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LicenseReciprocity

Psychology License from South Dakota to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners ↗

A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Arizona by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners, verify your South Dakota license, and meet Arizona's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under A.R.S. § 32-2072 an ABPP diplomate or an ASPPB CPQ holder satisfies the national examination requirement outright, and a National Register applicant must have ASPPB send the passing EPPP score directly to the Arizona Board. The Board is authorized by A.R.S. § 32-2072 to give an additional examination on Arizona law and professional ethics, but its licensure-by-credential instructions require no jurisprudence exam.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Both South Dakota and Arizona are PSYPACT participants, which helps you right up until you actually relocate. As long as South Dakota remains your licensed home state, the compact lets you treat Arizona clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Arizona in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Arizona. A permanent move puts you in front of the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners for endorsement — your EPPP score carries over rather than being retaken, but the degree, supervised experience, jurisprudence exam, and background check are all reviewed on Arizona's terms.

What changes, South Dakota → Arizona

Side-by-side: South Dakota vs Arizona (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
South Dakota (current)Arizona (destination)
PSYPACT statusPSYPACT member — multistate license honoredPSYPACT member — multistate license honored
Application fee$300 ($300.00 Application for Licensure fee. A separate initial licensure fee is prorated by the month the license is granted — $200.00 (July-September), $150.00 (October-December), $100.00 (January-March), $50.00 (April-June) — and annual renewal is $300.00. Oral examination fees are included in the application fee; a retake of a failed oral exam is $200.00. EPPP fees are paid directly to the national examination company)$350 ($350 nonrefundable application fee, paid online at submission; the Arizona DPS fingerprint clearance card fee is paid separately to DPS)
Processing timeThe Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing depends on Board review-officer approval of the completed file and, for applicants who do not qualify for the endorsement oral-exam waiver, on scheduling the oral examination4–17 weeks (A.A.C. R4-26-208 Table 1 sets, for an application for licensure by credential, a 30-day administrative completeness review, a 90-day substantive review and a 120-day overall time frame; both clocks are suspended while requested documents are outstanding, and the Application Review Committee meets about twelve times a year, so real-world time depends on how fast verifiers respond)
Licensing authoritySouth Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services)Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold one of the three credentials the Board recognizes — ABPP diplomate/specialist, ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ), or National Register of Health Service Psychologists — a license in another state alone does not qualify.
  5. Have been licensed as a psychologist in another U.S. state or Canadian province for five or more years.
  6. Obtain an Arizona Department of Public Safety fingerprint clearance card, or submit proof that the DPS application was filed.
  7. Submit a National Practitioner Data Bank self-query processed within 30 days of the application submission date.
  8. Have verification of every psychology license ever held, active or not, sent directly to the Board by each jurisdiction.
  9. Submit a completed Arizona Statement of Citizenship and Alien Status form with proof of lawful presence.
  10. Pay the fees ($350 ($350 nonrefundable application fee, paid online at submission; the Arizona DPS fingerprint clearance card fee is paid separately to DPS)) and allow 4–17 weeks (A.A.C. R4-26-208 Table 1 sets, for an application for licensure by credential, a 30-day administrative completeness review, a 90-day substantive review and a 120-day overall time frame; both clocks are suspended while requested documents are outstanding, and the Application Review Committee meets about twelve times a year, so real-world time depends on how fast verifiers respond).

Official links

Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners ↗Arizona application ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Arizona → South DakotaPsychology in South DakotaPsychology in ArizonaAll psychology statesThe PSYPACT explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Arizona accept a South Dakota psychology license?

A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Arizona by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners, verify your South Dakota license, and meet Arizona's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under A.R.S. § 32-2072 an ABPP diplomate or an ASPPB CPQ holder satisfies the national examination requirement outright, and a National Register applicant must have ASPPB send the passing EPPP score directly to the Arizona Board. The Board is authorized by A.R.S. § 32-2072 to give an additional examination on Arizona law and professional ethics, but its licensure-by-credential instructions require no jurisprudence exam.

Do I retake the EPPP moving from South Dakota to Arizona?

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under A.R.S. § 32-2072 an ABPP diplomate or an ASPPB CPQ holder satisfies the national examination requirement outright, and a National Register applicant must have ASPPB send the passing EPPP score directly to the Arizona Board. The Board is authorized by A.R.S. § 32-2072 to give an additional examination on Arizona law and professional ethics, but its licensure-by-credential instructions require no jurisprudence exam.

What does the move cost?

$350 ($350 nonrefundable application fee, paid online at submission; the Arizona DPS fingerprint clearance card fee is paid separately to DPS) ($350 nonrefundable application fee, paid online at submission; the Arizona DPS fingerprint clearance card fee is paid separately to DPS).

How long will it take?

4–17 weeks (A.A.C. R4-26-208 Table 1 sets, for an application for licensure by credential, a 30-day administrative completeness review, a 90-day substantive review and a 120-day overall time frame; both clocks are suspended while requested documents are outstanding, and the Application Review Committee meets about twelve times a year, so real-world time depends on how fast verifiers respond) — A.A.C. R4-26-208 Table 1 sets, for an application for licensure by credential, a 30-day administrative completeness review, a 90-day substantive review and a 120-day overall time frame; both clocks are suspended while requested documents are outstanding, and the Application Review Committee meets about twelve times a year, so real-world time depends on how fast verifiers respond.

South Dakota and Arizona 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 Arizona (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in South Dakota. Relocating to Arizona requires licensure by endorsement from the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners like any other applicant.

Can I start seeing Arizona clients before my Arizona license is issued?

While your South Dakota license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Arizona 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 South Dakota stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Arizona license.

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

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]