Occupational Therapy License from Arkansas to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Arkansas to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance), verify your Arkansas license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under MOBILE endorsement, if you hold current NBCOT certification you list your certification number and Board staff verify it with NBCOT. If your certification is not current, you list your original exam information and ask NBCOT to send a score transfer to the Board. The standard (examination-route) application also accepts current or lapsed NBCOT certification, verified by certification number. No Florida jurisprudence exam is listed..

Verify this exact pair in the checker

Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The compact plays no part here, since neither state is issuing privileges. You apply to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) as an OT licensed in another state, with NBCOT passage verified and your Arkansas license confirmed, plus whatever Florida adds such as fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.

What changes, Arkansas → Florida

Side-by-side: Arkansas vs Florida (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
	Arkansas (current)	Florida (destination)
OT Compact status	OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing	Licensure by endorsement
Application fee	The ASMB application packet (rev. 10/11/2024) and fee schedule list a $4 OT application fee (OTA $3; temporary permit $1), payable by check or money order. The fee schedule says this is a reduced fee under Act 114 of 2023, in effect July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026, which 'may or may not apply in future years'. No post-June 2026 OT fee was published as of 2026-09-27, so the current amount is unverified. + $36.25 state and federal criminal background check. The Commission lists a $4 future Arkansas compact privilege fee (not issuing).	$180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee)
Processing time	the Board says a permanent license application 'will take several weeks to complete', that applications are processed in order of receipt, and that the federal portion of the background check 'can take several weeks or more'; no numeric range is published	for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published
Licensing authority	Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee)	Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance)

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

Step by step

Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Hold an active, unencumbered OT license issued by another state, DC or a U.S. territory (MOBILE endorsement, s. 456.0145, F.S.).
Have actively practiced as a licensed OT for at least two of the four years before applying.
Have no National Practitioner Data Bank report (unless removed on appeal or for conduct that is not a Florida violation), no pending discipline, and no discipline in the prior five years.
Complete electronic fingerprinting for background screening (required since HB 975, 2024).
Have each state that licensed you send license verification (online verifications that show discipline are accepted).
Pay the fees ($180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee)) and allow for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published.

Official links

Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) ↗Florida application ↗License verification ↗

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Arkansas occupational therapy license in Florida?

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Arkansas to Florida?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under MOBILE endorsement, if you hold current NBCOT certification you list your certification number and Board staff verify it with NBCOT. If your certification is not current, you list your original exam information and ask NBCOT to send a score transfer to the Board. The standard (examination-route) application also accepts current or lapsed NBCOT certification, verified by certification number. No Florida jurisprudence exam is listed.

How much does a Florida OT license cost for someone licensed in Arkansas?

$180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee).

How long does Florida take to process the application?

for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published.

Can I use the OT Compact to work in Florida?

Not for this move. Florida has not enacted the OT Compact. A Florida license by endorsement is required.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.

Florida Board of OT Practice, Occupational Therapist licensing (requirements, MOBILE endorsement, fees, processing times) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Florida Statutes s. 456.0145 (MOBILE Act), as linked by the Board ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Arkansas State Medical Board, OT / OTA page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Arkansas State Medical Board, Occupational Therapy Licensure Information Packet (rev. 10/11/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Arkansas State Medical Board, Fee Schedule (Act 114 of 2023 fee reduction, July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Arkansas: Not Yet accepting applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]