participating) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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