Psychology License from Florida to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A psychology license transfers from Florida 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 Florida license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Washington deems Florida 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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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida, 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 Florida 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, Florida → Washington
| Florida (current) | Washington (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | Licensure by endorsement · PSYPACT: telepractice/temporary only | Licensure by endorsement · PSYPACT: telepractice/temporary only |
| Application fee | $305 ($200 nonrefundable application fee + $100 initial licensure fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, per the Board's MOBILE endorsement fee table; Livescan fingerprint costs are paid separately to the screening vendor) | $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 | ~1 week (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S. requires the board to issue a license to a qualified applicant within 7 days after receipt of all required documentation; collecting license verifications, the ASPPB score transfer and fingerprint results takes longer) | 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 | Florida Board of Psychology (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) | 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 Florida psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Florida 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 Florida license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Washington deems Florida 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 Florida 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.
Florida 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 Florida. 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 Florida 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 Florida 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)
- Florida Board of Psychology — Psychologist licensure pathways incl. MOBILE Endorsement (fees, EPPP/ABPP, Livescan) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Florida Statutes s. 456.0145 — MOBILE Act (2 of last 4 years, ineligibility criteria, 7-day issuance, state jurisprudential exam only if the practice act requires it) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Florida Statutes ch. 490 — s. 490.006 Licensure by endorsement and s. 490.005 Licensure by examination ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B19-11.002 Endorsement (amended 11-20-25; DH-MQA-5101 rev. 08/2025; recognized ABPP specialties) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts — PSYPACT member states (Florida joined 2023) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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