Psychology License from California 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 California 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 California 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

This direction has a payoff worth planning around. California is outside PSYPACT, so you have had no compact authorizations to work with — but Texas participates. Endorse into Texas through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council), make it your licensed home state, and that license becomes an anchor: from there an ASPPB E.Passport and APIT authorization let you serve clients across every other participating state without another full license. The endorsement itself is still an ordinary application — EPPP score accepted, credentials reviewed, Texas's jurisprudence requirement applied — but what it unlocks afterwards is considerably more than a single state.

What changes, California → Texas

Side-by-side: California vs Texas (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
	California (current)	Texas (destination)
PSYPACT status	Licensure by endorsement	PSYPACT member — multistate license honored
Application fee	$236 ($236 psychologist initial application fee (2024 fee schedule, the current schedule published by the Board). Separately + $127 for the CPLEE application and + $231 for initial licensure; out-of-state fingerprint hard card processing is $233)	$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	4–6 weeks (Board states processing takes approximately 1.5 months (4-6 weeks) for applications, subsequent documents/correspondence and requested deficiency documents. Because the application, the CPLEE request and the request for initial licensure are each processed separately at that pace, total time from filing to a California license is considerably longer)	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	California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs)	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

Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) ↗Texas application ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does Texas accept a California psychology license?

Do I retake the EPPP moving from California 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..

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

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