Psychology License from District of Columbia to Nebraska: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Nebraska Board of Psychology (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) ↗
A psychology license transfers from District of Columbia to Nebraska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nebraska Board of Psychology (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit), verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Nebraska's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — submit the official Professional Examination Service score report or official verification from the board that administered it; a minimum scaled score of 500 applies, and the EPPP is waived outright for ABPP diplomates. Every applicant, including reciprocity applicants, must still pass the open-book Nebraska jurisprudence examination with a minimum score of 80%.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
District of Columbia and Nebraska 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 District of Columbia to Nebraska means applying to the Nebraska Board of Psychology (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Nebraska's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in District of Columbia, you can serve Nebraska clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Nebraska for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, District of Columbia → Nebraska
| District of Columbia (current) | Nebraska (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT 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) | $45.75–$183 (The license fee is prorated by issuance month against the 01/01 odd-year expiration: $183 in any month of an odd-numbered year or January–June of an even-numbered year, $45.75 July–December of an even-numbered year. A temporary license (valid up to 1 year pending the jurisprudence exam) is a separate $50. Nebraska State Patrol fingerprint fees are separate. The initial license fee is waived entirely for applicants under 26, low-income applicants, and military-connected applicants.) |
| Processing time | The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review | 1–2 weeks (Applications are reviewed in date order received; the Department states applicants receive an e-mail within approximately 10 days advising either that the license has been issued or that the application is incomplete. Converted from the Department's 'approximately 10 days' statement.) |
| Licensing authority | District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) | Nebraska Board of Psychology (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Nebraska sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Nebraska's current requirements on the Nebraska Board of Psychology (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Nebraska Board of Psychology (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current psychologist credential in another jurisdiction and verify every health-related credential you hold or have ever held.
- Qualify on one basis: an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification, a doctoral-level National Register Health Service Provider credential, meeting Nebraska's initial licensing requirements, or Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-129.02 (credentialed at least 1 year elsewhere plus documented Nebraska residency within 30 days of establishing it).
- Pass the Nebraska jurisprudence examination with a minimum score of 80%.
- Submit fingerprints and the processing fee to the Nebraska State Patrol for a criminal background check.
- Pay the fees ($45.75–$183 (The license fee is prorated by issuance month against the 01/01 odd-year expiration: $183 in any month of an odd-numbered year or January–June of an even-numbered year, $45.75 July–December of an even-numbered year. A temporary license (valid up to 1 year pending the jurisprudence exam) is a separate $50. Nebraska State Patrol fingerprint fees are separate. The initial license fee is waived entirely for applicants under 26, low-income applicants, and military-connected applicants.)) and allow 1–2 weeks (Applications are reviewed in date order received; the Department states applicants receive an e-mail within approximately 10 days advising either that the license has been issued or that the application is incomplete. Converted from the Department's 'approximately 10 days' statement.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Nebraska accept a District of Columbia psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from District of Columbia to Nebraska by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nebraska Board of Psychology (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit), verify your District of Columbia license, and meet Nebraska's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — submit the official Professional Examination Service score report or official verification from the board that administered it; a minimum scaled score of 500 applies, and the EPPP is waived outright for ABPP diplomates. Every applicant, including reciprocity applicants, must still pass the open-book Nebraska jurisprudence examination with a minimum score of 80%.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from District of Columbia to Nebraska?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — submit the official Professional Examination Service score report or official verification from the board that administered it; a minimum scaled score of 500 applies, and the EPPP is waived outright for ABPP diplomates. Every applicant, including reciprocity applicants, must still pass the open-book Nebraska jurisprudence examination with a minimum score of 80%.
What does the move cost?
$45.75–$183 (The license fee is prorated by issuance month against the 01/01 odd-year expiration: $183 in any month of an odd-numbered year or January–June of an even-numbered year, $45.75 July–December of an even-numbered year. A temporary license (valid up to 1 year pending the jurisprudence exam) is a separate $50. Nebraska State Patrol fingerprint fees are separate. The initial license fee is waived entirely for applicants under 26, low-income applicants, and military-connected applicants.) (The license fee is prorated by issuance month against the 01/01 odd-year expiration: $183 in any month of an odd-numbered year or January–June of an even-numbered year, $45.75 July–December of an even-numbered year. A temporary license (valid up to 1 year pending the jurisprudence exam) is a separate $50. Nebraska State Patrol fingerprint fees are separate. The initial license fee is waived entirely for applicants under 26, low-income applicants, and military-connected applicants.).
How long will it take?
1–2 weeks (Applications are reviewed in date order received; the Department states applicants receive an e-mail within approximately 10 days advising either that the license has been issued or that the application is incomplete. Converted from the Department's 'approximately 10 days' statement.) — Applications are reviewed in date order received; the Department states applicants receive an e-mail within approximately 10 days advising either that the license has been issued or that the application is incomplete. Converted from the Department's 'approximately 10 days' statement..
District of Columbia and Nebraska 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 Nebraska (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in District of Columbia. Relocating to Nebraska requires licensure by endorsement from the Nebraska Board of Psychology (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Nebraska clients before my Nebraska license is issued?
While your District of Columbia license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Nebraska 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 Nebraska license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Psychology credential page (credential types, jurisprudence exam, PSYPACT, fee schedule 172 NAC 5) — read via Internet Archive snapshot dated 2026-05-28 because dhhs.ne.gov did not resolve from the research network on 2026-08-07 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Nebraska DHHS — Psychology License Information and Application (RECIPROCITY LICENSE requirements, Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-129.02 route, EPPP/ABPP waiver, fee chart, ~10-day review statement) — read via Internet Archive snapshot dated 2025-12-15 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- DC Health — Psychology Licensing (checklists, jurisprudence study material, EPPP, background check) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- DC Board of Psychology — New License Application ENDORSEMENT checklist (fee $322, $50 CBC, 4,000 hours, jurisprudence attestation, CPQ/National Register substitutions) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts — PSYPACT member states (District of Columbia joined 2021) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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