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LicenseReciprocity

Transfer Your Psychology License to South Dakota: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) ↗

To practice in South Dakota you need a South Dakota license, obtained by endorsement through the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services): license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, and your EPPP score accepted as already passed ($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), processing 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). South Dakota participates in PSYPACT, but that only covers telepsychology and up to 30 days a year of temporary in-person work — it does not license you in South Dakota, and a move here still runs through endorsement.

Moving to South Dakota from a specific state?

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Verdict

PSYPACT member — multistate license honored

Be precise about what you are actually trying to do in South Dakota, because the two mechanisms answer different questions. If you are staying licensed and resident elsewhere and want to see South Dakota clients by telehealth, South Dakota's PSYPACT participation is the relevant route and you never touch the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) — you work through ASPPB and the commission instead. If you are moving to South Dakota, or want an unrestricted South Dakota license for any other reason, the compact contributes nothing at all and the endorsement steps below are your path.

South Dakota runs endorsement through the state's cross-profession endorsement statute SDCL 36-1D-1 rather than a psychology-specific reciprocity clause: the Board licenses an applicant holding a current license from a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent or higher standards, who demonstrates competency and is in good standing. The practical benefit for transfers is the oral examination waiver the Board adopted on 2023-09-08 (effective 2023-09-09) for applicants meeting the endorsement requirements — otherwise every applicant must pass an oral exam on the ASPPB Code of Conduct and mandatory reporting at 75%. SDCL 36-27A-17 additionally lets the Board, at its discretion and case by case, exempt an ABPP diplomate who holds a current out-of-state license from examination requirements. There is no separate endorsement application form; endorsement applicants use the standard Application for Licensure, and CPQ or National Register credentials only expedite the paperwork. South Dakota is a PSYPACT participating state, so APIT telepsychology and 30-day TAP in-person authority are available to psychologists licensed in another PSYPACT state; separately, SDCL 36-27A-2(4) exempts a non-resident with no South Dakota office who provides psychological services here for no more than an aggregate 20 days per year. Neither route transfers a license — a permanent South Dakota license still requires this application.

South Dakota requirements at a glance

Out-of-state psychology license transfer requirements for South Dakota, verified 2026-08-07
ExamEPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) and South Dakota does not require the EPPP Part 2 (EPPPII). South Dakota's state exam is an oral examination on the ASPPB Code of Conduct and mandatory reporting (75% to pass), but the Board voted on 2023-09-08 to waive the oral examination, effective 2023-09-09, for applicants who meet the licensure-by-endorsement requirements. Under SDCL 36-27A-17 the Board may also, at its discretion, exempt an ABPP diplomate holding a current out-of-state license from examination requirements
Additional requirements
  • Qualify under SDCL 36-1D-1 — hold a current license from another jurisdiction whose requirements are substantially equivalent to or exceed South Dakota's, demonstrate competency as determined by the Board, and be in good standing with no disqualifying discipline
  • Submit the Board's Application for Licensure (there is no separate endorsement form) with the Verification of All Past/Present Licensure Form
  • Have official transcripts from all graduate programs sent directly from the institution to the Board office
  • Note that an ASPPB CPQ or National Register credential is recognized by the Board to expedite the paperwork but does not remove the requirement to submit a full application
Fees$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)
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 examination

Step by step

  1. Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Qualify under SDCL 36-1D-1 — hold a current license from another jurisdiction whose requirements are substantially equivalent to or exceed South Dakota's, demonstrate competency as determined by the Board, and be in good standing with no disqualifying discipline.
  5. Submit the Board's Application for Licensure (there is no separate endorsement form) with the Verification of All Past/Present Licensure Form.
  6. Have official transcripts from all graduate programs sent directly from the institution to the Board office.
  7. Note that an ASPPB CPQ or National Register credential is recognized by the Board to expedite the paperwork but does not remove the requirement to submit a full application.
  8. Pay the fees ($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)) and allow 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.

Official links

South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services) ↗South Dakota application ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into South Dakota:

Alabama → South DakotaArizona → South DakotaArkansas → South DakotaCalifornia → South DakotaColorado → South DakotaConnecticut → South DakotaDelaware → South DakotaDistrict of Columbia → South DakotaFlorida → South DakotaGeorgia → South DakotaIdaho → South DakotaIllinois → South DakotaIndiana → South DakotaKansas → South DakotaKentucky → South DakotaMaine → South DakotaMaryland → South DakotaMichigan → South DakotaMinnesota → South DakotaMississippi → South Dakota
All 42 origin states
Missouri → South DakotaNebraska → South DakotaNevada → South DakotaNew Hampshire → South DakotaNew Jersey → South DakotaNew York → South DakotaNorth Carolina → South DakotaNorth Dakota → South DakotaOhio → South DakotaOklahoma → South DakotaPennsylvania → South DakotaRhode Island → South DakotaSouth Carolina → South DakotaTennessee → South DakotaTexas → South DakotaUtah → South DakotaVermont → South DakotaVirginia → South DakotaWashington → South DakotaWest Virginia → South DakotaWisconsin → South DakotaWyoming → South Dakota

Frequently asked questions

Does my psychology license transfer to South Dakota?

To practice in South Dakota you need a South Dakota license, obtained by endorsement through the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services): license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, and your EPPP score accepted as already passed ($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), processing 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). South Dakota participates in PSYPACT, but that only covers telepsychology and up to 30 days a year of temporary in-person work — it does not license you in South Dakota, and a move here still runs through endorsement.

Do I have to retake the EPPP to get licensed in South Dakota?

No. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) and South Dakota does not require the EPPP Part 2 (EPPPII). South Dakota's state exam is an oral examination on the ASPPB Code of Conduct and mandatory reporting (75% to pass), but the Board voted on 2023-09-08 to waive the oral examination, effective 2023-09-09, for applicants who meet the licensure-by-endorsement requirements. Under SDCL 36-27A-17 the Board may also, at its discretion, exempt an ABPP diplomate holding a current out-of-state license from examination requirements.

How much does it cost to get a South Dakota psychology license by endorsement?

$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) ($300.00 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).

How long does South Dakota take to process an endorsement application?

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. 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.

Is South Dakota a PSYPACT state?

Yes — South Dakota was participating as of 2026-08-07. That lets a psychologist licensed in another participating state provide telepsychology to South Dakota clients under an APIT authorization, and work in person in South Dakota for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. It does not license you in South Dakota: relocating still requires endorsement through the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Department of Social Services).

Can I practice in South Dakota using PSYPACT instead of getting licensed?

Only within the compact's limits, and only if you are not moving. Telepsychology into South Dakota is covered by APIT; in-person work is capped at 30 days per calendar year under a TAP. Beyond that — and for any relocation to South Dakota — you need a South Dakota license by endorsement.

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]