Psychology License from Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Washington deems Kentucky 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

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

Washington lists Kentucky 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, Kentucky → Washington

Side-by-side: Kentucky vs Washington (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
	Kentucky (current)	Washington (destination)
PSYPACT status	Licensure by endorsement · PSYPACT: telepractice/temporary only	Licensure by endorsement · PSYPACT: telepractice/temporary only
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.)	$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	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	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	Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology (Department of Professional Licensing)	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 a Kentucky psychology license?

Do I retake the EPPP moving from Kentucky 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.

Kentucky 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 Kentucky. 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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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