Psychology License from New Hampshire to West Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists ↗
A psychology license transfers from New Hampshire to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists, verify your New Hampshire license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the reciprocity applicant submits their EPPP score with the application rather than re-testing; every reciprocity applicant must additionally pass the Board's oral examination, which covers professional ethics, legal issues, competency and pertinent West Virginia law (17CSR3 §§12.2.f and 14.4).
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Both New Hampshire and West Virginia are PSYPACT participants, which helps you right up until you actually relocate. As long as New Hampshire remains your licensed home state, the compact lets you treat West Virginia clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in West Virginia in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in West Virginia. A permanent move puts you in front of the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists 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 West Virginia's terms.
What changes, New Hampshire → West Virginia
| New Hampshire (current) | West Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $358 (Psychologist / Psychologist Tele-Pass application fee from the Board's published fee table, which includes the mandatory $28 Professional Health Program surcharge. The Board's older Psyc 303.03(b) out-of-state checklist still prints $300; the fee table is the newer figure. A temporary psychologist licence is $150. Criminal-background-check costs are the applicant's and are separate.) | $120–$525 (17CSR1 §2.1 application fee $120; the oral examination required of every reciprocity applicant is a further $405 (§2.6.1), so a typical reciprocity applicant pays about $525. Not included: $25 application-packet mailing/handling, $90 temporary permit, $180 continued oral examination. All Board fees are nonrefundable.) |
| Processing time | Neither the Board of Psychologists pages nor the out-of-state applicant checklist states a processing-time estimate for psychologist applications. | The Board publishes no stated review timeline. Timing is driven by the oral examination, which is scheduled at a Board meeting and requires all oral-exam materials at least 15 days in advance; a 90-day temporary permit is available to bridge the wait. |
| Licensing authority | New Hampshire Board of Psychologists (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) | West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — West Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a license or certificate granted by another state under standards the Board finds equal to or greater than West Virginia's.
- Submit a notarized application, official graduate transcripts, national (EPPP) exam scores, documentation of supervision, and a letter of good standing from every jurisdiction that has licensed you.
- Pass the Board's oral examination, filing the oral examination form, demonstrable competency form and at least three work samples at least 15 days before the exam date.
- Obtain a 90-day temporary permit if you intend to practice in West Virginia before the regular license is issued.
- Pay the fees ($120–$525 (17CSR1 §2.1 application fee $120; the oral examination required of every reciprocity applicant is a further $405 (§2.6.1), so a typical reciprocity applicant pays about $525. Not included: $25 application-packet mailing/handling, $90 temporary permit, $180 continued oral examination. All Board fees are nonrefundable.)) and allow The Board publishes no stated review timeline. Timing is driven by the oral examination, which is scheduled at a Board meeting and requires all oral-exam materials at least 15 days in advance; a 90-day temporary permit is available to bridge the wait..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does West Virginia accept a New Hampshire psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from New Hampshire to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists, verify your New Hampshire license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the reciprocity applicant submits their EPPP score with the application rather than re-testing; every reciprocity applicant must additionally pass the Board's oral examination, which covers professional ethics, legal issues, competency and pertinent West Virginia law (17CSR3 §§12.2.f and 14.4).
Do I retake the EPPP moving from New Hampshire to West Virginia?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the reciprocity applicant submits their EPPP score with the application rather than re-testing; every reciprocity applicant must additionally pass the Board's oral examination, which covers professional ethics, legal issues, competency and pertinent West Virginia law (17CSR3 §§12.2.f and 14.4).
What does the move cost?
$120–$525 (17CSR1 §2.1 application fee $120; the oral examination required of every reciprocity applicant is a further $405 (§2.6.1), so a typical reciprocity applicant pays about $525. Not included: $25 application-packet mailing/handling, $90 temporary permit, $180 continued oral examination. All Board fees are nonrefundable.) (17CSR1 §2.1 application fee $120; the oral examination required of every reciprocity applicant is a further $405 (§2.6.1), so a typical reciprocity applicant pays about $525. Not included: $25 application-packet mailing/handling, $90 temporary permit, $180 continued oral examination. All Board fees are nonrefundable.).
How long will it take?
The Board publishes no stated review timeline. Timing is driven by the oral examination, which is scheduled at a Board meeting and requires all oral-exam materials at least 15 days in advance; a 90-day temporary permit is available to bridge the wait. — The Board publishes no stated review timeline. Timing is driven by the oral examination, which is scheduled at a Board meeting and requires all oral-exam materials at least 15 days in advance; a 90-day temporary permit is available to bridge the wait..
New Hampshire and West Virginia 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 West Virginia (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in New Hampshire. Relocating to West Virginia requires licensure by endorsement from the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing West Virginia clients before my West Virginia license is issued?
While your New Hampshire license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover West Virginia 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 New Hampshire stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the West Virginia license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- WV Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Reciprocity Applicants / Oral Examination / Temporary License ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Legislative Rule 17CSR3 §12.2 and §14.4 — reciprocity provision, CPQ/National Register portability waiver, oral examination ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Legislative Rule 17CSR1 — Board of Psychologists fee schedule (application $120, oral exam $405, temporary permit $90) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Board of Examiners of Psychologists — License Information (application pathways) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH Board of Psychologists — Checklist for Psyc 303.03(b) applicants holding licenses from other states and qualifying credentials — read via Internet Archive snapshot dated 2025-06-07 because www.oplc.nh.gov returned HTTP 403 to the research network on 2026-08-07 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC — Board of Psychologists License Fees ($358 Psychologist/Psychologist Tele-Pass application fee incl. $28 PHP surcharge) — read via Internet Archive snapshot dated 2026-01-15 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC — Applications for Psychologists (application packet, verification of licensure form, official EPPP score verification, Psyc 303.03(b) checklist, reciprocity link) — read via Internet Archive snapshot dated 2026-01-16 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC — examination services notice effective 12 May 2025 ('Psychologist Jurisprudence Examination (Once enacted by the Board)') — read via Internet Archive snapshot dated 2025-05-31 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC — Board of Psychologists home (board scope, licence information index) — read via Internet Archive snapshot dated 2025-05-23 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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