Psychology License from Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho 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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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho, 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, Idaho → West Virginia
| Idaho (current) | West Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $250 (IDAPA 24.12.01.400 sets the Endorsement Application fee (and the Senior Psychologist application fee) at a not-to-exceed $250, plus a $25 administrative fee; Idaho Code 54-2307(4) caps any application fee at $300 and adds a $25 processing fee when an examination is required. The Board charges within those ceilings; a separate dollar-exact schedule is not published in rule, so the ceiling is reported rather than a guessed amount. All fees nonrefundable.) | $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 | Neither the Board's rules nor its website publishes a processing-time estimate for endorsement applications, and Idaho Code 67-9409 sets no statutory deadline — null rather than a guess. | 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 | Idaho Board of Psychologist Examiners (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) | 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 Idaho psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho 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..
Idaho 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 Idaho. 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 Idaho 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 Idaho 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)
- IDAPA 24.12.01 — Rules of the Idaho State Board of Psychologist Examiners (Section 100 licensure/EPPP; Section 400 fee schedule incl. Endorsement Application) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- IDAPA 24.12.01 — Internet Archive snapshot of the official rules PDF actually read on 2026-08-07 (idaho.gov hosts were unreachable from the research network) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Idaho Code 54-2307 — Qualifications for license; application fee cap ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Idaho Code 67-9409 — Universal licensure (out-of-state licensees; no jurisprudence exam; same fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Idaho Board of Psychologist Examiners — board home page (PSYPACT participation under Idaho Code 54-2321, eff. 7-1-2022) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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