Psychology License from Kentucky to Rhode Island: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) ↗

A psychology license transfers from Kentucky to Rhode Island by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health), verify your Kentucky license, and meet Rhode Island's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 216-RICR-40-05-15 requires applicants to have passed the ASPPB EPPP at the ASPPB recommended passing score unless exempted under the rule, and the Board verifies the score rather than re-testing. The regulation specifies no separate Rhode Island jurisprudence or law exam.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Both Kentucky and Rhode Island are PSYPACT participants, which helps you right up until you actually relocate. As long as Kentucky remains your licensed home state, the compact lets you treat Rhode Island clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Rhode Island in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Rhode Island. A permanent move puts you in front of the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island's terms.

What changes, Kentucky → Rhode Island

Side-by-side: Kentucky vs Rhode Island (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
	Kentucky (current)	Rhode Island (destination)
PSYPACT status	PSYPACT member — multistate license honored	PSYPACT member — multistate license honored
Application fee	$100 ($100 application review fee under 201 KAR 26:160 Section 1(1)(a); an Application for Licensure as a Psychologist by Reciprocity is likewise $100 (Section 6). Separate from this application fee: $100 for the jurisprudence and competency examinations, $50 per retake of either, and a $250 initial licensure fee for the first three-year period once the process is complete. The EPPP fee is waived for a candidate who already passed the EPPP in another state. All fees are nonrefundable.)	$230 (Psychologist application fee of $230.00 under the RI Department of Health Fee Structure (216-RICR-10-05-2, citing R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-12); biennial renewal is also $230.00, with a $50.00 late-renewal add-on. A trainee temporary license is $120.00. EPPP fees are paid to ASPPB)
Processing time	No processing-time estimate is published in KRS 319, in 201 KAR 26, or by the Board; applications pass through the online system's primary source verification and then a final board review. Null rather than a guess.	Neither the RICR psychologist licensing regulation nor the Department of Health fee regulation states a processing-time range, and health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to the research agent on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated estimate could be verified
Licensing authority	Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology (Department of Professional Licensing)	Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health)

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

Step by step

Confirm Rhode Island's current requirements on the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Qualify for licensure by endorsement under R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-11, as directed by 216-RICR-40-05-15.
Hold an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) or the National Register Health Service Provider in Psychology credential to be deemed to have met the Part's licensure requirements.
Otherwise document two years of supervised experience totaling at least 3,000 hours, of which at least 1,500 must be post-doctoral.
Submit official transcripts and affidavits of internship, plus verification of good standing from every state of licensure.
Pay the fees ($230 (Psychologist application fee of $230.00 under the RI Department of Health Fee Structure (216-RICR-10-05-2, citing R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-12); biennial renewal is also $230.00, with a $50.00 late-renewal add-on. A trainee temporary license is $120.00. EPPP fees are paid to ASPPB)) and allow Neither the RICR psychologist licensing regulation nor the Department of Health fee regulation states a processing-time range, and health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to the research agent on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated estimate could be verified.

Official links

Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does Rhode Island accept a Kentucky psychology license?

Do I retake the EPPP moving from Kentucky to Rhode Island?

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 216-RICR-40-05-15 requires applicants to have passed the ASPPB EPPP at the ASPPB recommended passing score unless exempted under the rule, and the Board verifies the score rather than re-testing. The regulation specifies no separate Rhode Island jurisprudence or law exam.

What does the move cost?

$230 (Psychologist application fee of $230.00 under the RI Department of Health Fee Structure (216-RICR-10-05-2, citing R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-12); biennial renewal is also $230.00, with a $50.00 late-renewal add-on. A trainee temporary license is $120.00. EPPP fees are paid to ASPPB) (Psychologist application fee of $230.00 under the RI Department of Health Fee Structure (216-RICR-10-05-2, citing R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-12); biennial renewal is also $230.00, with a $50.00 late-renewal add-on. A trainee temporary license is $120.00. EPPP fees are paid to ASPPB).

How long will it take?

Neither the RICR psychologist licensing regulation nor the Department of Health fee regulation states a processing-time range, and health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to the research agent on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated estimate could be verified — Neither the RICR psychologist licensing regulation nor the Department of Health fee regulation states a processing-time range, and health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to the research agent on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated estimate could be verified.

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

Can I start seeing Rhode Island clients before my Rhode Island license is issued?

While your Kentucky license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Rhode Island 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 Kentucky stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Rhode Island 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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