Psychology License from Rhode Island to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Florida Board of Psychology (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Rhode Island to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Psychology (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance), verify your Rhode Island license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — a scaled score of 500 or higher on an EPPP taken October 2000 or later, sent from ASPPB, satisfies the national-exam criterion, as does a Board-recognized ABPP specialty certification. Rule 64B19-11.002, F.A.C. requires endorsement applicants to meet only the s. 456.0145(2), F.S. criteria, so the Florida laws-and-rules examination that s. 490.005(1)(e), F.S. imposes on licensure-by-examination applicants is not part of the MOBILE endorsement pathway.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Rhode Island and Florida 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 Rhode Island to Florida means applying to the Florida Board of Psychology (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Florida's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in Rhode Island, you can serve Florida clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Florida for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, Rhode Island → Florida
| Rhode Island (current) | Florida (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $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) | $305 ($200 nonrefundable application fee + $100 initial licensure fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, per the Board's MOBILE endorsement fee table; Livescan fingerprint costs are paid separately to the screening vendor) |
| Processing time | 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 | ~1 weeks (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S. requires the board to issue a license to a qualified applicant within 7 days after receipt of all required documentation; collecting license verifications, the ASPPB score transfer and fingerprint results takes longer) |
| Licensing authority | Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) | Florida Board of Psychology (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Psychology (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Psychology (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active, unencumbered psychologist license issued by another state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
- Have actively practiced psychology for at least 2 years during the 4-year period immediately preceding the application.
- Have no pending disciplinary proceeding and no disciplinary action taken in the 5 years preceding the application.
- Have never been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, unless the report was successfully appealed and removed.
- Complete electronic Livescan fingerprint screening using the Board's ORI number (required for psychology since 2024 House Bill 975).
- Pay the fees ($305 ($200 nonrefundable application fee + $100 initial licensure fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, per the Board's MOBILE endorsement fee table; Livescan fingerprint costs are paid separately to the screening vendor)) and allow ~1 weeks (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S. requires the board to issue a license to a qualified applicant within 7 days after receipt of all required documentation; collecting license verifications, the ASPPB score transfer and fingerprint results takes longer).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Florida accept a Rhode Island psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Rhode Island to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Psychology (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance), verify your Rhode Island license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — a scaled score of 500 or higher on an EPPP taken October 2000 or later, sent from ASPPB, satisfies the national-exam criterion, as does a Board-recognized ABPP specialty certification. Rule 64B19-11.002, F.A.C. requires endorsement applicants to meet only the s. 456.0145(2), F.S. criteria, so the Florida laws-and-rules examination that s. 490.005(1)(e), F.S. imposes on licensure-by-examination applicants is not part of the MOBILE endorsement pathway.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Rhode Island to Florida?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — a scaled score of 500 or higher on an EPPP taken October 2000 or later, sent from ASPPB, satisfies the national-exam criterion, as does a Board-recognized ABPP specialty certification. Rule 64B19-11.002, F.A.C. requires endorsement applicants to meet only the s. 456.0145(2), F.S. criteria, so the Florida laws-and-rules examination that s. 490.005(1)(e), F.S. imposes on licensure-by-examination applicants is not part of the MOBILE endorsement pathway.
What does the move cost?
$305 ($200 nonrefundable application fee + $100 initial licensure fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, per the Board's MOBILE endorsement fee table; Livescan fingerprint costs are paid separately to the screening vendor) ($200 nonrefundable application fee + $100 initial licensure fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, per the Board's MOBILE endorsement fee table; Livescan fingerprint costs are paid separately to the screening vendor).
How long will it take?
~1 weeks (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S. requires the board to issue a license to a qualified applicant within 7 days after receipt of all required documentation; collecting license verifications, the ASPPB score transfer and fingerprint results takes longer) — s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S. requires the board to issue a license to a qualified applicant within 7 days after receipt of all required documentation; collecting license verifications, the ASPPB score transfer and fingerprint results takes longer.
Rhode Island and Florida 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 Florida (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Rhode Island. Relocating to Florida requires licensure by endorsement from the Florida Board of Psychology (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Florida clients before my Florida license is issued?
While your Rhode Island license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Florida 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 Rhode Island stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Florida license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Florida Board of Psychology — Psychologist licensure pathways incl. MOBILE Endorsement (fees, EPPP/ABPP, Livescan) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Florida Statutes s. 456.0145 — MOBILE Act (2 of last 4 years, ineligibility criteria, 7-day issuance, state jurisprudential exam only if the practice act requires it) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Florida Statutes ch. 490 — s. 490.006 Licensure by endorsement and s. 490.005 Licensure by examination ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B19-11.002 Endorsement (amended 11-20-25; DH-MQA-5101 rev. 08/2025; recognized ABPP specialties) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts — PSYPACT member states (Florida joined 2023) ↗ (accessed 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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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