Psychology License from Illinois to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) ↗

A psychology license transfers from Illinois to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health), verify your Illinois license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Washington deems Illinois psychology licenses equivalent, which is what this endorsement application relies on. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant who passed the EPPP in another jurisdiction contacts ASPPB to have the certified score sent directly to the Department of Health. Washington's jurisprudence exam is not required to obtain the license; it must be completed during the first continuing-education cycle after licensure.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Both Illinois and Washington 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 Washington clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Washington in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Washington. A permanent move puts you in front of the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) 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 Washington's terms.

Washington lists Illinois among the jurisdictions whose psychology licenses it deems substantially equivalent. That is what this endorsement application relies on — it is not license reciprocity, and the conditions Washington attaches to it are in the notes on the Washington page and on the board's site.

What changes, Illinois → Washington

Side-by-side: Illinois vs Washington (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
	Illinois (current)	Washington (destination)
PSYPACT status	Licensure by endorsement · PSYPACT: telepractice/temporary only	Licensure by endorsement · PSYPACT: telepractice/temporary only
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.)	$231 (Psychologist application $231, which includes the $16 HEALWA access fee; active renewal is $311. FBI fingerprint background-check costs are billed separately. A psychologist temporary practice permit carries no fee.)
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. The Department of Health publishes no processing-time range for psychologist applications; it states only that delayed applicant responses lengthen the wait
Licensing authority	Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation — Clinical Psychologists Licensing and Disciplinary Board	Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health)

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

Step by step

Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Qualify under one of four endorsement pathways: two years of unbroken licensure in a substantially equivalent state with no discipline in the preceding two years; two years of licensure in an essentially equivalent jurisdiction plus a doctoral degree with primary emphasis in psychology; current National Register or ABPP certification verified directly by that organization; or an unrestricted U.S. or Canadian license for the last five consecutive years.
Have ASPPB send the certified EPPP score directly to the Department of Health.
Submit official transcripts and verification of the out-of-state license.
Complete FBI fingerprint-based background check.
Complete the Washington jurisprudence exam during the first continuing-education cycle after licensure.
Pay the fees ($231 (Psychologist application $231, which includes the $16 HEALWA access fee; active renewal is $311. FBI fingerprint background-check costs are billed separately. A psychologist temporary practice permit carries no fee.)). Processing time: Not verified. The Department of Health publishes no processing-time range for psychologist applications; it states only that delayed applicant responses lengthen the wait.

Official links

Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) ↗Washington application ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does Washington accept an Illinois psychology license?

Do I retake the EPPP moving from Illinois to Washington?

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant who passed the EPPP in another jurisdiction contacts ASPPB to have the certified score sent directly to the Department of Health. Washington's jurisprudence exam is not required to obtain the license; it must be completed during the first continuing-education cycle after licensure.

What does the move cost?

$231 (Psychologist application $231, which includes the $16 HEALWA access fee; active renewal is $311. FBI fingerprint background-check costs are billed separately. A psychologist temporary practice permit carries no fee.).

How long will it take?

Not verified. The Department of Health publishes no processing-time range for psychologist applications; it states only that delayed applicant responses lengthen the wait.

Illinois and Washington 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 Washington (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Illinois. Relocating to Washington requires licensure by endorsement from the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) like any other applicant.

Can I start seeing Washington clients before my Washington license is issued?

While your Illinois license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Washington 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 Washington license.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.

Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

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