Psychology License from Delaware to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Delaware to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), verify your Delaware license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under 49 Pa. Code 41.52 an applicant who passed the national portion with a score equal to or above Pennsylvania's prevailing passing score 'will not be required to repeat this portion.' The Board separately administers the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) as a licensure exam.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Delaware and Pennsylvania 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 Delaware to Pennsylvania means applying to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Pennsylvania's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in Delaware, you can serve Pennsylvania clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Pennsylvania for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, Delaware → Pennsylvania
| Delaware (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $305 (Psychologist license application fee on the Board's published fee schedule; the Board lists no separate reciprocity fee. All processing fees are non-refundable and must be paid by card in DELPROS. Fingerprint and criminal-background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor) | $105 (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors) |
| Processing time | The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; it states that a complete application is reviewed at its next scheduled meeting, and the Board generally meets the first Monday of each month (fourth Monday in July, no meeting in August or December) | Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07 |
| Licensing authority | Delaware Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Division of Professional Regulation, Department of State) | Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current license in another jurisdiction whose standards are substantially equivalent to or exceed Pennsylvania's, and document that jurisdiction's law and regulations.
- Demonstrate competency by either actively practicing psychology 2 of the last 5 years in the issuing jurisdiction, or completing 30 hours of continuing education in the 24 months preceding application.
- Have no disciplinary action by the licensing jurisdiction and no act constituting grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation.
- Complete 3 hours of Board-approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting.
- Be prepared for a personal interview and additional documentation at the Board's discretion.
- Pay the fees ($105 (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors)) and allow Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Delaware psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Delaware to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), verify your Delaware license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under 49 Pa. Code 41.52 an applicant who passed the national portion with a score equal to or above Pennsylvania's prevailing passing score 'will not be required to repeat this portion.' The Board separately administers the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) as a licensure exam.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Delaware to Pennsylvania?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under 49 Pa. Code 41.52 an applicant who passed the national portion with a score equal to or above Pennsylvania's prevailing passing score 'will not be required to repeat this portion.' The Board separately administers the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) as a licensure exam.
What does the move cost?
$105 (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors) (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors).
How long will it take?
Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07 — Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07.
Delaware and Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Delaware. Relocating to Pennsylvania requires licensure by endorsement from the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Pennsylvania clients before my Pennsylvania license is issued?
While your Delaware license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Pennsylvania 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 Delaware stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Pennsylvania license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 49 Pa. Code 41.52a — Licensure by endorsement (Act 41) conditions for out-of-state psychologists ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code 41.52 — Licensure of psychologists licensed in another state (EPPP national-portion waiver, child abuse training, temporary practice) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code 41.12 — State Board of Psychology fee schedule ($105 initial application, $300 biennial renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PA Department of State — Psychologist Licensure Snapshot (EPPP + PPLE, supervised experience, fees, PSYPACT) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PA State Board of Psychology — board home page ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation — Psychologist License by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Delaware Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Fee Schedule (Psychologist $305) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Delaware Board of Examiners of Psychologists — board home (licensure options, meeting schedule) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Delaware Code Title 24 Chapter 35 — Psychologists (qualifications, EPPP, reciprocity) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts — PSYPACT member states (Delaware joined 2019) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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