Transfer Your Occupational Therapy License to District of Columbia: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my occupational therapy license transfer to District of Columbia?
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?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
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. The OT page links DC Health's 'Search for a Health Professional' license lookup.
District of Columbia requirements at a glance
| 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. |
|---|---|
| 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 via the verification system.
- 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 listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Nearby states
Occupational Therapy license transfer into the states bordering District of Columbia:
District of Columbia for other professions
- Nursing in District of Columbia
- Cosmetology / Barber in District of Columbia
- Real Estate in District of Columbia
- Contractor in District of Columbia
- Teaching in District of Columbia
- CPA / Accounting in District of Columbia
- Electrician in District of Columbia
- Plumber in District of Columbia
- Engineering in District of Columbia
- Pharmacy in District of Columbia
- Physical Therapy in District of Columbia
- Psychology in District of Columbia
- Counseling in District of Columbia
- Social Work in District of Columbia
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to retake the NBCOT exam to get licensed in District of Columbia?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken.
Is District of Columbia an OT Compact state?
No. District of Columbia had not enacted the OT Compact as of 2026-10-29, 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 2026-10-29.
- DC Health, Occupational Therapy Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- DC Health, Occupational Therapy New License Application, Endorsement Checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com