Psychology License from Texas to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) ↗
A psychology license transfers from Texas to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), verify your Texas license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under 49 Pa. Code 41.52 an applicant who passed the national portion with a score equal to or above Pennsylvania's prevailing passing score 'will not be required to repeat this portion.' The Board separately administers the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) as a licensure exam.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Both Texas and Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania clients by telehealth (APIT) and work in Pennsylvania in person for up to 30 days per calendar year (TAP). None of that makes you licensed in Pennsylvania. A permanent move puts you in front of the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) 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 Pennsylvania's terms.
What changes, Texas → Pennsylvania
| Texas (current) | Pennsylvania (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.) | $105 (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors) |
| 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.) | Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07 |
| Licensing authority | Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council) | Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current license in another jurisdiction whose standards are substantially equivalent to or exceed Pennsylvania's, and document that jurisdiction's law and regulations.
- Demonstrate competency by either actively practicing psychology 2 of the last 5 years in the issuing jurisdiction, or completing 30 hours of continuing education in the 24 months preceding application.
- Have no disciplinary action by the licensing jurisdiction and no act constituting grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation.
- Complete 3 hours of Board-approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting.
- Be prepared for a personal interview and additional documentation at the Board's discretion.
- Pay the fees ($105 (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors)) and allow Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Texas psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from Texas to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), verify your Texas license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under 49 Pa. Code 41.52 an applicant who passed the national portion with a score equal to or above Pennsylvania's prevailing passing score 'will not be required to repeat this portion.' The Board separately administers the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) as a licensure exam.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from Texas to Pennsylvania?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — under 49 Pa. Code 41.52 an applicant who passed the national portion with a score equal to or above Pennsylvania's prevailing passing score 'will not be required to repeat this portion.' The Board separately administers the Pennsylvania Psychology Law Examination (PPLE) as a licensure exam.
What does the move cost?
$105 (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors) (Initial application fee of $105 under 49 Pa. Code 41.12; 41.52a(4) directs endorsement applicants to pay that initial application fee. Biennial renewal is $300. No separate endorsement/reciprocity fee line exists in the regulation. PPLE and EPPP fees are paid to the exam vendors).
How long will it take?
Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07 — Neither the Board page, the licensure snapshot, nor 49 Pa. Code Chapter 41 states a processing-time range; no Board processing-time page was reachable on 2026-08-07.
Texas and Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Texas. Relocating to Pennsylvania requires licensure by endorsement from the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Pennsylvania clients before my Pennsylvania license is issued?
While your Texas license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 49 Pa. Code 41.52a — Licensure by endorsement (Act 41) conditions for out-of-state psychologists ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code 41.52 — Licensure of psychologists licensed in another state (EPPP national-portion waiver, child abuse training, temporary practice) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code 41.12 — State Board of Psychology fee schedule ($105 initial application, $300 biennial renewal) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PA Department of State — Psychologist Licensure Snapshot (EPPP + PPLE, supervised experience, fees, PSYPACT) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PA State Board of Psychology — board home page ↗ (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]