Occupational Therapy License from California to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from California to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure), verify your California license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants licensed in other states must arrange for an official NBCOT Certification Verification Letter to be sent directly to DPH; the standard checklist also lists an official NBCOT score report. Under the four-years-of-practice pathway, DPH says no transcripts, training verification or examination are required. No Connecticut jurisprudence exam is listed..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither California nor Connecticut is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a Connecticut license by endorsement from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure). The board verifies your California license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in California neither speeds nor slows Connecticut's standard out-of-state review.
What changes, California → Connecticut
| California (current) | Connecticut (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $50 ($50 application fee paid in BreEZe. A separate initial license fee, prorated by your birth date and the month of issue, is stated in the approval letter and paid after approval, so it is not in this range. + $49 fingerprint-card fee if you are not using Live Scan (Live Scan fees are paid to the vendor).) | $200 (initial application fee, paid online through eLicense (biennial renewal $205). DPH lists no fingerprint requirement on the OT pages reviewed.) |
| Processing time | 3–4 weeks (the Board states 'Processing time for all applications is 3-4 weeks'; 16 CCR 4112 gives the Board 30 days to review an application and notify the applicant of any deficiency; licenses issue once the approved applicant completes the online form and pays the initial license fee) | DPH does not publish an OT processing timeframe on the pages reviewed |
| Licensing authority | California Board of Occupational Therapy | Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of an AOTA/ACOTE-accredited OT program with at least 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork; the school sends the official transcript directly.
- Have NBCOT send an official Certification Verification Letter directly to DPH.
- Have every state where you hold or ever held a license or certification send verification directly (most charge a fee).
- Apply online through eLicense with a photo; paper applications are not accepted.
- Pay the fees ($200 (initial application fee, paid online through eLicense (biennial renewal $205). DPH lists no fingerprint requirement on the OT pages reviewed.)) and allow DPH does not publish an OT processing timeframe on the pages reviewed.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my California occupational therapy license in Connecticut?
A occupational therapy license transfers from California to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure), verify your California license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants licensed in other states must arrange for an official NBCOT Certification Verification Letter to be sent directly to DPH; the standard checklist also lists an official NBCOT score report. Under the four-years-of-practice pathway, DPH says no transcripts, training verification or examination are required. No Connecticut jurisprudence exam is listed..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from California to Connecticut?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants licensed in other states must arrange for an official NBCOT Certification Verification Letter to be sent directly to DPH; the standard checklist also lists an official NBCOT score report. Under the four-years-of-practice pathway, DPH says no transcripts, training verification or examination are required. No Connecticut jurisprudence exam is listed.
How much does a Connecticut OT license cost for someone licensed in California?
$200 (initial application fee, paid online through eLicense (biennial renewal $205). DPH lists no fingerprint requirement on the OT pages reviewed.).
How long does Connecticut take to process the application?
DPH does not publish an OT processing timeframe on the pages reviewed.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Connecticut?
Not for this move. Connecticut has not enacted the OT Compact. A Connecticut license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- CT DPH, Occupational Therapist Licensure (fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- CT DPH, OT Licensure Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- CT DPH, Applicants Licensed in Another US State for at Least 4 Years ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- California Board of OT, Application page (Internet Archive copy of 2026-01-22; bot.ca.gov refused connections from this environment on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- California Board of OT, Applicants FAQ (Internet Archive copy of 2026-01-22) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- California Board of OT, Initial License/Limited Permit Application Requirements checklist (Internet Archive copy of 2026-01-22) ↗ (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]