Psychology License from Illinois to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Illinois to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions), verify your Illinois license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 18VAC125-20-42 imposes no re-examination on an endorsement applicant; only the substantial-equivalence route at 18VAC125-20-42(6)(e) requires verification of a passing score on all EPPP parts that were required at the time of original licensure. Virginia's psychology regulations contain no separate state jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead attests to having read and agreed to comply with Virginia's Standards of Practice and laws.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Both Illinois and Virginia 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 Virginia clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Virginia in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Virginia. A permanent move puts you in front of the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) 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 Virginia's terms.
What changes, Illinois → Virginia
| Illinois (current) | Virginia (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.) | $200 (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.) |
| 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.) | Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted. |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — Clinical Psychologists Licensing and Disciplinary Board | Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Virginia's current requirements on the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Attest to having read and agreed to comply with the current Standards of Practice and the laws governing the practice of psychology in Virginia.
- Verify every health and mental health professional license, certificate or registration ever held in Virginia or any U.S. or Canadian jurisdiction, with no credential surrendered while under investigation and no unresolved action.
- Submit a current report from the National Practitioner Data Bank.
- Document one of: a current National Register of Health Service Psychologists credential, current ABPP diplomate status in a comparable category, an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification, five years of active comparable licensure including 24 months of active practice within the last 60 months, or substantial equivalence proven from the original out-of-state application file.
- Pay the fees ($200 (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.)) and allow Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia accept a Illinois psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Illinois to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions), verify your Illinois license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 18VAC125-20-42 imposes no re-examination on an endorsement applicant; only the substantial-equivalence route at 18VAC125-20-42(6)(e) requires verification of a passing score on all EPPP parts that were required at the time of original licensure. Virginia's psychology regulations contain no separate state jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead attests to having read and agreed to comply with Virginia's Standards of Practice and laws.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Illinois to Virginia?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 18VAC125-20-42 imposes no re-examination on an endorsement applicant; only the substantial-equivalence route at 18VAC125-20-42(6)(e) requires verification of a passing score on all EPPP parts that were required at the time of original licensure. Virginia's psychology regulations contain no separate state jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead attests to having read and agreed to comply with Virginia's Standards of Practice and laws.
What does the move cost?
$200 (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.) (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.).
How long will it take?
Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted. — Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted..
Illinois and 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 Virginia (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Illinois. Relocating to Virginia requires licensure by endorsement from the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Virginia clients before my Virginia license is issued?
While your Illinois license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover 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 Illinois stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Virginia license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 18VAC125-20-42, Prerequisites for licensure by endorsement — Virginia Administrative Code, Board of Psychology ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 18VAC125-20-30, Fees required by the board — Virginia Administrative Code, Board of Psychology ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 18VAC125-20-80, General examination requirements — Virginia Administrative Code, Board of Psychology ↗ (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]