Psychology License from Rhode Island to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Mississippi Board of Psychology ↗
A psychology license transfers from Rhode Island to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi Board of Psychology, verify your Rhode Island license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant already licensed in another jurisdiction documents it through the ASPPB PLUS primary-source credential review rather than re-testing, but must still be recommended for and pass the Mississippi Board's jurisprudence/oral examination before licensure.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Rhode Island and Mississippi 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 Mississippi means applying to the Mississippi Board of Psychology for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Mississippi'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 Mississippi clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Mississippi 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 → Mississippi
| Rhode Island (current) | Mississippi (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) | $400 (Board fee schedule lists a single combined $400 'Application and Background Check' fee; the required oral examination is a separate $150 fee, and a temporary practice certificate is $100. Renewal is $300/year.) |
| 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 | The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing is driven by ASPPB PLUS primary-source verification and by the Board's published oral-exam dates, neither of which the Board expresses as a range. |
| Licensing authority | Rhode Island Board of Psychology (Rhode Island Department of Health) | Mississippi Board of Psychology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi Board of Psychology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Mississippi Board of Psychology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current psychologist license in another jurisdiction and have it primary-source verified.
- Complete the ASPPB PLUS application with primary source verification of degree, training and licensure.
- Submit the Board's demographic form and clear a criminal background check.
- Pass the Mississippi Board jurisprudence/oral examination before a permanent license is issued.
- For the faster Universal Recognition of Licensure Act route, prove Mississippi residency, at least 1 year of licensure in good standing, and no pending investigations or disciplinary history.
- Pay the fees ($400 (Board fee schedule lists a single combined $400 'Application and Background Check' fee; the required oral examination is a separate $150 fee, and a temporary practice certificate is $100. Renewal is $300/year.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing is driven by ASPPB PLUS primary-source verification and by the Board's published oral-exam dates, neither of which the Board expresses as a range..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Mississippi accept a Rhode Island psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Rhode Island to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi Board of Psychology, verify your Rhode Island license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant already licensed in another jurisdiction documents it through the ASPPB PLUS primary-source credential review rather than re-testing, but must still be recommended for and pass the Mississippi Board's jurisprudence/oral examination before licensure.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Rhode Island to Mississippi?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant already licensed in another jurisdiction documents it through the ASPPB PLUS primary-source credential review rather than re-testing, but must still be recommended for and pass the Mississippi Board's jurisprudence/oral examination before licensure.
What does the move cost?
$400 (Board fee schedule lists a single combined $400 'Application and Background Check' fee; the required oral examination is a separate $150 fee, and a temporary practice certificate is $100. Renewal is $300/year.) (Board fee schedule lists a single combined $400 'Application and Background Check' fee; the required oral examination is a separate $150 fee, and a temporary practice certificate is $100. Renewal is $300/year.).
How long will it take?
The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing is driven by ASPPB PLUS primary-source verification and by the Board's published oral-exam dates, neither of which the Board expresses as a range. — The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing is driven by ASPPB PLUS primary-source verification and by the Board's published oral-exam dates, neither of which the Board expresses as a range..
Rhode Island and Mississippi 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 Mississippi (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Rhode Island. Relocating to Mississippi requires licensure by endorsement from the Mississippi Board of Psychology like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Mississippi clients before my Mississippi license is issued?
While your Rhode Island license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Mississippi 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 Mississippi license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Mississippi Board of Psychology — Applying for a License (Never Licensed / Licensed in Another Jurisdiction / UROLA pathways) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Mississippi Board of Psychology — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Mississippi Board of Psychology — board home (PSYPACT effective April 8, 2024 notice; license search link) ↗ (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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]