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LicenseReciprocity

Psychology License from District of Columbia to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) ↗

A psychology license transfers from District of Columbia to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations), verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — Board Rule 1.12(C) lets the applicant attest to a written competence examination required and passed in any jurisdiction, including one other than the state the applicant is endorsing from; if no written exam was required when the applicant was first licensed, the Board accepts 20 years of independent doctoral-level practice in an ASPPB jurisdiction instead. Every endorsement applicant must pass the Board-developed Colorado Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination — Rule 1.12(D) applies it with no exemptions.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Both District of Columbia and Colorado are PSYPACT participants, which helps you right up until you actually relocate. As long as District of Columbia remains your licensed home state, the compact lets you treat Colorado clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Colorado in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Colorado. A permanent move puts you in front of the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) for endorsement — your EPPP score carries over rather than being retaken, but the degree, supervised experience, jurisprudence exam, and background check are all reviewed on Colorado's terms.

What changes, District of Columbia → Colorado

Side-by-side: District of Columbia vs Colorado (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
District of Columbia (current)Colorado (destination)
PSYPACT statusPSYPACT member — multistate license honoredPSYPACT member — multistate license honored
Application fee$322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application)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
Processing timeThe Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay reviewNo 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
Licensing authorityDistrict of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration)Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a current, unrestricted psychologist license in good standing in another state, U.S. territory or through the federal government, held for at least one year.
  5. Hold a doctoral degree in psychology, or a doctoral degree with a major the licensing jurisdiction determined equivalent to psychology.
  6. Attest to one year of supervised post-doctoral experience before your original licensure, or to one year of active practice averaging at least 20 hours per week.
  7. Pass the Colorado Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination — an open-book online exam on Colorado mental health law and rules.
  8. Submit verification of licensure from every jurisdiction, federal agency and military branch where you have ever been licensed, registered, listed or certified.
  9. Be at least 21 years of age and pass a Colorado Bureau of Investigation background check.
  10. Pay the fees (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) and allow 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.

Official links

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Does Colorado accept a District of Columbia psychology license?

A psychology license transfers from District of Columbia to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations), verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — Board Rule 1.12(C) lets the applicant attest to a written competence examination required and passed in any jurisdiction, including one other than the state the applicant is endorsing from; if no written exam was required when the applicant was first licensed, the Board accepts 20 years of independent doctoral-level practice in an ASPPB jurisdiction instead. Every endorsement applicant must pass the Board-developed Colorado Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination — Rule 1.12(D) applies it with no exemptions.

Do I retake the EPPP moving from District of Columbia to Colorado?

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — Board Rule 1.12(C) lets the applicant attest to a written competence examination required and passed in any jurisdiction, including one other than the state the applicant is endorsing from; if no written exam was required when the applicant was first licensed, the Board accepts 20 years of independent doctoral-level practice in an ASPPB jurisdiction instead. Every endorsement applicant must pass the Board-developed Colorado Mental Health Jurisprudence Examination — Rule 1.12(D) applies it with no exemptions.

What does the move cost?

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 (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).

How long will it take?

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 — 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.

District of Columbia and Colorado 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 Colorado (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in District of Columbia. Relocating to Colorado requires licensure by endorsement from the Colorado State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) like any other applicant.

Can I start seeing Colorado clients before my Colorado license is issued?

While your District of Columbia license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Colorado 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 District of Columbia stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Colorado license.

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

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]