Can a Licensed Psychologist transfer a license to South Dakota as a military spouse?
Not through the compact — South Dakota is not currently a Psychology compact member. A military-spouse Licensed Psychologist relies on VAEIA 2022 / 50 U.S.C. § 4025a, which requires South Dakota to recognize a valid out-of-state license upon relocation for military orders.
Your psychology licensing board in South Dakota
We checked South Dakota's licensed psychologist licensing rules and couldn't find a military-spouse provision written specifically for licensed psychologists. That's usually not an oversight on our end: in most of these states the military-spouse licensing law runs through a separate division that doesn't cover this board, so it never reaches the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists. It does not leave you stuck — here's the path that still works.
- Apply through the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists's out-of-state / endorsement route — that's the on-ramp every spouse uses here.
- Invoke VAEIA 2022 / 50 U.S.C. § 4025a in writing, attaching your sponsor's PCS orders. It legally forces South Dakota to recognize your valid out-of-state licensed psychologist license on a military move — no separate state rule required.
- If they can't finalize a permanent license within 30 days, ask for a temporary license — the statute requires the board to issue one so you can keep working.
- Keep your receipts: DoD reimburses up to $1,000 per PCS for relicensing, and MyCAA covers up to $4,000 toward portable credentials.
Call the South Dakota Board of Examiners of Psychologists to confirm the current military-spouse timeline before you move — and if you find an official SD provision we missed, tell us and we'll source it.
About the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT)
For licensed psychologists. Allows telepsychology and temporary in-person practice across member jurisdictions.
Official compact site ↗All Psychology member states
39 jurisdictions. Tap any to check that destination for this profession.