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

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) ↗

A psychology license transfers from Illinois to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration), verify your Illinois license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) for an already-licensed applicant; an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) may be submitted in lieu of the official transcript, the EPPP score and the supervision forms. A District of Columbia jurisprudence requirement applies, but the Board states there is no DC exam at this time — the applicant reads the Board's jurisprudence study material and signs an Attestation Statement Form.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Illinois and District of Columbia 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 Illinois to District of Columbia means applying to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, District of Columbia's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in Illinois, you can serve District of Columbia clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in District of Columbia for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.

What changes, Illinois → District of Columbia

Side-by-side: Illinois vs District of Columbia (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
	Illinois (current)	District of Columbia (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.)	$322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application)
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.)	The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review
Licensing authority	Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — Clinical Psychologists Licensing and Disciplinary Board	District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration)

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

Step by step

Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements on the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Submit official verification of licensure from every state or jurisdiction in which you have ever held a professional license, sent directly by the issuing board.
Document 4,000 total pre-doctoral and post-doctoral supervised hours on the Board's verification forms, or substitute at least two years of licensed unsupervised practice with a resume and Nature of Practice Statement, or a CPQ or National Register credential.
Sign the DC Jurisprudence Examination Attestation Statement Form after reading the Board's study material.
Complete the criminal background check ordered with the online application.
Submit three Character Reference Forms from people who are not relatives, instructors or employers and have known you at least one year.
Pay the fees ($322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application)) and allow The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review.

Official links

District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) ↗District of Columbia application ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does District of Columbia accept a Illinois psychology license?

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

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) for an already-licensed applicant; an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) may be submitted in lieu of the official transcript, the EPPP score and the supervision forms. A District of Columbia jurisprudence requirement applies, but the Board states there is no DC exam at this time — the applicant reads the Board's jurisprudence study material and signs an Attestation Statement Form.

What does the move cost?

$322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application) ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application).

How long will it take?

The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review — The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review.

Illinois and District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Illinois. Relocating to District of Columbia requires licensure by endorsement from the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) like any other applicant.

Can I start seeing District of Columbia clients before my District of Columbia license is issued?

While your Illinois license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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

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