Psychology License from Texas to District of Columbia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Texas to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration), verify your Texas license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) for an already-licensed applicant; an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) may be submitted in lieu of the official transcript, the EPPP score and the supervision forms. A District of Columbia jurisprudence requirement applies, but the Board states there is no DC exam at this time — the applicant reads the Board's jurisprudence study material and signs an Attestation Statement Form.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Both Texas and District of Columbia are PSYPACT participants, which helps you right up until you actually relocate. As long as Texas remains your licensed home state, the compact lets you treat District of Columbia clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in District of Columbia in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in District of Columbia. A permanent move puts you in front of the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) 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 District of Columbia's terms.
What changes, Texas → District of Columbia
| Texas (current) | District of Columbia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $425 (22 TAC 885.1: 'LP Application (including reciprocity applications)' totals $425 ($410 base + $10 Texas.gov + $5 Office of Patient Protection). The psychologist Jurisprudence Exam fee is $39 and the fingerprint criminal history check is billed separately by the vendor. All fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.) | $322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application) |
| Processing time | 4–6 weeks (Council states most applications take an average of 30-40 days to fully process and asks applicants not to inquire until six weeks have elapsed. Its published FY2025 figures for psychologist applications were 1 day minimum, 310 days maximum, 43-day median, 46-day average.) | The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review |
| Licensing authority | Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) | District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — District of Columbia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements on the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Submit official verification of licensure from every state or jurisdiction in which you have ever held a professional license, sent directly by the issuing board.
- Document 4,000 total pre-doctoral and post-doctoral supervised hours on the Board's verification forms, or substitute at least two years of licensed unsupervised practice with a resume and Nature of Practice Statement, or a CPQ or National Register credential.
- Sign the DC Jurisprudence Examination Attestation Statement Form after reading the Board's study material.
- Complete the criminal background check ordered with the online application.
- Submit three Character Reference Forms from people who are not relatives, instructors or employers and have known you at least one year.
- Pay the fees ($322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application)) and allow The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does District of Columbia accept a Texas psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Texas to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration), verify your Texas license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) for an already-licensed applicant; an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) may be submitted in lieu of the official transcript, the EPPP score and the supervision forms. A District of Columbia jurisprudence requirement applies, but the Board states there is no DC exam at this time — the applicant reads the Board's jurisprudence study material and signs an Attestation Statement Form.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Texas to District of Columbia?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) for an already-licensed applicant; an ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) may be submitted in lieu of the official transcript, the EPPP score and the supervision forms. A District of Columbia jurisprudence requirement applies, but the Board states there is no DC exam at this time — the applicant reads the Board's jurisprudence study material and signs an Attestation Statement Form.
What does the move cost?
$322 ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application) ($322 combined application and license fee paid online; the criminal background check is an additional $50 paid online with the application).
How long will it take?
The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review — The Board publishes no processing-time estimate; the checklist notes that incomplete supervision or verification documents delay review.
Texas and District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Texas. Relocating to District of Columbia requires licensure by endorsement from the District of Columbia Board of Psychology (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing District of Columbia clients before my District of Columbia license is issued?
While your Texas license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover District of Columbia 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 Texas stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the District of Columbia license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- DC Health — Psychology Licensing (checklists, jurisprudence study material, EPPP, background check) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- DC Board of Psychology — New License Application ENDORSEMENT checklist (fee $322, $50 CBC, 4,000 hours, jurisprudence attestation, CPQ/National Register substitutions) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts — PSYPACT member states (District of Columbia joined 2021) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council — Applying for a Psychology License (application types, including the Oklahoma reciprocity application) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- TBHEC Consolidated Rulebook for Psychology (22 TAC 463.2, 463.10, 463.13, 463.30, 463.31 and 885.1 fee schedule) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- TBHEC — Licensed Psychologist Checklist & Licensure Process (NPDB, fingerprints, transferred EPPP score, CPQ/ABPP) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- TBHEC — Current Application Processing Timelines (30-40 day average; FY2025 psychologist statistics) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- TBHEC — Psychology Forms and Publications (Oklahoma Licensed Psychologist Reciprocity Application and documentation checklist) ↗ (accessed 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]