Psychology License from Alabama to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Alabama to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions), verify your Alabama license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 18VAC125-20-42 imposes no re-examination on an endorsement applicant; only the substantial-equivalence route at 18VAC125-20-42(6)(e) requires verification of a passing score on all EPPP parts that were required at the time of original licensure. Virginia's psychology regulations contain no separate state jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead attests to having read and agreed to comply with Virginia's Standards of Practice and laws.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Alabama and Virginia 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 Virginia means applying to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Virginia'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 Virginia clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Virginia for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, Alabama → Virginia
| Alabama (current) | Virginia (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) | $200 (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.) |
| 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) | Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted. |
| Licensing authority | Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology | Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Virginia's current requirements on the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Attest to having read and agreed to comply with the current Standards of Practice and the laws governing the practice of psychology in Virginia.
- Verify every health and mental health professional license, certificate or registration ever held in Virginia or any U.S. or Canadian jurisdiction, with no credential surrendered while under investigation and no unresolved action.
- Submit a current report from the National Practitioner Data Bank.
- Document one of: a current National Register of Health Service Psychologists credential, current ABPP diplomate status in a comparable category, an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification, five years of active comparable licensure including 24 months of active practice within the last 60 months, or substantial equivalence proven from the original out-of-state application file.
- Pay the fees ($200 (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.)) and allow Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia accept a Alabama psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Alabama to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions), verify your Alabama license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 18VAC125-20-42 imposes no re-examination on an endorsement applicant; only the substantial-equivalence route at 18VAC125-20-42(6)(e) requires verification of a passing score on all EPPP parts that were required at the time of original licensure. Virginia's psychology regulations contain no separate state jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead attests to having read and agreed to comply with Virginia's Standards of Practice and laws.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Alabama to Virginia?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 18VAC125-20-42 imposes no re-examination on an endorsement applicant; only the substantial-equivalence route at 18VAC125-20-42(6)(e) requires verification of a passing score on all EPPP parts that were required at the time of original licensure. Virginia's psychology regulations contain no separate state jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead attests to having read and agreed to comply with Virginia's Standards of Practice and laws.
What does the move cost?
$200 (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.) (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.).
How long will it take?
Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted. — Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted..
Alabama and Virginia 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 Virginia (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Alabama. Relocating to Virginia requires licensure by endorsement from the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Virginia clients before my Virginia license is issued?
While your Alabama license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Virginia 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 Virginia license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 18VAC125-20-42, Prerequisites for licensure by endorsement — Virginia Administrative Code, Board of Psychology ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 18VAC125-20-30, Fees required by the board — Virginia Administrative Code, Board of Psychology ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 18VAC125-20-80, General examination requirements — Virginia Administrative Code, Board of Psychology ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]