Transfer Your Occupational Therapy License to District of Columbia: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: District of Columbia Board of Occupational Therapy (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) ↗

District of Columbia has not enacted the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, so an OT or OTA license from another state reaches District of Columbia only by endorsement through the District of Columbia Board of Occupational Therapy (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration). Expect $264 (application and license fee, paid online with the endorsement application; + $50 criminal background check paid online) and processing of DC Health publishes no OT processing timeframe; applicants can call the Processing Center (1-877-672-2174) or check status in the online portal. You do not retake the NBCOT exam; the board verifies your passage.

Moving to District of Columbia from a specific state?

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Plan around the District of Columbia Board of Occupational Therapy (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration)'s timeline. District of Columbia is outside the OT Compact, so there is no privilege to fall back on and no shortcut for telehealth or travel work; a District of Columbia license is required before your first session with a client in District of Columbia. The endorsement path below is the only one.

DC has not enacted the OT Compact. DC Health licenses OTs by endorsement (for applicants licensed elsewhere) or by examination. All applications are online; paper applications have not been accepted since June 14, 2021. DC Health is moving every credential to a birth-month renewal cycle, so licenses issued on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month. The OT page refers both to the 'Board of Occupational Therapy' and to the 'DC Board of Rehabilitative Therapies' as the body regulating OT. No public license-lookup URL was confirmed on the OT page.

District of Columbia requirements at a glance

Out-of-state occupational therapy license transfer requirements for District of Columbia, verified 2026-09-27
Exam	The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The endorsement checklist asks the applicant to order an NBCOT Verification of Certification through MyNBCOT so the Board can confirm certification status. The checklist does not say whether a lapsed certification is acceptable, and it lists no DC jurisprudence exam.
Additional requirements	Official transcript from an ACOTE-accredited OT program, sent directly from the school (email to [email protected] preferred) Order an NBCOT Verification of Certification through MyNBCOT Obtain official license verifications from every state and jurisdiction where you ever held a professional license, in any status Complete a new criminal background check with each application ($50, paid online) If you answer yes to any screening question, include supporting documents and an NPDB self-query report dated within 30 days
Fees	$264 (application and license fee, paid online with the endorsement application; + $50 criminal background check paid online)
Processing time	DC Health publishes no OT processing timeframe; applicants can call the Processing Center (1-877-672-2174) or check status in the online portal

Step by step

Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements on the District of Columbia Board of Occupational Therapy (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) website — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the District of Columbia Board of Occupational Therapy (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) (application linked on this page).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Official transcript from an ACOTE-accredited OT program, sent directly from the school (email to [email protected] preferred).
Order an NBCOT Verification of Certification through MyNBCOT.
Obtain official license verifications from every state and jurisdiction where you ever held a professional license, in any status.
Complete a new criminal background check with each application ($50, paid online).
If you answer yes to any screening question, include supporting documents and an NPDB self-query report dated within 30 days.
Pay the fees ($264 (application and license fee, paid online with the endorsement application; + $50 criminal background check paid online)) and allow DC Health publishes no OT processing timeframe; applicants can call the Processing Center (1-877-672-2174) or check status in the online portal.

Official links

District of Columbia Board of Occupational Therapy (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) ↗District of Columbia application ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into District of Columbia:

California → District of Columbia Florida → District of Columbia Georgia → District of Columbia Illinois → District of Columbia Michigan → District of Columbia New York → District of Columbia North Carolina → District of Columbia Ohio → District of Columbia Pennsylvania → District of Columbia Texas → District of Columbia

Nearby states

Occupational Therapy license transfer into the states bordering District of Columbia:

District of Columbia for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my occupational therapy license transfer to District of Columbia?

Do I have to retake the NBCOT exam to get licensed in District of Columbia?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The endorsement checklist asks the applicant to order an NBCOT Verification of Certification through MyNBCOT so the Board can confirm certification status. The checklist does not say whether a lapsed certification is acceptable, and it lists no DC jurisprudence exam.

How much does an OT license by endorsement cost in District of Columbia?

$264 (application and license fee, paid online with the endorsement application; + $50 criminal background check paid online).

How long does District of Columbia take to issue an OT license by endorsement?

DC Health publishes no OT processing timeframe; applicants can call the Processing Center (1-877-672-2174) or check status in the online portal.

Is District of Columbia an OT Compact state?

No. District of Columbia had not enacted the OT Compact as of 2026-09-27, so no privilege authorizes practice there and every incoming OT or OTA needs a District of Columbia license.

Sources

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

DC Health, Occupational Therapy Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
DC Health, Occupational Therapy New License Application, Endorsement Checklist ↗ (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]