Psychology License from West Virginia to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Mississippi Board of Psychology ↗
A psychology license transfers from West Virginia to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi Board of Psychology, verify your West Virginia license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant already licensed in another jurisdiction documents it through the ASPPB PLUS primary-source credential review rather than re-testing, but must still be recommended for and pass the Mississippi Board's jurisprudence/oral examination before licensure.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
West Virginia and Mississippi 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 West Virginia to Mississippi means applying to the Mississippi Board of Psychology for licensure by endorsement exactly as you would if neither state had ever joined — license verification, doctoral transcript, supervised-experience review, Mississippi's jurisprudence requirement. What the shared participation genuinely gives you is different and still valuable: while you remain licensed and resident in West Virginia, you can serve Mississippi clients by telepsychology under an APIT authorization, and work in person in Mississippi for up to 30 days a year under a TAP. That can cover a transition period — it cannot cover the move.
What changes, West Virginia → Mississippi
| West Virginia (current) | Mississippi (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PSYPACT status | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored | PSYPACT member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $120–$525 (17CSR1 §2.1 application fee $120; the oral examination required of every reciprocity applicant is a further $405 (§2.6.1), so a typical reciprocity applicant pays about $525. Not included: $25 application-packet mailing/handling, $90 temporary permit, $180 continued oral examination. All Board fees are nonrefundable.) | $400 (Board fee schedule lists a single combined $400 'Application and Background Check' fee; the required oral examination is a separate $150 fee, and a temporary practice certificate is $100. Renewal is $300/year.) |
| Processing time | The Board publishes no stated review timeline. Timing is driven by the oral examination, which is scheduled at a Board meeting and requires all oral-exam materials at least 15 days in advance; a 90-day temporary permit is available to bridge the wait. | The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing is driven by ASPPB PLUS primary-source verification and by the Board's published oral-exam dates, neither of which the Board expresses as a range. |
| Licensing authority | West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists | Mississippi Board of Psychology |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi Board of Psychology website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Mississippi Board of Psychology (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current psychologist license in another jurisdiction and have it primary-source verified.
- Complete the ASPPB PLUS application with primary source verification of degree, training and licensure.
- Submit the Board's demographic form and clear a criminal background check.
- Pass the Mississippi Board jurisprudence/oral examination before a permanent license is issued.
- For the faster Universal Recognition of Licensure Act route, prove Mississippi residency, at least 1 year of licensure in good standing, and no pending investigations or disciplinary history.
- Pay the fees ($400 (Board fee schedule lists a single combined $400 'Application and Background Check' fee; the required oral examination is a separate $150 fee, and a temporary practice certificate is $100. Renewal is $300/year.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing is driven by ASPPB PLUS primary-source verification and by the Board's published oral-exam dates, neither of which the Board expresses as a range..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Mississippi accept a West Virginia psychology license?
A psychology license transfers from West Virginia to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi Board of Psychology, verify your West Virginia license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant already licensed in another jurisdiction documents it through the ASPPB PLUS primary-source credential review rather than re-testing, but must still be recommended for and pass the Mississippi Board's jurisprudence/oral examination before licensure.
Do I retake the EPPP moving from West Virginia to Mississippi?
No — the EPPP is passed once and your score is verified rather than retaken. EPPP passing score transfers (not retaken) — an applicant already licensed in another jurisdiction documents it through the ASPPB PLUS primary-source credential review rather than re-testing, but must still be recommended for and pass the Mississippi Board's jurisprudence/oral examination before licensure.
What does the move cost?
$400 (Board fee schedule lists a single combined $400 'Application and Background Check' fee; the required oral examination is a separate $150 fee, and a temporary practice certificate is $100. Renewal is $300/year.) (Board fee schedule lists a single combined $400 'Application and Background Check' fee; the required oral examination is a separate $150 fee, and a temporary practice certificate is $100. Renewal is $300/year.).
How long will it take?
The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing is driven by ASPPB PLUS primary-source verification and by the Board's published oral-exam dates, neither of which the Board expresses as a range. — The Board publishes no processing-time estimate. Timing is driven by ASPPB PLUS primary-source verification and by the Board's published oral-exam dates, neither of which the Board expresses as a range..
West Virginia and Mississippi 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 Mississippi (APIT) and in-person practice there for up to 30 days a year (TAP) while your license stays in West Virginia. Relocating to Mississippi requires licensure by endorsement from the Mississippi Board of Psychology like any other applicant.
Can I start seeing Mississippi clients before my Mississippi license is issued?
While your West Virginia license remains active and is your home-state license, a PSYPACT authorization can cover Mississippi 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 West Virginia stops being your licensed home state — they are a bridge during a transition, not a substitute for the Mississippi license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Mississippi Board of Psychology — Applying for a License (Never Licensed / Licensed in Another Jurisdiction / UROLA pathways) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Mississippi Board of Psychology — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Mississippi Board of Psychology — board home (PSYPACT effective April 8, 2024 notice; license search link) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Board of Examiners of Psychologists — Reciprocity Applicants / Oral Examination / Temporary License ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Legislative Rule 17CSR3 §12.2 and §14.4 — reciprocity provision, CPQ/National Register portability waiver, oral examination ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Legislative Rule 17CSR1 — Board of Psychologists fee schedule (application $120, oral exam $405, temporary permit $90) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Board of Examiners of Psychologists — License Information (application pathways) ↗ (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]