Psychology License from North Carolina to Massachusetts: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health) ↗
A psychology license transfers from North Carolina to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health), verify your North Carolina license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers — 251 CMR 3.09 licenses by reciprocity a psychologist currently licensed or certified in another jurisdiction whose requirements are the substantial equivalent of M.G.L. c. 112 §119, rather than re-testing the national examination (Massachusetts' own passing standard is a scaled score of 500 or higher); 251 CMR 3.09(4) requires every reciprocity applicant to achieve a passing score on the Massachusetts psychology jurisprudence examination.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Leaving North Carolina for Massachusetts takes you outside the compact's reach: Massachusetts does not participate in PSYPACT, so no APIT or TAP authorization covers Massachusetts clients, and there is no telehealth or temporary-practice bridge to work across while your application is pending. You apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health) for licensure by endorsement — your existing EPPP score is accepted rather than retaken, and Massachusetts applies its own credential review, jurisprudence requirement, and background check. Any authorizations you hold for other participating states remain valid only while your North Carolina license does.
What changes, North Carolina → Massachusetts
| North Carolina (current) | Massachusetts (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $100 (Nonrefundable application fee, check or money order only ($20 charge for a returned bank item). Add $38 for the criminal background check and $200 for the State Examination; health services provider (HSP-P) certification, which is mandatory for permanently licensed psychologists rendering health services in North Carolina, costs a further $50.) | $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.) |
| Processing time | 4–9 weeks (Board rule of thumb: if an application is complete by the last working day of a month it will be reviewed by the last working day of the following month — roughly 4 to 9 weeks depending on when the file completes. Some files must go to the full Board, which follows the published meeting calendar. An incomplete application stays active only three months, then voids.) | Neither the Board's application page nor 251 CMR 3.00 publishes a processing-time estimate; applications are filed through the Health Professions Licensing Portal. |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Psychology Board | Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Massachusetts sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Massachusetts's current requirements on the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current psychologist license or certification in another jurisdiction whose requirements are the substantial equivalent of M.G.L. c. 112 §119.
- Meet the academic requirements of 251 CMR 3.03(1).
- Qualify by recognized credential where applicable: an ABPP diplomate, or at least 5 years of licensure in good standing plus the ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ); National Register listing plus 5 years supports reciprocity with health service provider certification.
- Pass the Massachusetts psychology jurisprudence examination.
- Submit three professional and ethical endorsement forms dated within 6 months of application, at least one from a licensed psychologist and one from a training supervisor or other person with direct knowledge of your work.
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow Neither the Board's application page nor 251 CMR 3.00 publishes a processing-time estimate; applications are filed through the Health Professions Licensing Portal..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Massachusetts accept a North Carolina psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from North Carolina to Massachusetts by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health), verify your North Carolina license, and meet Massachusetts's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers — 251 CMR 3.09 licenses by reciprocity a psychologist currently licensed or certified in another jurisdiction whose requirements are the substantial equivalent of M.G.L. c. 112 §119, rather than re-testing the national examination (Massachusetts' own passing standard is a scaled score of 500 or higher); 251 CMR 3.09(4) requires every reciprocity applicant to achieve a passing score on the Massachusetts psychology jurisprudence examination.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from North Carolina to Massachusetts?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers — 251 CMR 3.09 licenses by reciprocity a psychologist currently licensed or certified in another jurisdiction whose requirements are the substantial equivalent of M.G.L. c. 112 §119, rather than re-testing the national examination (Massachusetts' own passing standard is a scaled score of 500 or higher); 251 CMR 3.09(4) requires every reciprocity applicant to achieve a passing score on the Massachusetts psychology jurisprudence examination.
What does the move cost?
$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.) (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.).
How long will it take?
Neither 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's application page nor 251 CMR 3.00 publishes a processing-time estimate; applications are filed through the Health Professions Licensing Portal..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 251 CMR 3.00: Registration of Psychologists — §3.07 Endorsement Requirements, §3.08 Examinations, §3.09 Reciprocity (full text PDF) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Mass.gov — 251 CMR 3.00: Registration of psychologists (regulation landing page, revised 04/25/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists — Fees and License Renewal Schedules for Psychologists ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Massachusetts Board of Registration of Psychologists — Apply for a psychologist license ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC Psychology Board — Application for Licensure Based on Mobility Credential (eligibility, fees, EPPP waiver, documentation) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC Psychology Board — Applications ('There are no reciprocity agreements between North Carolina and other jurisdictions') ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC Psychology Board — Application for Licensure (standard route, fees, senior psychologist provision, review timing) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC Psychology Board — Examinations (EPPP and the $200 Board State Examination) ↗ (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]