Psychology License from New Mexico to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
A psychology license transfers from New Mexico 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 New Mexico license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Washington deems New Mexico 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.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a payoff worth planning around. New Mexico is outside PSYPACT, so you have had no compact authorizations to work with — but Washington participates. Endorse into Washington through the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health), 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, Washington's jurisprudence requirement applied — but what it unlocks afterwards is considerably more than a single state.
Washington lists New Mexico 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, New Mexico → Washington
| New Mexico (current) | Washington (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement · PSYPACT: telepractice/temporary only |
| Application fee | $125 (Initial application fee, nonrefundable; the application expires 24 months from receipt. Add the $75 online jurisprudence examination fee (and $75 per re-examination). EPPP fees are set by and payable to ASPPB and the test vendor.) | $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 | 16.22.5.9(C) NMAC provides only that complete applications are reviewed by the board or its designee and that a notification of approval, denial or need for additional information is issued; the board publishes no turnaround 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 |
| Licensing authority | New Mexico Board of Psychologist Examiners (Regulation and Licensing Department) | 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
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington accept a New Mexico psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from New Mexico 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 New Mexico license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. Washington deems New Mexico 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.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from New Mexico 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.
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)
- 16.22.5 NMAC — Psychologists: licensure requirements, incl. 16.22.5.9 (application), 16.22.5.10 (applicants licensed in another state two years or more) and 16.22.5.11 (CPQ / National Register / ABPP holders) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 16.22.7 NMAC — Examination requirements (EPPP, online jurisprudence exam, New Mexico cultures) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 16.22.4 NMAC — Education requirements (Part 4 does not apply to reciprocity applicants under 16.22.5.10 and 16.22.5.11) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NM Board of Psychologist Examiners — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NM Board of Psychologist Examiners — Licensing, Registration and Renewal (application guides, EPPP score transfer, 16.22.7.8 NMAC text) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]