Occupational Therapy License from Florida to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Florida to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your Florida license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Board rule 02-477 Chapter 3 (Licensure by Endorsement), the applicant's other-state license must come from a jurisdiction that requires ACOTE education and 'proof of a passing score on the certification examination of NBCOT', so proof of passage is what counts, not current NBCOT certification. The Board's licensing pages mention no Maine jurisprudence exam, and the Commission lists Maine's jurisprudence requirement as 'Not required'..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Florida nor Maine is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a Maine license by endorsement from the Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation). The board verifies your Florida license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in Florida neither speeds nor slows Maine's standard out-of-state review.
What changes, Florida → Maine
| Florida (current) | Maine (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee) | $35 (The OT license fee is $35 under OPOR Rules Chapter 10, section 5(25). No separate OT application fee is listed ($30 for an OTA). Add the $21 Criminal History Records Check. A 6-month temporary OT license costs $25. The license renews every year on March 31 for $35.) |
| Processing time | for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published | The Board publishes no processing timeframe. |
| Licensing authority | Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) | Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active OT license from another U.S. jurisdiction whose requirements are substantially equivalent (ACOTE-accredited education plus a passing NBCOT score).
- Be in good standing in every jurisdiction where you hold or have held a license: no pending complaint or investigation, no suspension or restriction, never surrendered or revoked.
- Complete a Maine Criminal History Records Check ($21).
- Submit the online application with supporting documents through the Maine licensing portal.
- Pay the fees ($35 (The OT license fee is $35 under OPOR Rules Chapter 10, section 5(25). No separate OT application fee is listed ($30 for an OTA). Add the $21 Criminal History Records Check. A 6-month temporary OT license costs $25. The license renews every year on March 31 for $35.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing timeframe..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Florida occupational therapy license in Maine?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Florida to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your Florida license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Board rule 02-477 Chapter 3 (Licensure by Endorsement), the applicant's other-state license must come from a jurisdiction that requires ACOTE education and 'proof of a passing score on the certification examination of NBCOT', so proof of passage is what counts, not current NBCOT certification. The Board's licensing pages mention no Maine jurisprudence exam, and the Commission lists Maine's jurisprudence requirement as 'Not required'..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Florida to Maine?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Board rule 02-477 Chapter 3 (Licensure by Endorsement), the applicant's other-state license must come from a jurisdiction that requires ACOTE education and 'proof of a passing score on the certification examination of NBCOT', so proof of passage is what counts, not current NBCOT certification. The Board's licensing pages mention no Maine jurisprudence exam, and the Commission lists Maine's jurisprudence requirement as 'Not required'.
How much does a Maine OT license cost for someone licensed in Florida?
$35 (The OT license fee is $35 under OPOR Rules Chapter 10, section 5(25). No separate OT application fee is listed ($30 for an OTA). Add the $21 Criminal History Records Check. A 6-month temporary OT license costs $25. The license renews every year on March 31 for $35.).
How long does Maine take to process the application?
The Board publishes no processing timeframe..
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Maine?
Not for this move. Maine has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Maine license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice — Occupational Therapist & OTA license (fees, CHRC) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice — board home (apply online, verify a license) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 02-477 CMR Chapter 3, Licensure by Endorsement (eff. January 25, 2023) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 02-041 CMR Chapter 10, OPOR Establishment of License Fees (2025 amendment) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 32 M.R.S. §2278 Temporary license ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Maine: Not Yet accepting applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Florida Board of OT Practice, Occupational Therapist licensing (requirements, MOBILE endorsement, fees, processing times) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Florida Statutes s. 456.0145 (MOBILE Act), as linked by the Board ↗ (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]