Psychology License from Washington to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology ↗

A psychology license transfers from Washington to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology, verify your Washington license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) if it meets Alabama's current cut score — an applicant must retake the EPPP only if the score is below Alabama's cut-off or if the applicant was licensed through an EPPP waiver and is not an ABPP diplomate; every admitted candidate must also pass the Alabama Professional Standards Examination (PSE) on Alabama license law and the APA ethics code, except applicants exempt under Rule 750-X-2-.08(2).

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Washington and Alabama both participate in PSYPACT, and it is worth being blunt about what that does and does not buy you, because the compact's name misleads a lot of psychologists. It does not transfer your license. Moving from Washington to Alabama means applying to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Alabama's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in Washington, you can serve Alabama clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Alabama for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.

What changes, Washington → Alabama

Side-by-side: Washington vs Alabama (Psychology (licensed psychologist)), verified 2026-08-07
	Washington (current)	Alabama (destination)
PSYPACT status	PSYPACT member — multistate license honored	PSYPACT member — multistate license honored
Application fee	$231 (Psychologist application $231, which includes the $16 HEALWA access fee; active renewal is $311. FBI fingerprint background-check costs are billed separately. A psychologist temporary practice permit carries no fee.)	$400 ($400 nonrefundable application processing fee payable to the Board; separately + $38.25 payable to ALEA for the state/federal criminal history check and + $50 PSE fee due when sitting for the exam)
Processing time	Not verified. The Department of Health publishes no processing-time range for psychologist applications; it states only that delayed applicant responses lengthen the wait.	13–17 weeks (Board states the process for previously licensed applicants 'generally takes three (3) to four (4) months from the time the application is received'; files are reviewed only at regular Board meetings, generally the second Friday of odd-numbered months, and must be complete by the first day of an odd-numbered month)
Licensing authority	Washington State Examining Board of Psychology (Washington State Department of Health)	Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology

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

Step by step

Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Hold an active independent-level psychologist license in another jurisdiction and have a Verification of Licensure Form sent directly to the Board by every jurisdiction where a license is or was held.
Meet Alabama's own doctoral education and internship standards (Rules 750-X-2-.04 and 750-X-2-.07) — previous licensure does not waive them.
Pass the Alabama Professional Standards Examination (PSE), unless licensed at the independent level in at least two states with a passing national exam score (Rule 750-X-2-.08(2)).
Submit two fingerprint cards and a criminal history release for an ALEA and FBI background check.
Provide four positive references, at least three from doctoral-level licensed or certified psychologists.
Pay the fees ($400 ($400 nonrefundable application processing fee payable to the Board; separately + $38.25 payable to ALEA for the state/federal criminal history check and + $50 PSE fee due when sitting for the exam)) and allow 13–17 weeks (Board states the process for previously licensed applicants 'generally takes three (3) to four (4) months from the time the application is received'; files are reviewed only at regular Board meetings, generally the second Friday of odd-numbered months, and must be complete by the first day of an odd-numbered month).

Official links

Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology ↗Alabama application ↗Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does Alabama accept a Washington psychology license?

Do I retake the EPPP moving from Washington to Alabama?

No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) if it meets Alabama's current cut score — an applicant must retake the EPPP only if the score is below Alabama's cut-off or if the applicant was licensed through an EPPP waiver and is not an ABPP diplomate; every admitted candidate must also pass the Alabama Professional Standards Examination (PSE) on Alabama license law and the APA ethics code, except applicants exempt under Rule 750-X-2-.08(2).

What does the move cost?

$400 ($400 nonrefundable application processing fee payable to the Board; separately + $38.25 payable to ALEA for the state/federal criminal history check and + $50 PSE fee due when sitting for the exam) ($400 nonrefundable application processing fee payable to the Board; separately + $38.25 payable to ALEA for the state/federal criminal history check and + $50 PSE fee due when sitting for the exam).

How long will it take?

13–17 weeks (Board states the process for previously licensed applicants 'generally takes three (3) to four (4) months from the time the application is received'; files are reviewed only at regular Board meetings, generally the second Friday of odd-numbered months, and must be complete by the first day of an odd-numbered month) — Board states the process for previously licensed applicants 'generally takes three (3) to four (4) months from the time the application is received'; files are reviewed only at regular Board meetings, generally the second Friday of odd-numbered months, and must be complete by the first day of an odd-numbered month.

Washington and Alabama 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 Alabama (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in Washington. Relocating to Alabama requires licensure by endorsement from the Alabama Board of Examiners in Psychology like any other applicant.

Can I start seeing Alabama clients before my Alabama license is issued?

While your Washington license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Alabama 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 Washington stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Alabama license.

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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