Psychology License from Illinois to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology ↗
A psychology license transfers from Illinois to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology, verify your Illinois license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) if it meets Alabama's current cut score — an applicant must retake the EPPP only if the score is below Alabama's cut-off or if the applicant was licensed through an EPPP waiver and is not an ABPP diplomate; every admitted candidate must also pass the Alabama Professional Standards Examination (PSE) on Alabama license law and the APA ethics code, except applicants exempt under Rule 750-X-2-.08(2).
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Both Illinois and Alabama are PSYPACT participants, which helps you right up until you actually relocate. As long as Illinois remains your licensed home state, the compact lets you treat Alabama clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Alabama in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Alabama. A permanent move puts you in front of the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology 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 Alabama's terms.
What changes, Illinois → Alabama
| Illinois (current) | Alabama (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $100 (ENDORSEMENT licensure-method application fee for profession code 071, per the IDFPR Licensed Clinical Psychologist application packet; the SENIOR PSYCHOLOGIST method is also $100, while EXAMINATION and ACCEPTANCE OF EXAMINATION are $50. Application fees are nonrefundable.) | $400 ($400 nonrefundable application processing fee payable to the Board; separately + $38.25 payable to ALEA for the state/federal criminal history check and + $50 PSE fee due when sitting for the exam) |
| Processing time | ~6 weeks (The IDFPR application packet instructs applicants to 'allow 6 weeks from mailing your application before making an inquiry concerning its status.' That is the Department's stated floor for a status inquiry, not a promised decision date, and no upper bound is published — hence the open-ended range.) | 13–17 weeks (Board states the process for previously licensed applicants 'generally takes three (3) to four (4) months from the time the application is received'; files are reviewed only at regular Board meetings, generally the second Friday of odd-numbered months, and must be complete by the first day of an odd-numbered month) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — Clinical Psychologists Licensing and Disciplinary Board | Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alabama sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active independent-level psychologist license in another jurisdiction and have a Verification of Licensure Form sent directly to the Board by every jurisdiction where a license is or was held.
- Meet Alabama's own doctoral education and internship standards (Rules 750-X-2-.04 and 750-X-2-.07) — previous licensure does not waive them.
- Pass the Alabama Professional Standards Examination (PSE), unless licensed at the independent level in at least two states with a passing national exam score (Rule 750-X-2-.08(2)).
- Submit two fingerprint cards and a criminal history release for an ALEA and FBI background check.
- Provide four positive references, at least three from doctoral-level licensed or certified psychologists.
- Pay the fees ($400 ($400 nonrefundable application processing fee payable to the Board; separately + $38.25 payable to ALEA for the state/federal criminal history check and + $50 PSE fee due when sitting for the exam)) and allow 13–17 weeks (Board states the process for previously licensed applicants 'generally takes three (3) to four (4) months from the time the application is received'; files are reviewed only at regular Board meetings, generally the second Friday of odd-numbered months, and must be complete by the first day of an odd-numbered month).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Alabama accept a Illinois psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Illinois to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology, verify your Illinois license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) if it meets Alabama's current cut score — an applicant must retake the EPPP only if the score is below Alabama's cut-off or if the applicant was licensed through an EPPP waiver and is not an ABPP diplomate; every admitted candidate must also pass the Alabama Professional Standards Examination (PSE) on Alabama license law and the APA ethics code, except applicants exempt under Rule 750-X-2-.08(2).
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Illinois to Alabama?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) if it meets Alabama's current cut score — an applicant must retake the EPPP only if the score is below Alabama's cut-off or if the applicant was licensed through an EPPP waiver and is not an ABPP diplomate; every admitted candidate must also pass the Alabama Professional Standards Examination (PSE) on Alabama license law and the APA ethics code, except applicants exempt under Rule 750-X-2-.08(2).
What does the move cost?
$400 ($400 nonrefundable application processing fee payable to the Board; separately + $38.25 payable to ALEA for the state/federal criminal history check and + $50 PSE fee due when sitting for the exam) ($400 nonrefundable application processing fee payable to the Board; separately + $38.25 payable to ALEA for the state/federal criminal history check and + $50 PSE fee due when sitting for the exam).
How long will it take?
13–17 weeks (Board states the process for previously licensed applicants 'generally takes three (3) to four (4) months from the time the application is received'; files are reviewed only at regular Board meetings, generally the second Friday of odd-numbered months, and must be complete by the first day of an odd-numbered month) — Board states the process for previously licensed applicants 'generally takes three (3) to four (4) months from the time the application is received'; files are reviewed only at regular Board meetings, generally the second Friday of odd-numbered months, and must be complete by the first day of an odd-numbered month.
Illinois and Alabama 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 Alabama (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Illinois. Relocating to Alabama requires licensure by endorsement from the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Alabama clients before my Alabama license is issued?
While your Illinois license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Alabama 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 Illinois stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Alabama license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology — Information for Psychologist Applicants (previous licensure, reciprocity statement, PSE, fees, 3-4 month timeline, Rule 750-X-2-.08) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology — Fees ($400 psychologist application) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PSYPACT — PSYPACT Map/States (Alabama participating) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- IDFPR — Licensed Clinical Psychologist application packet (licensure methods, endorsement requirements, $100 endorsement fee, supporting documents, 6-week inquiry window) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- IDFPR — Clinical Psychology profession page (Act 225 ILCS 15/, Rules 68 IAC Part 1400, CORE online application) ↗ (accessed 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]