Occupational Therapy License from Arkansas to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Arkansas to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board), verify your Arkansas license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants must show passage of the NBCOT OTR exam; IDFPR staff retrieve the score from the NBCOT portal during evaluation. IDFPR's 'Qualifications for Licensure' document does not require current NBCOT certification and lists no Illinois jurisprudence exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact plays no part here, since neither state is issuing privileges. You apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) as an OT licensed in another state, with NBCOT passage verified and your Arkansas license confirmed, plus whatever Illinois adds such as fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.
What changes, Arkansas → Illinois
| Arkansas (current) | Illinois (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). | The endorsement fee is set in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315 but does not appear in IDFPR's OT qualifications document, and the Illinois General Assembly rules site refused connections on 2026-09-27, so the amount could not be verified. |
| 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 | IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Master's degree or higher from a program that meets or exceeds ACOTE standards (upload the official sealed transcript).
- Passing score on the NBCOT OTR exam, retrieved by IDFPR from the NBCOT portal.
- Certification of licensure from the first jurisdiction where you were licensed and from every jurisdiction where you are currently licensed (primary-source website printouts accepted).
- Apply online through IDFPR's CORE system; all required documents must be uploaded before the application can be submitted.
- Pay the fees (The endorsement fee is set in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315 but does not appear in IDFPR's OT qualifications document, and the Illinois General Assembly rules site refused connections on 2026-09-27, so the amount could not be verified.) and allow IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Arkansas occupational therapy license in Illinois?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Arkansas to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board), verify your Arkansas license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants must show passage of the NBCOT OTR exam; IDFPR staff retrieve the score from the NBCOT portal during evaluation. IDFPR's 'Qualifications for Licensure' document does not require current NBCOT certification and lists no Illinois jurisprudence exam..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Arkansas to Illinois?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants must show passage of the NBCOT OTR exam; IDFPR staff retrieve the score from the NBCOT portal during evaluation. IDFPR's 'Qualifications for Licensure' document does not require current NBCOT certification and lists no Illinois jurisprudence exam.
How much does a Illinois OT license cost for someone licensed in Arkansas?
The endorsement fee is set in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315 but does not appear in IDFPR's OT qualifications document, and the Illinois General Assembly rules site refused connections on 2026-09-27, so the amount could not be verified..
How long does Illinois take to process the application?
IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Illinois?
Not for this move. Illinois has not enacted the OT Compact. A Illinois license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- IDFPR, Occupational Therapy profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- IDFPR, Qualifications for Licensure: Occupational Therapist (056, effective 02/2026) ↗ (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]