Psychology License from South Dakota to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) ↗
A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions), verify your South Dakota license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 18VAC125-20-42 imposes no re-examination on an endorsement applicant; only the substantial-equivalence route at 18VAC125-20-42(6)(e) requires verification of a passing score on all EPPP parts that were required at the time of original licensure. Virginia's psychology regulations contain no separate state jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead attests to having read and agreed to comply with Virginia's Standards of Practice and laws.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Both South Dakota and Virginia 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 Virginia clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Virginia in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Virginia. A permanent move puts you in front of the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) 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 Virginia's terms.
What changes, South Dakota → Virginia
| South Dakota (current) | Virginia (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) | $200 (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.) |
| 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 | Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted. |
| Licensing authority | South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) | Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Virginia's current requirements on the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Attest to having read and agreed to comply with the current Standards of Practice and the laws governing the practice of psychology in Virginia.
- Verify every health and mental health professional license, certificate or registration ever held in Virginia or any U.S. or Canadian jurisdiction, with no credential surrendered while under investigation and no unresolved action.
- Submit a current report from the National Practitioner Data Bank.
- Document one of: a current National Register of Health Service Psychologists credential, current ABPP diplomate status in a comparable category, an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification, five years of active comparable licensure including 24 months of active practice within the last 60 months, or substantial equivalence proven from the original out-of-state application file.
- Pay the fees ($200 (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.)) and allow Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia accept a South Dakota psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from South Dakota to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions), verify your South Dakota license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 18VAC125-20-42 imposes no re-examination on an endorsement applicant; only the substantial-equivalence route at 18VAC125-20-42(6)(e) requires verification of a passing score on all EPPP parts that were required at the time of original licensure. Virginia's psychology regulations contain no separate state jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead attests to having read and agreed to comply with Virginia's Standards of Practice and laws.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from South Dakota to Virginia?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — 18VAC125-20-42 imposes no re-examination on an endorsement applicant; only the substantial-equivalence route at 18VAC125-20-42(6)(e) requires verification of a passing score on all EPPP parts that were required at the time of original licensure. Virginia's psychology regulations contain no separate state jurisprudence exam; the applicant instead attests to having read and agreed to comply with Virginia's Standards of Practice and laws.
What does the move cost?
$200 (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.) (18VAC125-20-30 sets 'Application processing and initial licensure' at $200 for clinical and applied psychologists (school psychologists $85). All fees are nonrefundable and payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.).
How long will it take?
Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted. — Not verified. No processing-time commitment appears in 18VAC125-20, and www.dhp.virginia.gov did not resolve or connect from this network on 2026-08-07, so no board-stated range is asserted..
South Dakota and Virginia 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 Virginia (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in South Dakota. Relocating to Virginia requires licensure by endorsement from the Virginia Board of Psychology (Department of Health Professions) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Virginia clients before my Virginia license is issued?
While your South Dakota license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Virginia 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 Virginia license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 18VAC125-20-42, Prerequisites for licensure by endorsement — Virginia Administrative Code, Board of Psychology ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 18VAC125-20-30, Fees required by the board — Virginia Administrative Code, Board of Psychology ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 18VAC125-20-80, General examination requirements — Virginia Administrative Code, Board of Psychology ↗ (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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