Psychology License from North Dakota to Rhode Island: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) ↗
A psychology license transfers from North Dakota to Rhode Island by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health), verify your North Dakota license, and meet Rhode Island's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 216-RICR-40-05-15 requires applicants to have passed the ASPPB EPPP at the ASPPB recommended passing score unless exempted under the rule, and the Board verifies the score rather than re-testing. The regulation specifies no separate Rhode Island jurisprudence or law exam.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
North Dakota and Rhode Island 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 North Dakota to Rhode Island means applying to the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Rhode Island's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in North Dakota, you can serve Rhode Island clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Rhode Island for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, North Dakota → Rhode Island
| North Dakota (current) | Rhode Island (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $450 (Application Initiation Form fee payable to NDSBPE, nonrefundable. Add $200 for the ASPPB PLUS online application and, if the EPPP has not already been passed, $600 to the exam owner plus any testing-site fee. The oral examination itself carries a $0 fee; the future North Dakota professional responsibility examination is $50. Limited practice application is $25; annual renewal is $250.) | $230 (Psychologist application fee of $230.00 under the RI Department of Health Fee Structure (216-RICR-10-05-2, citing R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-12); biennial renewal is also $230.00, with a $50.00 late-renewal add-on. A trainee temporary license is $120.00. EPPP fees are paid to ASPPB) |
| Processing time | The board publishes no turnaround time and warns that processing takes 'several days' after the applicant's own work plus primary-source verifications whose timing varies by program and faculty. On receipt of a completed Application Initiation Form from an out-of-jurisdiction licensee the board may grant a provisional license valid six months, extendable for good cause, so the applicant can practise while the file is pending (NDAC 66-02-01-03(3)). | Neither the RICR psychologist licensing regulation nor the Department of Health fee regulation states a processing-time range, and health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to the research agent on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated estimate could be verified |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota State Board of Psychologist Examiners | Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Rhode Island sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Rhode Island's current requirements on the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Qualify for licensure by endorsement under R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-11, as directed by 216-RICR-40-05-15.
- Hold an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) or the National Register Health Service Provider in Psychology credential to be deemed to have met the Part's licensure requirements.
- Otherwise document two years of supervised experience totaling at least 3,000 hours, of which at least 1,500 must be post-doctoral.
- Submit official transcripts and affidavits of internship, plus verification of good standing from every state of licensure.
- Pay the fees ($230 (Psychologist application fee of $230.00 under the RI Department of Health Fee Structure (216-RICR-10-05-2, citing R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-12); biennial renewal is also $230.00, with a $50.00 late-renewal add-on. A trainee temporary license is $120.00. EPPP fees are paid to ASPPB)) and allow Neither the RICR psychologist licensing regulation nor the Department of Health fee regulation states a processing-time range, and health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to the research agent on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated estimate could be verified.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Rhode Island accept a North Dakota psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from North Dakota to Rhode Island by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health), verify your North Dakota license, and meet Rhode Island's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 216-RICR-40-05-15 requires applicants to have passed the ASPPB EPPP at the ASPPB recommended passing score unless exempted under the rule, and the Board verifies the score rather than re-testing. The regulation specifies no separate Rhode Island jurisprudence or law exam.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from North Dakota to Rhode Island?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 216-RICR-40-05-15 requires applicants to have passed the ASPPB EPPP at the ASPPB recommended passing score unless exempted under the rule, and the Board verifies the score rather than re-testing. The regulation specifies no separate Rhode Island jurisprudence or law exam.
What does the move cost?
$230 (Psychologist application fee of $230.00 under the RI Department of Health Fee Structure (216-RICR-10-05-2, citing R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-12); biennial renewal is also $230.00, with a $50.00 late-renewal add-on. A trainee temporary license is $120.00. EPPP fees are paid to ASPPB) (Psychologist application fee of $230.00 under the RI Department of Health Fee Structure (216-RICR-10-05-2, citing R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-12); biennial renewal is also $230.00, with a $50.00 late-renewal add-on. A trainee temporary license is $120.00. EPPP fees are paid to ASPPB).
How long will it take?
Neither the RICR psychologist licensing regulation nor the Department of Health fee regulation states a processing-time range, and health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to the research agent on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated estimate could be verified — Neither the RICR psychologist licensing regulation nor the Department of Health fee regulation states a processing-time range, and health.ri.gov returned HTTP 403 to the research agent on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated estimate could be verified.
North Dakota and Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in North Dakota. Relocating to Rhode Island requires licensure by endorsement from the Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Rhode Island clients before my Rhode Island license is issued?
While your North Dakota license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Rhode Island 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 North Dakota stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Rhode Island license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 216-RICR-40-05-15 — Rhode Island Psychologists licensing regulation (licensure by endorsement per R.I. Gen. Laws 5-44-11; CPQ and National Register deemed to meet requirements; EPPP; 3,000 supervised hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 216-RICR-10-05-2 — RI Department of Health Fee Structure (Psychologist application $230.00, renewal $230.00, trainee temporary license $120.00) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- ASPPB — Contact a Licensing Board directory (Rhode Island Board of Psychology name and official site) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NDSBPE — Application for Licensure: Instructions (two-step process, $450 initiation fee, $200 PLUS fee, $600 EPPP, four statutory requirements, Expedited Licensure/Registration) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NDAC Article 66-02, Chapter 66-02-01 — Licensure and Examining Applications, incl. 66-02-01-03 (licensing psychologists from other jurisdictions / expedited licensing), 66-02-01-08 (fees) and 66-02-01-09.1 (EPPP passing score 500) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NDCC Chapter 43-32 — Psychologists, incl. 43-32-19.1 (expedited licensure for applicants licensed in other jurisdictions) and 43-32-20 (licensing, examination, qualifications) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NDSBPE — Board home (navigation confirming application, verification and EPPP score transfer pages) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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