Psychology License from Colorado to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A psychology license transfers from Colorado to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health), verify your Colorado license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Washington deems Colorado psychology licenses equivalent, which is what this endorsement application relies on. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant who passed the EPPP in another jurisdiction contacts ASPPB to have the certified score sent directly to the Department of Health. Washington's jurisprudence exam is not required to obtain the license; it must be completed during the first continuing-education cycle after licensure.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Colorado and Washington 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 Colorado to Washington means applying to the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Washington's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in Colorado, you can serve Washington clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Washington for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
Washington lists Colorado among the jurisdictions whose psychology licenses it deems substantially equivalent. That is what this endorsement application relies on — it is not license reciprocity, and the conditions Washington attaches to it are in the notes on the Washington page and on the board's site.
What changes, Colorado → Washington
| Colorado (current) | Washington (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | Licensure by endorsement · PSYPACT: telepractice/temporary only | Licensure by endorsement · PSYPACT: telepractice/temporary only |
| Application fee | 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 | $231 (Psychologist application $231, which includes the $16 HEALWA access fee; active renewal is $311. FBI fingerprint background-check costs are billed separately. A psychologist temporary practice permit carries no fee.) |
| Processing time | 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 | Not verified. The Department of Health publishes no processing-time range for psychologist applications; it states only that delayed applicant responses lengthen the wait |
| Licensing authority | Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) | Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Qualify under one of four endorsement pathways: two years of unbroken licensure in a substantially equivalent state with no discipline in the preceding two years; two years of licensure in an essentially equivalent jurisdiction plus a doctoral degree with primary emphasis in psychology; current National Register or ABPP certification verified directly by that organization; or an unrestricted U.S. or Canadian license for the last five consecutive years.
- Have ASPPB send the certified EPPP score directly to the Department of Health.
- Submit official transcripts and verification of the out-of-state license.
- Complete FBI fingerprint-based background check.
- Complete the Washington jurisprudence exam during the first continuing-education cycle after licensure.
- Pay the fees ($231 (Psychologist application $231, which includes the $16 HEALWA access fee; active renewal is $311. FBI fingerprint background-check costs are billed separately. A psychologist temporary practice permit carries no fee.)). Processing time: Not verified. The Department of Health publishes no processing-time range for psychologist applications; it states only that delayed applicant responses lengthen the wait.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington accept a Colorado psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Colorado to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health), verify your Colorado license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Washington deems Colorado psychology licenses equivalent, which is what this endorsement application relies on. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant who passed the EPPP in another jurisdiction contacts ASPPB to have the certified score sent directly to the Department of Health. Washington's jurisprudence exam is not required to obtain the license; it must be completed during the first continuing-education cycle after licensure.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Colorado to Washington?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant who passed the EPPP in another jurisdiction contacts ASPPB to have the certified score sent directly to the Department of Health. Washington's jurisprudence exam is not required to obtain the license; it must be completed during the first continuing-education cycle after licensure.
What does the move cost?
$231 (Psychologist application $231, which includes the $16 HEALWA access fee; active renewal is $311. FBI fingerprint background-check costs are billed separately. A psychologist temporary practice permit carries no fee.).
How long will it take?
Not verified. The Department of Health publishes no processing-time range for psychologist applications; it states only that delayed applicant responses lengthen the wait.
Colorado and Washington 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 Washington (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Colorado. Relocating to Washington requires licensure by endorsement from the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Washington clients before my Washington license is issued?
While your Colorado license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Washington 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 Colorado stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Washington license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist: Equivalent States/Countries (substantially equivalent state list, last reviewed 2023-07-21; SHB 1724 endorsement criteria) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist: Licensing Information (application types and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist: Licensing Requirements (EPPP score transfer via ASPPB, jurisprudence exam timing, 3,300 supervised hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist: Frequently Asked Questions (the four endorsement pathways and required submissions) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist (Examining Board of Psychology; 2025 permanent rules under chapter 246-924 WAC) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]