Occupational Therapy License from Arkansas to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Can I use my Arkansas occupational therapy license in Indiana?
Yes, for working in Indiana — both Arkansas and Indiana are active members of the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (OT Compact). If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and your Arkansas license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Indiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Indiana, you will need an Indiana license once Indiana becomes your home state.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Arkansas and Indiana both issue OT Compact privileges, so this move has two versions. Working in Indiana while you keep living in Arkansas: buy an Indiana privilege through the commission ($75 plus Indiana's fee), meet any Indiana jurisprudence requirement, and keep your Arkansas license active, because the privilege ends when it does. Moving to Indiana: Indiana becomes your home state and you need an Indiana license, by converting the privilege where the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) offers that route or by endorsement.
What's different between Arkansas and Indiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Indiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Arkansas to Indiana (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Indiana to Arkansas (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Arkansas matter?
Coming from Arkansas matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Indiana.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- OT Compact membership
Arkansas and Indiana are both OT Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Indiana while Arkansas is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Indiana needs an Indiana license.
- Application fee
Indiana lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Arkansas lists $4 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Indiana and Arkansas carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Indiana (this move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the 'Application by Reciprocity' checklist (for OTs licensed in another state), PLA requires state license verifications and a criminal background check; unlike the examination checklist, it does not list an NBCOT score report or transcript. The pages reviewed do not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. No Indiana jurisprudence exam is required, and the Commission lists Indiana as 'not required' for compact jurisprudence.
- Arkansas (the reverse move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants who have passed the exam have NBCOT send a Verification of Certification directly to the Arkansas State Medical Board. The packet does not say whether that certification must be current. Arkansas also requires a signed Medical Practices Act and Rules Affidavit and a completed 10-question OT Practice Act questionnaire, both returned with the application. This is an open-book questionnaire, not a proctored jurisprudence exam.
What changes, Arkansas → Indiana
| Arkansas (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $4 (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, 2027, which 'may or may not apply in future years'. + $39.36 state and federal criminal background check (ASMB fee schedule). NOT the OT Compact privilege fee: an Arkansas privilege costs a $4 state fee (OTA $3) plus the $75 Commission fee.) | $100 (nonrefundable application fee paid by card with the online application (same fee for OTA), per the PLA licensing page and Committee fee schedule (Dec 2025 archive copy). A temporary permit is $50 more. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee: an Indiana privilege costs a $25 state fee plus the $75 Commission 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 | PLA publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application with missing requirements is abandoned after one year |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) | Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Indiana: purchase an OT Compact privilege for Indiana through the compact commission and complete any Indiana jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Indiana: apply for an Indiana license with the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Arkansas to Indiana?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken.
Do I need an Indiana license or just a compact privilege?
A privilege is enough if you keep living in Arkansas and your Arkansas license stays active and unencumbered. If you move your residence to Indiana, you need an Indiana license from the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency).
What does it cost?
An Indiana compact privilege costs the $75 commission fee plus Indiana's privilege fee. An Indiana license by endorsement, for a relocation: $100 (nonrefundable application fee paid by card with the online application (same fee for OTA), per the PLA licensing page and Committee fee schedule (Dec 2025 archive copy).
How long does it take?
A privilege depends on your FBI background check through the Arkansas board and any Indiana jurisprudence step. An Indiana license by endorsement: PLA publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application with missing requirements is abandoned after one year.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Arkansas 2026-10-29, Indiana 2026-09-27.
- Indiana PLA, Occupational Therapy Licensing Information and fee schedule (Internet Archive copy of 2025-12-15; in.gov refused connections from this environment on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Indiana PLA, Occupational Therapy Home, announcement of March 5, 2026: 'Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Implemented and Live in Indiana, Beginning Monday, March 9, 2026' (Internet Archive copy of 2026-06-12) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Indiana accepting applications since March 9, 2026; $25 state fee; jurisprudence not required) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, OT / OTA page ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, Occupational Therapy Licensure Information Packet (rev. 10/11/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, Fee Schedule (Act 114 of 2023 fee reduction, July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2027) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, home page ('OT Compact implementation is scheduled to begin October 5, 2026') ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Arkansas 2026-10-29, Indiana 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com