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

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Nevada State Board of Psychological Examiners ↗

A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Nevada by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nevada State Board of Psychological Examiners, verify your South Dakota license, and meet Nevada's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the Board reviews it through license verification or the ASPPB Psychology Licensure Universal System (PLUS). There is no exam waiver of any kind: the Board states the Nevada State Examination and a criminal background check are required of every applicant, including CPQ/ABPP/National Register holders and those licensed 20 or more years.

Verify this exact pair in the checker

Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

South Dakota and Nevada 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 Nevada means applying to the Nevada State Board of Psychological Examiners for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Nevada'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 Nevada clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Nevada 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 → Nevada

Side-by-side: South Dakota vs Nevada (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
	South Dakota (current)	Nevada (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)	$150 (Non-refundable application fee submitted with the Applicant Screening Information Form; paying by PayPal adds a 2.95% surcharge. Criminal-background-check costs are separate and not published by the Board.)
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 states only that applicants should allow approximately 5–10 business days for initial review of the screening application. It publishes no end-to-end licensure timeline, which also depends on PLUS verification and Nevada State Examination scheduling, so no range is recorded here.
Licensing authority	South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services)	Nevada State Board of Psychological Examiners

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

Step by step

Confirm Nevada's current requirements on the Nevada State Board of Psychological Examiners website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Nevada State Board of Psychological Examiners (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Submit the Applicant Screening Information Form with the $150 fee so the Board can assign your application track.
For the expedited track, hold a CPQ, National Register or ABPP credential, or 20+ years of continuous active licensure in good standing.
For the abbreviated track, hold 5 or more but fewer than 20 years of continuous active licensure without those credentials.
Complete the ASPPB Psychology Licensure Universal System (PLUS) documentation if licensed fewer than 5 years, or when the Board refers you to it.
Pass the Nevada State Examination and clear a criminal background check.
Pay the fees ($150 (Non-refundable application fee submitted with the Applicant Screening Information Form; paying by PayPal adds a 2.95% surcharge. Criminal-background-check costs are separate and not published by the Board.)) and allow The Board states only that applicants should allow approximately 5–10 business days for initial review of the screening application. It publishes no end-to-end licensure timeline, which also depends on PLUS verification and Nevada State Examination scheduling, so no range is recorded here..

Official links

Nevada State Board of Psychological Examiners ↗Nevada application ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does Nevada accept a South Dakota psychology license?

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

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — the Board reviews it through license verification or the ASPPB Psychology Licensure Universal System (PLUS). There is no exam waiver of any kind: the Board states the Nevada State Examination and a criminal background check are required of every applicant, including CPQ/ABPP/National Register holders and those licensed 20 or more years.

What does the move cost?

$150 (Non-refundable application fee submitted with the Applicant Screening Information Form; paying by PayPal adds a 2.95% surcharge. Criminal-background-check costs are separate and not published by the Board.) (Non-refundable application fee submitted with the Applicant Screening Information Form; paying by PayPal adds a 2.95% surcharge. Criminal-background-check costs are separate and not published by the Board.).

How long will it take?

The Board states only that applicants should allow approximately 5–10 business days for initial review of the screening application. It publishes no end-to-end licensure timeline, which also depends on PLUS verification and Nevada State Examination scheduling, so no range is recorded here. — The Board states only that applicants should allow approximately 5–10 business days for initial review of the screening application. It publishes no end-to-end licensure timeline, which also depends on PLUS verification and Nevada State Examination scheduling, so no range is recorded here..

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

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

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