The explosion of video sessions and interstate relocations means many psychologists now treat clients who live—or travel—far beyond the state where the therapist originally qualified. A 2024 industry survey found that almost half of private-practice psychologists have considered adding at least one more license to keep pace with client mobility and reduce no-show rates tied to travel and relocation. Yet every U.S. state still regulates psychology independently, so expanding “borderless” care requires mastering a patchwork of statutes and application pathways.

State Licensure 101: One Profession, Fifty-Plus Playbooks

Although all jurisdictions require a doctorate, supervised hours, and a passing score on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), each sets its own thresholds for coursework, jurisprudence exams, criminal background checks, and continuing-education cycles. In practical terms, that means a psychologist licensed in New York cannot simply open a laptop and see a client who moved to Colorado last week; doing so without Colorado authority is the legal equivalent of practicing without a license. Understanding that the bedrock rule keeps clinicians out of disciplinary hearings and malpractice nightmares.

PSYPACT: The Fast Lane for Telepsychology

The headline change over the past five years is the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, or PSYPACT—an agreement that is active in multiple states plus the District of Columbia. Once a clinician holds an “Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology” (APIT) under PSYPACT, they may treat clients located in any other PSYPACT state without applying for a separate license there. The compact also permits up to thirty days of in-person work per calendar year in another member state, easing pop-up clinic events and short-term relocations. Everything hinges on first having a full, unrestricted license in at least one PSYPACT jurisdiction and then completing a streamlined background check and jurisprudence tutorial through the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.

Traditional Endorsement and Reciprocity Routes

Not every state has joined the compact, and even within PSYPACT there are scenarios—such as permanent in-person practice—where a full, standalone license in the second state is still required. Outside the compact, clinicians rely on three classic mechanisms:

1. Licensure by endorsement, in which the target state accepts core credentials (degree, EPPP score, supervised experience) already vetted elsewhere but may add a state-specific ethics exam or fingerprinting.
2. Reciprocity agreements between neighboring states, generally limited in number and scope.
3. Full application from scratch, necessary when the target board does not recognize out-of-state experience or the clinician’s original doctorate program lacks required coursework (e.g., multicultural counseling), prompting supplemental CE hours.

Processing times vary widely. Alma’s cross-state licensure survey reports that a quarter of respondents waited four to six months for an additional license, while about one in ten endured seven months to a full year. Fees ranged from roughly $250 to $1,000 per state, not counting notarizations or transcript requests.

A Step-by-Step Roadmap

1. Map Your Target Footprint. Start with where current clients reside or where prospective corporate partners operate. Check each state board’s telehealth statute; several require a courtesy registration even for a single video session.
2. Audit Your Credentials. Pull transcripts, internship letters, and EPPP scores. Make sure your primary license is “active and in good standing”—a prerequisite for PSYPACT and most endorsement paths.
3. Decide Between PSYPACT and Full Licensure. If 90 percent of intended work is remote and the state is a compact member, PSYPACT usually wins on cost and speed. If you plan a physical office or the state is outside PSYPACT, budget for a full application.
4. Assemble Documents Early. Alma’s data show missing internship verifications and outdated finger-print cards are the most common causes of multi-month delays. Create a digital folder with notarized copies to reuse for future states.
5. Track Deadlines and CE Requirements. Each license carries its own renewal date and continuing-education quota. A smartphone calendar or dedicated compliance app beats the panic of discovering tomorrow is a renewal cutoff.

Compliance After Approval: Where the Client Sits Matters

Licensure authority rests on the client’s location at the moment of service, not the psychologist’s. If a PSYPACT-enabled therapist in Illinois connects with a client who just crossed into Wisconsin, that session remains legal only because Wisconsin is also in PSYPACT; if the same client steps into Michigan, the psychologist must hold Michigan authority or reschedule. Document each session’s location in the note header to create a defensible audit trail.

Ethical and Insurance Considerations

Beyond legal standing, insurers often demand proof of licensure in the client’s state before reimbursing claims. Some commercial panels maintain separate contracts even inside PSYPACT territories. Meanwhile, the APA’s Ethics Code urges practitioners to understand local standards of care, which can differ in areas such as duty-to-warn laws and parental-consent ages. Staying current may require joining regional listservs or subscribing to state psychological association newsletters.

Building a Truly Mobile Practice

Securing multiple licenses is only the start. A geographically flexible practice needs EHR templates that capture client location, telehealth consent forms compliant with each state, and malpractice coverage explicitly extending across lines. Consider platform partners that automate location detection and block scheduling errors: the cost is minor next to defending an unauthorized-practice allegation.

Final Thoughts

Multi-state licensure once belonged to a handful of forensic and sports psychologists; today it is quickly becoming the norm for anyone offering virtual therapy. By leveraging PSYPACT where possible and approaching traditional applications with a clear document strategy, clinicians can widen their reach in months rather than years. The payoff is practical—fewer disruptions when clients move, bigger referral networks, and diversified revenue streams—and, more important, ethical: continuity of care for people who can least afford to lose it. A careful reading of compact rules and state statutes, combined with proactive credential management, turns therapy on the go from a regulatory maze into a sustainable model for modern psychological care.