Psychology License from Tennessee to California: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) ↗

A psychology license transfers from Tennessee to California by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs), verify your Tennessee license, and meet California's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an out-of-state applicant who already passed the EPPP requests an ASPPB score transfer to California instead of re-testing, and the Board's out-of-state pathway for applicants licensed two or more years does not include an EPPP step. Every applicant must still pass the California Psychology Laws and Ethics Examination (CPLEE); it is never waived.

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Leaving Tennessee for California takes you outside the compact's reach: California does not participate in PSYPACT, so no APIT or TAP authorization covers California clients, and there is no telehealth or temporary-practice bridge to work across while your application is pending. You apply to the California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) for licensure by endorsement — your existing EPPP score is accepted rather than retaken, and California applies its own credential review, jurisprudence requirement, and background check. Any authorizations you hold for other participating states remain valid only while your Tennessee license does.

What changes, Tennessee → California

Side-by-side: Tennessee vs California (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
	Tennessee (current)	California (destination)
PSYPACT status	PSYPACT member — multistate license honored	Licensure by endorsement
Application fee	$175–$375 (PH-1034 requires a $175 nonrefundable application fee plus a $200 licensure fee at submission; a $10 state regulatory fee and a $100 ethics and jurisprudence exam fee are also due, for a board-stated total of $485. Temporary license adds $100; provisional license adds $125. Fingerprint/background-check vendor charges are billed separately.)	$236 ($236 psychologist initial application fee (2024 fee schedule, the current schedule published by the Board). Separately + $127 for the CPLEE application and + $231 for initial licensure; out-of-state fingerprint hard card processing is $233)
Processing time	4–6 weeks (Board-stated: materials are typically in the applicant's file within two weeks of the postmark and, absent complicating factors, average application processing time is four to six weeks.)	4–6 weeks (Board states processing takes approximately 1.5 months (4-6 weeks) for applications, subsequent documents/correspondence and requested deficiency documents. Because the application, the CPLEE request and the request for initial licensure are each processed separately at that pace, total time from filing to a California license is considerably longer)
Licensing authority	Tennessee Board of Examiners in Psychology (Tennessee Department of Health)	California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs)

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

Step by step

Confirm California's current requirements on the California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Have held a psychologist license based on a doctoral degree in another state, Canadian province or U.S. territory for at least two years to use the Board's Category C out-of-state pathway.
Document 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience with at least 1,500 postdoctoral, or substitute a National Register Health Service Psychologist credential, ABPP certification, or an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ).
Pass the California Psychology Laws and Ethics Examination (CPLEE).
Complete the six prelicensure coursework requirements before licensure — human sexuality, alcohol/chemical dependency, child abuse assessment, spousal/partner abuse, aging and long-term care, and suicide risk assessment.
Submit fingerprints to the California DOJ and the FBI; out-of-state applicants use hard cards, which take at least four weeks to process.
Pay the fees ($236 ($236 psychologist initial application fee (2024 fee schedule, the current schedule published by the Board). Separately + $127 for the CPLEE application and + $231 for initial licensure; out-of-state fingerprint hard card processing is $233)) and allow 4–6 weeks (Board states processing takes approximately 1.5 months (4-6 weeks) for applications, subsequent documents/correspondence and requested deficiency documents. Because the application, the CPLEE request and the request for initial licensure are each processed separately at that pace, total time from filing to a California license is considerably longer).

Official links

California Board of Psychology (Department of Consumer Affairs) ↗California application ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does California accept a Tennessee psychology license?

Do I retake the EPPP moving from Tennessee to California?

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an out-of-state applicant who already passed the EPPP requests an ASPPB score transfer to California instead of re-testing, and the Board's out-of-state pathway for applicants licensed two or more years does not include an EPPP step. Every applicant must still pass the California Psychology Laws and Ethics Examination (CPLEE); it is never waived.

What does the move cost?

$236 ($236 psychologist initial application fee (2024 fee schedule, the current schedule published by the Board). Separately + $127 for the CPLEE application and + $231 for initial licensure; out-of-state fingerprint hard card processing is $233) ($236 psychologist initial application fee (2024 fee schedule, the current schedule published by the Board). Separately + $127 for the CPLEE application and + $231 for initial licensure; out-of-state fingerprint hard card processing is $233).

How long will it take?

4–6 weeks (Board states processing takes approximately 1.5 months (4-6 weeks) for applications, subsequent documents/correspondence and requested deficiency documents. Because the application, the CPLEE request and the request for initial licensure are each processed separately at that pace, total time from filing to a California license is considerably longer) — Board states processing takes approximately 1.5 months (4-6 weeks) for applications, subsequent documents/correspondence and requested deficiency documents. Because the application, the CPLEE request and the request for initial licensure are each processed separately at that pace, total time from filing to a California license is considerably longer.

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

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