Psychology License from South Dakota to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Maryland Department of Health) ↗
A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Maryland Department of Health), verify your South Dakota license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers — COMAR 10.36.01.06 lets the Board waive the national examination for an applicant currently licensed in another state who already achieved a scaled score of 500 (or at least 73% on a pre-2002 administration), whose state did not require the EPPP, or who holds a current ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification; the Maryland State jurisprudence examination (75% to pass, prepared and scored by the Board) may not be waived under the reciprocity provisions.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Both South Dakota and Maryland 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 Maryland clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Maryland in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Maryland. A permanent move puts you in front of the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Maryland Department of Health) 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 Maryland's terms.
What changes, South Dakota → Maryland
| South Dakota (current) | Maryland (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) | $300 (COMAR 10.36.06.02 licensure application fee $300. Separately: State (Maryland jurisprudence) examination $250; national examination $650 if the EPPP is not waived; verification of licensure $20. Biennial renewal $400.) |
| 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 | Neither the Board's licensing page nor COMAR states a processing-time estimate; applicants are directed to contact the Board. |
| Licensing authority | South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) | Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Maryland Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Maryland Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Maryland Department of Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Document a doctoral degree in psychology and at least 2 years of professional supervised experience in psychology.
- Pass the Maryland State jurisprudence examination with a score of at least 75 percent.
- Request waiver of the EPPP by documenting a qualifying prior score or a current ASPPB CPQ.
- Complete a criminal history records check and be at least 18 years old and of good moral character.
- If you neither reside nor practice in Maryland, submit a statement showing that your licensure would be in the interest of the citizens or government of Maryland for Board approval.
- Pay the fees ($300 (COMAR 10.36.06.02 licensure application fee $300. Separately: State (Maryland jurisprudence) examination $250; national examination $650 if the EPPP is not waived; verification of licensure $20. Biennial renewal $400.)) and allow Neither the Board's licensing page nor COMAR states a processing-time estimate; applicants are directed to contact the Board..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maryland accept a South Dakota psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Maryland Department of Health), verify your South Dakota license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers — COMAR 10.36.01.06 lets the Board waive the national examination for an applicant currently licensed in another state who already achieved a scaled score of 500 (or at least 73% on a pre-2002 administration), whose state did not require the EPPP, or who holds a current ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification; the Maryland State jurisprudence examination (75% to pass, prepared and scored by the Board) may not be waived under the reciprocity provisions.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from South Dakota to Maryland?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers — COMAR 10.36.01.06 lets the Board waive the national examination for an applicant currently licensed in another state who already achieved a scaled score of 500 (or at least 73% on a pre-2002 administration), whose state did not require the EPPP, or who holds a current ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification; the Maryland State jurisprudence examination (75% to pass, prepared and scored by the Board) may not be waived under the reciprocity provisions.
What does the move cost?
$300 (COMAR 10.36.06.02 licensure application fee $300. Separately: State (Maryland jurisprudence) examination $250; national examination $650 if the EPPP is not waived; verification of licensure $20. Biennial renewal $400.) (COMAR 10.36.06.02 licensure application fee $300. Separately: State (Maryland jurisprudence) examination $250; national examination $650 if the EPPP is not waived; verification of licensure $20. Biennial renewal $400.).
How long will it take?
Neither the Board's licensing page nor COMAR states a processing-time estimate; applicants are directed to contact the Board. — Neither the Board's licensing page nor COMAR states a processing-time estimate; applicants are directed to contact the Board..
South Dakota and Maryland 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 Maryland (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in South Dakota. Relocating to Maryland requires licensure by endorsement from the Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Maryland Department of Health) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Maryland clients before my Maryland license is issued?
While your South Dakota license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Maryland 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 Maryland license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Psychologist License (application portal for new and transferring psychologists) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- COMAR 10.36.01.06 — Examinations Required for Licensure or Registration (EPPP waiver, CPQ, Maryland Examination not waivable) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- COMAR 10.36.01.05 — Applications for Licensure from Nonresidents ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- COMAR 10.36.06.02 — Board of Examiners of Psychologists fee schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Md. Health Occupations Article §18-302 — Qualifications of applicants for psychologist licensure ↗ (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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