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LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Connecticut Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations) ↗

A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations), verify your South Dakota license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — official verification is forwarded to DPH directly from the ASPPB EPPP Score Transfer Service. DPH's current psychologist licensure-requirements page lists no separate Connecticut jurisprudence exam, but CGS Sec. 20-190 permits the Department to require evidence that an endorsement applicant understands Connecticut psychology law, and DPH still posts a State Law Examination study guide — confirm current status with DPH before relying on a waiver.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

South Dakota and Connecticut 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 South Dakota to Connecticut means applying to the Connecticut Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations) for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Connecticut's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in South Dakota, you can serve Connecticut clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Connecticut for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.

What changes, South Dakota → Connecticut

Side-by-side: South Dakota vs Connecticut (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
South Dakota (current)Connecticut (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)$565 (Nonrefundable application fee, set by CGS Sec. 20-188 and Sec. 20-190 and confirmed on the DPH psychologist licensure pages; biennial renewal is $570. Out-of-state license verification fees are charged separately by each jurisdiction)
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 examinationDPH publishes no processing-time estimate for psychologist applications; add time for out-of-state license verifications and the ASPPB EPPP score transfer
Licensing authoritySouth Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services)Connecticut Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations)

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a current license or certification as a psychologist from a board in another state whose standards DPH finds substantially similar to or higher than Connecticut's, OR hold a current ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ).
  5. Arrange verification of every psychologist license ever held, current or expired, sent from each U.S. state or territory of licensure.
  6. Have the EPPP score forwarded to DPH directly from the ASPPB EPPP Score Transfer Service.
  7. Apply online — DPH accepts psychologist applications only through its online portal.
  8. Applicants who hold a current out-of-state license and have practiced at least four years in good standing may use the DPH out-of-state pathway, which requires no transcripts, no training verification and no examination.
  9. Pay the fees ($565 (Nonrefundable application fee, set by CGS Sec. 20-188 and Sec. 20-190 and confirmed on the DPH psychologist licensure pages; biennial renewal is $570. Out-of-state license verification fees are charged separately by each jurisdiction)) and allow DPH publishes no processing-time estimate for psychologist applications; add time for out-of-state license verifications and the ASPPB EPPP score transfer.

Official links

Connecticut Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations) ↗Connecticut application ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Connecticut → South DakotaPsychology in South DakotaPsychology in ConnecticutAll psychology statesThe PSYPACT explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Connecticut accept a South Dakota psychology license?

A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations), verify your South Dakota license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — official verification is forwarded to DPH directly from the ASPPB EPPP Score Transfer Service. DPH's current psychologist licensure-requirements page lists no separate Connecticut jurisprudence exam, but CGS Sec. 20-190 permits the Department to require evidence that an endorsement applicant understands Connecticut psychology law, and DPH still posts a State Law Examination study guide — confirm current status with DPH before relying on a waiver.

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

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — official verification is forwarded to DPH directly from the ASPPB EPPP Score Transfer Service. DPH's current psychologist licensure-requirements page lists no separate Connecticut jurisprudence exam, but CGS Sec. 20-190 permits the Department to require evidence that an endorsement applicant understands Connecticut psychology law, and DPH still posts a State Law Examination study guide — confirm current status with DPH before relying on a waiver.

What does the move cost?

$565 (Nonrefundable application fee, set by CGS Sec. 20-188 and Sec. 20-190 and confirmed on the DPH psychologist licensure pages; biennial renewal is $570. Out-of-state license verification fees are charged separately by each jurisdiction) (Nonrefundable application fee, set by CGS Sec. 20-188 and Sec. 20-190 and confirmed on the DPH psychologist licensure pages; biennial renewal is $570. Out-of-state license verification fees are charged separately by each jurisdiction).

How long will it take?

DPH publishes no processing-time estimate for psychologist applications; add time for out-of-state license verifications and the ASPPB EPPP score transfer — DPH publishes no processing-time estimate for psychologist applications; add time for out-of-state license verifications and the ASPPB EPPP score transfer.

South Dakota and Connecticut 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 Connecticut (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in South Dakota. Relocating to Connecticut requires licensure by endorsement from the Connecticut Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations) like any other applicant.

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

While your South Dakota license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Connecticut 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 Connecticut 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

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