Psychology License from Ohio to District of Columbia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Ohio to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration), verify your Ohio license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) for an already-licensed applicant; an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) may be submitted in lieu of the official transcript, the EPPP score and the supervision forms. A District of Columbia jurisprudence requirement applies, but the Board states there is no DC exam at this time — the applicant reads the Board's jurisprudence study material and signs an Attestation Statement Form.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Ohio and District of Columbia 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 Ohio to District of Columbia means applying to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, District of Columbia's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in Ohio, you can serve District of Columbia clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in District of Columbia for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, Ohio → District of Columbia
| Ohio (current) | District of Columbia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $300 (R.C. 4732.15 application fee for a license issued under Chapter 4732, no part of which is returned. Biennial registration thereafter is $365 (R.C. 4732.14). Background-check and eLicense payment-processing costs are additional.) | $322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application) |
| Processing time | The Board publishes no stated turnaround. Because the oral examination is the final step, timing depends on the Board's oral examination schedule after the file is found compliant. | The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review |
| Licensing authority | Ohio State Board of Psychology (Ohio Board of Psychology) | District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — District of Columbia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements on the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Submit official verification of licensure from every state or jurisdiction in which you have ever held a professional license, sent directly by the issuing board.
- Document 4,000 total pre-doctoral and post-doctoral supervised hours on the Board's verification forms, or substitute at least two years of licensed unsupervised practice with a resume and Nature of Practice Statement, or a CPQ or National Register credential.
- Sign the DC Jurisprudence Examination Attestation Statement Form after reading the Board's study material.
- Complete the criminal background check ordered with the online application.
- Submit three Character Reference Forms from people who are not relatives, instructors or employers and have known you at least one year.
- Pay the fees ($322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application)) and allow The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does District of Columbia accept a Ohio psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Ohio to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration), verify your Ohio license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) for an already-licensed applicant; an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) may be submitted in lieu of the official transcript, the EPPP score and the supervision forms. A District of Columbia jurisprudence requirement applies, but the Board states there is no DC exam at this time — the applicant reads the Board's jurisprudence study material and signs an Attestation Statement Form.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Ohio to District of Columbia?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) for an already-licensed applicant; an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) may be submitted in lieu of the official transcript, the EPPP score and the supervision forms. A District of Columbia jurisprudence requirement applies, but the Board states there is no DC exam at this time — the applicant reads the Board's jurisprudence study material and signs an Attestation Statement Form.
What does the move cost?
$322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application) ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application).
How long will it take?
The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review — The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review.
Ohio and District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Ohio. Relocating to District of Columbia requires licensure by endorsement from the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing District of Columbia clients before my District of Columbia license is issued?
While your Ohio license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover District of Columbia 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 Ohio stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the District of Columbia license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- DC Health — Psychology Licensing (checklists, jurisprudence study material, EPPP, background check) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- DC Board of Psychology — New License Application ENDORSEMENT checklist (fee $322, $50 CBC, 4,000 hours, jurisprudence attestation, CPQ/National Register substitutions) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts — PSYPACT member states (District of Columbia joined 2021) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Ohio Board of Psychology — U.S. License Reciprocity Application (one-year out-of-state doctoral license, background check, oral exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Ohio Board of Psychology — Psychologist Applicants (application routes: general, U.S. license reciprocity, senior Canadian, endorsement via ABPP/CPQ/NRHSP; oral examination as final step) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Ohio Revised Code 4732.15 — License fee ($300, nonrefundable) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Ohio Revised Code 4732.12 — Issuance of license; issuance under Chapter 4796 to an applicant holding a license in another state ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Ohio Revised Code 4732.11 — Examinations; out-of-state examination scores submitted to the Board; optional law/rules/ethics examination ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Ohio Revised Code 4796.03 — Universal licensure recognition: criteria for issuing a license to an out-of-state licensee ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Ohio Revised Code 4796.08 — Licensing authority may still require a state law-and-rules examination, criminal records check and financial responsibility ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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