Psychology License from New Jersey to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) ↗
Yes — Washington has a reciprocity arrangement covering New Jersey license holders. Apply to the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
What changes, New Jersey → Washington
| New Jersey (current) | Washington (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | Not verifiable from a primary source on 2026-08-07: the Board publishes no fee figure on its application, FAQ or board pages, and its own link to the fee-bearing rules (N.J.A.C. 13:42, https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/regulations/Chapter-42-Board-of-Psychological-Examiners.pdf) returns File Not Found. The only Board-published dollar figures are downstream: $300 biennial license renewal, $300 reinstatement, $35 per license verification, $25 duplicate license. | $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 | The Board publishes no application review timeframe on its applications, FAQ or board pages. | 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 | New Jersey State Board of Psychological Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs, Office of the Attorney General) | 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 reciprocity 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.)) and allow 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
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington accept a New Jersey psychology license?
Yes — Washington has a reciprocity arrangement covering New Jersey license holders. Apply to the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from New Jersey 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.) (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. — Not verified. The Department of Health publishes no processing-time range for psychologist applications; it states only that delayed applicant responses lengthen the wait..
New Jersey 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 New Jersey. 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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.
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist: Equivalent States/Countries (substantially equivalent state list, last reviewed 2023-07-21; SHB 1724 endorsement criteria) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist: Licensing Information (application types and fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist: Licensing Requirements (EPPP score transfer via ASPPB, jurisprudence exam timing, 3,300 supervised hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist: Frequently Asked Questions (the four endorsement pathways and required submissions) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Washington State Department of Health — Psychologist (Examining Board of Psychology; 2025 permanent rules under chapter 246-924 WAC) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NJ State Board of Psychological Examiners — Applications (Licensed Psychologist application, permits, required forms) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NJ State Board of Psychological Examiners — Frequently Asked Questions (which application to file, out-of-state recognition, exams, supervised hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NJ State Board of Psychological Examiners — Board home (renewal, jurisprudence online review, CE) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NJ Board of Psychological Examiners — Application for Reinstatement or Reactivation (published fee figures) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PSYPACT — participating states map ↗ (accessed 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]