Psychology License from South Carolina to California: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) ↗

A psychology license transfers from South Carolina to California by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs), verify your South Carolina license, and meet California's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an out-of-state applicant who already passed the EPPP requests an ASPPB score transfer to California instead of re-testing, and the Board's out-of-state pathway for applicants licensed two or more years does not include an EPPP step. Every applicant must still pass the California Psychology Laws and Ethics Examination (CPLEE); it is never waived.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Leaving South Carolina for California takes you outside the compact's reach: California does not participate in PSYPACT, so no APIT or TAP authorization covers California clients, and there is no telehealth or temporary-practice bridge to work across while your application is pending. You apply to the California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) for licensure by endorsement — your existing EPPP score is accepted rather than retaken, and California applies its own credential review, jurisprudence requirement, and background check. Any authorizations you hold for other participating states remain valid only while your South Carolina license does.

What changes, South Carolina → California

Side-by-side: South Carolina vs California (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
	South Carolina (current)	California (destination)
PSYPACT status	PSYPACT member — multistate license honored	Licensure by endorsement
Application fee	Not verified. S.C. Code Regs. 10-34 sets only a ceiling — Preliminary and Formal Applications 'Not to exceed $500'; biennial renewal 'Not to exceed $395'; temporary permit 'Not to exceed $250'. Regulation 100-7 states the actual amounts are published on the Board's LLR website, which refused connections from the research environment on 2026-08-07, so the current dollar figure was not verified and has not been guessed. EPPP fees are paid to the examination provider	$236 ($236 psychologist initial application fee (2024 fee schedule, the current schedule published by the Board). Separately + $127 for the CPLEE application and + $231 for initial licensure; out-of-state fingerprint hard card processing is $233)
Processing time	No board-stated range. S.C. Code Regs. 100-1(C)(1) requires an application to be complete 30 days prior to a Board meeting to be assured of review at that meeting, and the oral examination can only be scheduled after Preliminary Application approval and receipt of all Formal Application materials — so timing is driven by the Board's meeting calendar	4–6 weeks (Board states processing takes approximately 1.5 months (4-6 weeks) for applications, subsequent documents/correspondence and requested deficiency documents. Because the application, the CPLEE request and the request for initial licensure are each processed separately at that pace, total time from filing to a California license is considerably longer)
Licensing authority	South Carolina Board of Examiners in Psychology (Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation)	California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — California sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

Confirm California's current requirements on the California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Have held a psychologist license based on a doctoral degree in another state, Canadian province or U.S. territory for at least two years to use the Board's Category C out-of-state pathway.
Document 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience with at least 1,500 postdoctoral, or substitute a National Register Health Service Psychologist credential, ABPP certification, or an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ).
Pass the California Psychology Laws and Ethics Examination (CPLEE).
Complete the six prelicensure coursework requirements before licensure — human sexuality, alcohol/chemical dependency, child abuse assessment, spousal/partner abuse, aging and long-term care, and suicide risk assessment.
Submit fingerprints to the California DOJ and the FBI; out-of-state applicants use hard cards, which take at least four weeks to process.
Pay the fees ($236 ($236 psychologist initial application fee (2024 fee schedule, the current schedule published by the Board). Separately + $127 for the CPLEE application and + $231 for initial licensure; out-of-state fingerprint hard card processing is $233)) and allow 4–6 weeks (Board states processing takes approximately 1.5 months (4-6 weeks) for applications, subsequent documents/correspondence and requested deficiency documents. Because the application, the CPLEE request and the request for initial licensure are each processed separately at that pace, total time from filing to a California license is considerably longer).

Official links

California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) ↗California application ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does California accept a South Carolina psychology license?

Do I retake the EPPP moving from South Carolina to California?

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an out-of-state applicant who already passed the EPPP requests an ASPPB score transfer to California instead of re-testing, and the Board's out-of-state pathway for applicants licensed two or more years does not include an EPPP step. Every applicant must still pass the California Psychology Laws and Ethics Examination (CPLEE); it is never waived.

What does the move cost?

$236 ($236 psychologist initial application fee (2024 fee schedule, the current schedule published by the Board). Separately + $127 for the CPLEE application and + $231 for initial licensure; out-of-state fingerprint hard card processing is $233) ($236 psychologist initial application fee (2024 fee schedule, the current schedule published by the Board). Separately + $127 for the CPLEE application and + $231 for initial licensure; out-of-state fingerprint hard card processing is $233).

How long will it take?

4–6 weeks (Board states processing takes approximately 1.5 months (4-6 weeks) for applications, subsequent documents/correspondence and requested deficiency documents. Because the application, the CPLEE request and the request for initial licensure are each processed separately at that pace, total time from filing to a California license is considerably longer) — Board states processing takes approximately 1.5 months (4-6 weeks) for applications, subsequent documents/correspondence and requested deficiency documents. Because the application, the CPLEE request and the request for initial licensure are each processed separately at that pace, total time from filing to a California license is considerably longer.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

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