Psychology License from Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas, 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, Arkansas → Virginia
| Arkansas (current) | Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $200–$400 ($200 application fee buys the application packet (payable in full or as a $50 deposit plus a $150 remainder); a further $200 registration/certification fee plus a pro-rated license fee is due at licensure. Criminal background check costs ($60 LiveScan in state) are paid separately to the Arkansas State Police) | $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 | No board-stated range. Credential reviews are conducted only at regularly scheduled Board meetings, a file must be complete by the 1st of the month to be considered at the next meeting, and a file that fails review waits for the following meeting; the Board publishes no target turnaround | 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 | Arkansas Psychology Board | 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 Arkansas psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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..
Arkansas 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 Arkansas. 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas 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)
- Arkansas Psychology Board — Applicants (application request, $200 fee schedule, out-of-state license verification, oral exam limited to pre-July 3 2020 applicants) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Arkansas Psychology Board — Rules and Regulations (engrossed 11.2.18): Rule 5.6 Interjurisdictional Practice, Rule 10.1 acceptance of written examination scores, Rule 10.2 reciprocity, Section 13 fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PSYPACT — PSYPACT Map/States (Arkansas 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]