Psychology License from Colorado to West Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists ↗
A psychology license transfers from Colorado to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists, verify your Colorado license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the reciprocity applicant submits their EPPP score with the application rather than re-testing; every reciprocity applicant must additionally pass the Board's oral examination, which covers professional ethics, legal issues, competency and pertinent West Virginia law (17CSR3 §§12.2.f and 14.4).
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Colorado and West 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 Colorado to West Virginia means applying to the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, West Virginia'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 West Virginia clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in West Virginia for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, Colorado → West Virginia
| Colorado (current) | West Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| 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 | $120–$525 (17CSR1 §2.1 application fee $120; the oral examination required of every reciprocity applicant is a further $405 (§2.6.1), so a typical reciprocity applicant pays about $525. Not included: $25 application-packet mailing/handling, $90 temporary permit, $180 continued oral examination. All Board fees are nonrefundable.) |
| 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 | The Board publishes no stated review timeline. Timing is driven by the oral examination, which is scheduled at a Board meeting and requires all oral-exam materials at least 15 days in advance; a 90-day temporary permit is available to bridge the wait. |
| Licensing authority | Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) | West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — West Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a license or certificate granted by another state under standards the Board finds equal to or greater than West Virginia's.
- Submit a notarized application, official graduate transcripts, national (EPPP) exam scores, documentation of supervision, and a letter of good standing from every jurisdiction that has licensed you.
- Pass the Board's oral examination, filing the oral examination form, demonstrable competency form and at least three work samples at least 15 days before the exam date.
- Obtain a 90-day temporary permit if you intend to practice in West Virginia before the regular license is issued.
- Pay the fees ($120–$525 (17CSR1 §2.1 application fee $120; the oral examination required of every reciprocity applicant is a further $405 (§2.6.1), so a typical reciprocity applicant pays about $525. Not included: $25 application-packet mailing/handling, $90 temporary permit, $180 continued oral examination. All Board fees are nonrefundable.)) and allow The Board publishes no stated review timeline. Timing is driven by the oral examination, which is scheduled at a Board meeting and requires all oral-exam materials at least 15 days in advance; a 90-day temporary permit is available to bridge the wait..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does West Virginia accept a Colorado psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Colorado to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists, verify your Colorado license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the reciprocity applicant submits their EPPP score with the application rather than re-testing; every reciprocity applicant must additionally pass the Board's oral examination, which covers professional ethics, legal issues, competency and pertinent West Virginia law (17CSR3 §§12.2.f and 14.4).
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Colorado to West Virginia?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the reciprocity applicant submits their EPPP score with the application rather than re-testing; every reciprocity applicant must additionally pass the Board's oral examination, which covers professional ethics, legal issues, competency and pertinent West Virginia law (17CSR3 §§12.2.f and 14.4).
What does the move cost?
$120–$525 (17CSR1 §2.1 application fee $120; the oral examination required of every reciprocity applicant is a further $405 (§2.6.1), so a typical reciprocity applicant pays about $525. Not included: $25 application-packet mailing/handling, $90 temporary permit, $180 continued oral examination. All Board fees are nonrefundable.) (17CSR1 §2.1 application fee $120; the oral examination required of every reciprocity applicant is a further $405 (§2.6.1), so a typical reciprocity applicant pays about $525. Not included: $25 application-packet mailing/handling, $90 temporary permit, $180 continued oral examination. All Board fees are nonrefundable.).
How long will it take?
The Board publishes no stated review timeline. Timing is driven by the oral examination, which is scheduled at a Board meeting and requires all oral-exam materials at least 15 days in advance; a 90-day temporary permit is available to bridge the wait. — The Board publishes no stated review timeline. Timing is driven by the oral examination, which is scheduled at a Board meeting and requires all oral-exam materials at least 15 days in advance; a 90-day temporary permit is available to bridge the wait..
Colorado and West 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 West Virginia (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Colorado. Relocating to West Virginia requires licensure by endorsement from the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing West Virginia clients before my West Virginia license is issued?
While your Colorado license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover West 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 Colorado stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the West Virginia license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- WV Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Reciprocity Applicants / Oral Examination / Temporary License ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Legislative Rule 17CSR3 §12.2 and §14.4 — reciprocity provision, CPQ/National Register portability waiver, oral examination ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Legislative Rule 17CSR1 — Board of Psychologists fee schedule (application $120, oral exam $405, temporary permit $90) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Board of Examiners of Psychologists — License Information (application pathways) ↗ (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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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