Psychology License from South Dakota to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Maine State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation) ↗
A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation), verify your South Dakota license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the board's endorsement packet asks applicants to list the jurisdiction, examination type, date, and score of licensing examinations already taken rather than re-testing (Maine's passing standard is 70% on the EPPP); every applicant for a Maine license must additionally pass the Maine jurisprudence examination (MJPE), which is emailed after the board approves the application and must be completed and returned within 20 days.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Both South Dakota and Maine 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 Maine clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Maine in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Maine. A permanent move puts you in front of the Maine State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation) 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 Maine's terms.
What changes, South Dakota → Maine
| South Dakota (current) | Maine (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT 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) | $250 (The endorsement packet bills $271.00 non-refundable in total, itemised by the board as $200.00 license fee + $50.00 (jurisprudence examination) + $21.00 criminal records check; the board's licensing page separately lists 'Initial License $250.00' and 'Criminal Background Check $21.00'. Annual renewal is $125.00 (expires April 30).) |
| Processing time | The 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 examination | The board publishes no processing-time estimate. It states only that a complete application with all supporting documents attached has a greater chance of being processed expeditiously, that application action is posted to the licensing website in real time, and that the license is emailed the day after issuance. |
| Licensing authority | South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) | Maine State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Present proof of licensure by another U.S. jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements, and be in good standing in every jurisdiction where you hold or have held a license.
- Submit official license verification from every state, territory, or country where you hold or have ever held any professional license, showing dates and disciplinary history.
- Document a doctoral degree from an accredited institution and at least two years of psychology experience.
- Pass the Maine jurisprudence examination within 20 days of the board emailing it.
- Complete a criminal history records check.
- Pay the fees ($250 (The endorsement packet bills $271.00 non-refundable in total, itemised by the board as $200.00 license fee + $50.00 (jurisprudence examination) + $21.00 criminal records check; the board's licensing page separately lists 'Initial License $250.00' and 'Criminal Background Check $21.00'. Annual renewal is $125.00 (expires April 30).)) and allow The board publishes no processing-time estimate. It states only that a complete application with all supporting documents attached has a greater chance of being processed expeditiously, that application action is posted to the licensing website in real time, and that the license is emailed the day after issuance..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept a South Dakota psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation), verify your South Dakota license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the board's endorsement packet asks applicants to list the jurisdiction, examination type, date, and score of licensing examinations already taken rather than re-testing (Maine's passing standard is 70% on the EPPP); every applicant for a Maine license must additionally pass the Maine jurisprudence examination (MJPE), which is emailed after the board approves the application and must be completed and returned within 20 days.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from South Dakota to Maine?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the board's endorsement packet asks applicants to list the jurisdiction, examination type, date, and score of licensing examinations already taken rather than re-testing (Maine's passing standard is 70% on the EPPP); every applicant for a Maine license must additionally pass the Maine jurisprudence examination (MJPE), which is emailed after the board approves the application and must be completed and returned within 20 days.
What does the move cost?
$250 (The endorsement packet bills $271.00 non-refundable in total, itemised by the board as $200.00 license fee + $50.00 (jurisprudence examination) + $21.00 criminal records check; the board's licensing page separately lists 'Initial License $250.00' and 'Criminal Background Check $21.00'. Annual renewal is $125.00 (expires April 30).) (The endorsement packet bills $271.00 non-refundable in total, itemised by the board as $200.00 license fee + $50.00 (jurisprudence examination) + $21.00 criminal records check; the board's licensing page separately lists 'Initial License $250.00' and 'Criminal Background Check $21.00'. Annual renewal is $125.00 (expires April 30).).
How long will it take?
The board publishes no processing-time estimate. It states only that a complete application with all supporting documents attached has a greater chance of being processed expeditiously, that application action is posted to the licensing website in real time, and that the license is emailed the day after issuance. — The board publishes no processing-time estimate. It states only that a complete application with all supporting documents attached has a greater chance of being processed expeditiously, that application action is posted to the licensing website in real time, and that the license is emailed the day after issuance..
South Dakota and Maine 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 Maine (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in South Dakota. Relocating to Maine requires licensure by endorsement from the Maine State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Department of Professional and Financial Regulation) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Maine clients before my Maine license is issued?
While your South Dakota license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Maine 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 Maine license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Psychologist Applying by Endorsement application packet (fee breakdown, jurisprudence exam, verification requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Applications and Forms (endorsement, National Register/CPQ, and examination applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Maine Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Psychologists, Conditional and Temporary Psychologists licensing page (fees, EPPP 70%, endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 32 MRS §3836-A — Licensure by endorsement (Board of Examiners of Psychologists) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 10 MRS §8003-H — Licensure by endorsement (criteria all OPOR boards apply) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SD Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Frequently Asked Questions (endorsement statute SDCL 36-1D-1, CPQ/National Register recognition, SDCL 36-27A-17 ABPP exam exemption, oral-exam waiver effective 2023-09-09, no EPPPII) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SD Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Fee Schedule ($300 application, prorated $50-$200 licensure fee, $200 oral re-exam, $300 renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SD Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Become Licensed (doctoral degree, EPPP, 1,800-hour internship, post-doctoral year) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SDCL 36-1D-1 — Eligibility for licensure by endorsement (South Dakota Legislature statute service; supersedes profession-specific endorsement provisions) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SD Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Applications and Forms (no separate endorsement form; single Application for Licensure) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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