Psychology License from Illinois to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Illinois to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), verify your Illinois license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under 49 Pa. Code 41.52 an applicant who passed the national portion with a score equal to or above Pennsylvania's prevailing passing score 'will not be required to repeat this portion.' The Board separately administers the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) as a licensure exam.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Illinois and Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania means applying to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Pennsylvania for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, Illinois → Pennsylvania
| Illinois (current) | Pennsylvania (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.) | $105 (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors) |
| 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.) | Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07 |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — Clinical Psychologists Licensing and Disciplinary Board | Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current license in another jurisdiction whose standards are substantially equivalent to or exceed Pennsylvania's, and document that jurisdiction's law and regulations.
- Demonstrate competency by either actively practicing psychology 2 of the last 5 years in the issuing jurisdiction, or completing 30 hours of continuing education in the 24 months preceding application.
- Have no disciplinary action by the licensing jurisdiction and no act constituting grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation.
- Complete 3 hours of Board-approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting.
- Be prepared for a personal interview and additional documentation at the Board's discretion.
- Pay the fees ($105 (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors)) and allow Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Illinois psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Illinois to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), verify your Illinois license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under 49 Pa. Code 41.52 an applicant who passed the national portion with a score equal to or above Pennsylvania's prevailing passing score 'will not be required to repeat this portion.' The Board separately administers the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) as a licensure exam.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Illinois to Pennsylvania?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under 49 Pa. Code 41.52 an applicant who passed the national portion with a score equal to or above Pennsylvania's prevailing passing score 'will not be required to repeat this portion.' The Board separately administers the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) as a licensure exam.
What does the move cost?
$105 (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors) (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors).
How long will it take?
Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07 — Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07.
Illinois and Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Illinois. Relocating to Pennsylvania requires licensure by endorsement from the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Pennsylvania clients before my Pennsylvania license is issued?
While your Illinois license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 49 Pa. Code 41.52a — Licensure by endorsement (Act 41) conditions for out-of-state psychologists ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code 41.52 — Licensure of psychologists licensed in another state (EPPP national-portion waiver, child abuse training, temporary practice) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code 41.12 — State Board of Psychology fee schedule ($105 initial application, $300 biennial renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PA Department of State — Psychologist Licensure Snapshot (EPPP + PPLE, supervised experience, fees, PSYPACT) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PA State Board of Psychology — board home page ↗ (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]