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LicenseReciprocity

Psychology License from Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

This direction has a payoff worth planning around. Massachusetts is outside PSYPACT, so you have had no compact authorizations to work with — but Pennsylvania participates. Endorse into Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), make it your licensed home state, and that license becomes an anchor: from there an ASPPB E.Passport and APIT authorization let you serve clients across every other participating state without another full license. The endorsement itself is still an ordinary application — EPPP score accepted, credentials reviewed, Pennsylvania's jurisprudence requirement applied — but what it unlocks afterwards is considerably more than a single state.

What changes, Massachusetts → Pennsylvania

Side-by-side: Massachusetts vs Pennsylvania (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
Massachusetts (current)Pennsylvania (destination)
PSYPACT statusLicensure by endorsementPSYPACT member — multistate license honored
Application fee$420 (Board fee table for the Psychologist license type: application fee $150 + license fee $270 = subtotal $420. An 'examination and processing fee' of $282 is listed separately for the same license type and would apply to board-administered examination; an additional processing fee may be charged depending on payment method. All fees are non-refundable. Biennial renewal $270.)$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 timeNeither the Board's application page nor 251 CMR 3.00 publishes a processing-time estimate; applications are filed through the Health Professions Licensing Portal.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 authorityMassachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health)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

  1. 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.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Have no disciplinary action by the licensing jurisdiction and no act constituting grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation.
  7. Complete 3 hours of Board-approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting.
  8. Be prepared for a personal interview and additional documentation at the Board's discretion.
  9. 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

Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) ↗Pennsylvania application ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Pennsylvania → MassachusettsPsychology in MassachusettsPsychology in PennsylvaniaAll psychology statesThe PSYPACT explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Pennsylvania accept a Massachusetts psychology license?

A psychology license transfers from Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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.

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

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]