Psychology License from Nebraska to South Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Nebraska to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services), verify your Nebraska license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) and South Dakota does not require the EPPP Part 2 (EPPPII). South Dakota's state exam is an oral examination on the ASPPB Code of Conduct and mandatory reporting (75% to pass), but the Board voted on 2023-09-08 to waive the oral examination, effective 2023-09-09, for applicants who meet the licensure-by-endorsement requirements. Under SDCL 36-27A-17 the Board may also, at its discretion, exempt an ABPP diplomate holding a current out-of-state license from examination requirements.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Nebraska and South Dakota 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 Nebraska to South Dakota means applying to the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, South Dakota's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in Nebraska, you can serve South Dakota clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in South Dakota for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, Nebraska → South Dakota
| Nebraska (current) | South Dakota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $45.75–$183 (The license fee is prorated by issuance month against the 01/01 odd-year expiration: $183 in any month of an odd-numbered year or January–June of an even-numbered year, $45.75 July–December of an even-numbered year. A temporary license (valid up to 1 year pending the jurisprudence exam) is a separate $50. Nebraska State Patrol fingerprint fees are separate. The initial license fee is waived entirely for applicants under 26, low-income applicants, and military-connected applicants.) | $300 ($300.00 Application for Licensure fee. A separate initial licensure fee is prorated by the month the license is granted — $200.00 (July-September), $150.00 (October-December), $100.00 (January-March), $50.00 (April-June) — and annual renewal is $300.00. Oral examination fees are included in the application fee; a retake of a failed oral exam is $200.00. EPPP fees are paid directly to the national examination company) |
| Processing time | 1–2 weeks (Applications are reviewed in date order received; the Department states applicants receive an e-mail within approximately 10 days advising either that the license has been issued or that the application is incomplete. Converted from the Department's 'approximately 10 days' statement.) | The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing depends on Board review-officer approval of the completed file and, for applicants who do not qualify for the endorsement oral-exam waiver, on scheduling the oral examination |
| Licensing authority | Nebraska Board of Psychology (DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) | South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Qualify under SDCL 36-1D-1 — hold a current license from another jurisdiction whose requirements are substantially equivalent to or exceed South Dakota's, demonstrate competency as determined by the Board, and be in good standing with no disqualifying discipline.
- Submit the Board's Application for Licensure (there is no separate endorsement form) with the Verification of All Past/Present Licensure Form.
- Have official transcripts from all graduate programs sent directly from the institution to the Board office.
- Note that an ASPPB CPQ or National Register credential is recognized by the Board to expedite the paperwork but does not remove the requirement to submit a full application.
- Pay the fees ($300 ($300.00 Application for Licensure fee. A separate initial licensure fee is prorated by the month the license is granted — $200.00 (July-September), $150.00 (October-December), $100.00 (January-March), $50.00 (April-June) — and annual renewal is $300.00. Oral examination fees are included in the application fee; a retake of a failed oral exam is $200.00. EPPP fees are paid directly to the national examination company)) and allow The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing depends on Board review-officer approval of the completed file and, for applicants who do not qualify for the endorsement oral-exam waiver, on scheduling the oral examination.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does South Dakota accept a Nebraska psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Nebraska to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services), verify your Nebraska license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) and South Dakota does not require the EPPP Part 2 (EPPPII). South Dakota's state exam is an oral examination on the ASPPB Code of Conduct and mandatory reporting (75% to pass), but the Board voted on 2023-09-08 to waive the oral examination, effective 2023-09-09, for applicants who meet the licensure-by-endorsement requirements. Under SDCL 36-27A-17 the Board may also, at its discretion, exempt an ABPP diplomate holding a current out-of-state license from examination requirements.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Nebraska to South Dakota?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) and South Dakota does not require the EPPP Part 2 (EPPPII). South Dakota's state exam is an oral examination on the ASPPB Code of Conduct and mandatory reporting (75% to pass), but the Board voted on 2023-09-08 to waive the oral examination, effective 2023-09-09, for applicants who meet the licensure-by-endorsement requirements. Under SDCL 36-27A-17 the Board may also, at its discretion, exempt an ABPP diplomate holding a current out-of-state license from examination requirements.
What does the move cost?
$300 ($300.00 Application for Licensure fee. A separate initial licensure fee is prorated by the month the license is granted — $200.00 (July-September), $150.00 (October-December), $100.00 (January-March), $50.00 (April-June) — and annual renewal is $300.00. Oral examination fees are included in the application fee; a retake of a failed oral exam is $200.00. EPPP fees are paid directly to the national examination company) ($300.00 Application for Licensure fee. A separate initial licensure fee is prorated by the month the license is granted — $200.00 (July-September), $150.00 (October-December), $100.00 (January-March), $50.00 (April-June) — and annual renewal is $300.00. Oral examination fees are included in the application fee; a retake of a failed oral exam is $200.00. EPPP fees are paid directly to the national examination company).
How long will it take?
The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing depends on Board review-officer approval of the completed file and, for applicants who do not qualify for the endorsement oral-exam waiver, on scheduling the oral examination — The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing depends on Board review-officer approval of the completed file and, for applicants who do not qualify for the endorsement oral-exam waiver, on scheduling the oral examination.
Nebraska and South Dakota 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 South Dakota (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Nebraska. Relocating to South Dakota requires licensure by endorsement from the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing South Dakota clients before my South Dakota license is issued?
While your Nebraska license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover South Dakota 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 Nebraska stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the South Dakota license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- SD Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Frequently Asked Questions (endorsement statute SDCL 36-1D-1, CPQ/National Register recognition, SDCL 36-27A-17 ABPP exam exemption, oral-exam waiver effective 2023-09-09, no EPPPII) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SD Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Fee Schedule ($300 application, prorated $50-$200 licensure fee, $200 oral re-exam, $300 renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SD Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Become Licensed (doctoral degree, EPPP, 1,800-hour internship, post-doctoral year) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SDCL 36-1D-1 — Eligibility for licensure by endorsement (South Dakota Legislature statute service; supersedes profession-specific endorsement provisions) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SD Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Applications and Forms (no separate endorsement form; single Application for Licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit — Psychology credential page (credential types, jurisprudence exam, PSYPACT, fee schedule 172 NAC 5) — read via Internet Archive snapshot dated 2026-05-28 because dhhs.ne.gov did not resolve from the research network on 2026-08-07 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Nebraska DHHS — Psychology License Information and Application (RECIPROCITY LICENSE requirements, Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-129.02 route, EPPP/ABPP waiver, fee chart, ~10-day review statement) — read via Internet Archive snapshot dated 2025-12-15 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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