PSYPACT: Eligibility, Member States, and How to Apply

The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, known as PSYPACT, is a multi-state agreement that lets a licensed psychologist deliver telepsychology services, or provide temporary in-person care, across state lines without getting a separate license in each state. As of early 2026, 42 jurisdictions participate: 40 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.¹ A body called the PSYPACT Commission, made up of one representative from each member jurisdiction, writes and enforces the rules.²

Nothing about the compact is a universal license. It is a limited authorization that rides on top of your home-state license and vanishes the moment that license does.

The Two Types of Authorization

PSYPACT grants two separate credentials, and you choose based on how you plan to practice.

The Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) covers remote services. You stay physically in your home state and deliver care electronically to clients located anywhere else in the compact.³

The Temporary Authorization to Practice (TAP) covers travel. You go to another member jurisdiction and provide face-to-face services on a temporary basis.⁴

Your “home state” is the participating jurisdiction where your primary license sits. For telepsychology, you must actually be in that state when the session happens. If you hold licenses in more than one compact state, your home state for a given session is wherever your body is at the time.⁵ A “distant state” is any other participating jurisdiction where your client is located or where you’ve traveled to provide care.

Member Jurisdictions

The 42 active members are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.¹

If your state is not on that list, the compact cannot help you right now. Additional states periodically introduce compact legislation, so check the Commission’s current map before assuming your jurisdiction is excluded.

Who Qualifies

Before you can apply for either APIT or TAP, you need to meet every item below:

An active, unrestricted license to practice psychology in at least one PSYPACT member state, with no disciplinary conditions or encumbrances.³
A license based on a doctoral-level degree in psychology from a regionally accredited institution.³
No disciplinary action on any psychology license you have held, in any jurisdiction.³
Fingerprints submitted for a federal criminal background check through the FBI’s Next Generation Identification system.⁶

If your home-state license is suspended, lapses, or picks up a disciplinary condition at any point, your compact authorization becomes invalid at the same moment.

Credentials, Fees, and How to Apply

Applying is a two-step process. First you obtain a credential from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), then you apply to the PSYPACT Commission.

For Telepsychology

You need an E.Passport from ASPPB, which involves primary-source verification of your education, transcripts, and licensure. The E.Passport application costs $440.⁷ With the E.Passport in hand, you then apply to the Commission for the APIT itself: a $40 application fee and a $40 annual renewal.⁸

For Temporary In-Person Practice

You need an Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (IPC) from ASPPB, which costs $200. When you apply for the IPC, ASPPB bundles in the $40 TAP applicant processing fee, so the initial charge is $240. Annual renewal is $90 total: $50 for the IPC renewal and $40 for the TAP renewal.⁹

A $25 late fee applies to any APIT or TAP renewal completed after the renewal date.⁸ These fees are on top of whatever your home state charges to maintain your primary license.

Timing

Once your ASPPB credential is in place, you submit the Commission application through its online portal, including your practice history and licensure details, and pay the processing fee. The Commission estimates roughly three to four weeks from submission to decision for both APIT and TAP applications.⁸ Build that lead time into any plan to see out-of-state clients. Approved psychologists get an email notification and appear in the Commission’s public directory, which clients and employers can search to verify authorization.

Rules That Still Apply in the Client’s State

Authorization to practice is not the same as practicing however you like. You remain subject to the laws and regulations of the state where your client is physically located. If a distant state has different rules on mandatory reporting, informed consent, or record-keeping, those are the rules that govern that client relationship.

The compact also does not specify or limit the types of services you can deliver remotely. Whether you can conduct neuropsychological assessments, forensic evaluations, or other specialized services by telepsychology depends on the distant state’s regulations.¹⁰ Some states have stricter rules on remote testing than others, and those rules still apply when you practice under PSYPACT.

If you relocate your primary practice to a different member state, you need to update your declared home state through the Commission’s portal. Because your home state anchors your compact authority, a gap in licensure during a move can temporarily knock out your ability to see clients elsewhere.

Insurance and Liability

The Commission does not require specific malpractice insurance minimums, and it treats billing and insurance reimbursement as outside its scope entirely.¹⁰ That silence is where psychologists get caught. Your existing malpractice policy may or may not cover services delivered in other states under compact authority, and whether a particular insurer will reimburse PSYPACT-based telepsychology sessions is a question for that insurer. Contact your malpractice carrier before you start practicing across state lines to confirm coverage for interjurisdictional telepsychology or temporary in-person work.

Discipline and Losing Your Authorization

Both your home state and any distant state where you provide services keep regulatory power over your practice. A distant state can investigate complaints from clients within its borders and can revoke your authorization to practice there. Adverse actions by a state board become public record.⁵

When a member state finds probable cause that a psychologist may have violated its laws, it must notify the Commission so other member states can access investigatory information. The investigatory details themselves pass directly between states rather than through the Commission.¹¹ A Compliance Committee handles enforcement across the compact.⁵

If disqualifying activity is identified, your APIT or TAP certificate can be revoked outright. If you are referred to a non-disciplinary monitoring program (an “Alternative Program”), your certificate is suspended for the duration of that program and cannot be used while the suspension is active.⁵ In either case, the home state must report the situation to the coordinated database all compact states can access.¹¹

1
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. PSYPACT Map
2
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. About the Commission
3
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology
4
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. Temporary Authorization to Practice
5
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. Glossary of Key Terms
6
FBI. NGI Officially Replaces IAFIS
7
Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. E.Passport
8
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. Application FAQs
9
Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. IPC FAQs
10
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. Practice Related FAQs
11
Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. Rule on Adverse Action