Occupational Therapy License from Florida to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Can I use my Florida occupational therapy license in South Carolina?
An occupational therapy license transfers from Florida to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your Florida license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. For endorsement, 'NBCOT must submit verification of your current certification status directly to the Board' (an NBCOT Verification of Certification; copies not accepted), and the statutory licensing requirements include being in good standing with NBCOT, so South Carolina requires CURRENT NBCOT certification. The 70% SC Jurisprudence Exam is listed only in the examination-applicant instructions, not in the endorsement instructions.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact plays no part here, since neither state is issuing privileges. You apply to the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) as an OT licensed in another state, with NBCOT passage verified and your Florida license confirmed, plus whatever South Carolina adds such as fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.
What's different between Florida and South Carolina
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into South Carolina. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Florida to South Carolina (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
South Carolina to Florida (the reverse move): Licensure by endorsement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Florida matter?
Coming from Florida does not change the answer: every origin (the other 49 states and DC) gets the same result for a move into South Carolina.
- OT Compact membership
Florida is not in the OT Compact; South Carolina has enacted the OT Compact but is not issuing under it yet.
Because they are not both active members, the OT Compact does not cover this move.
- Application fee
South Carolina lists $135 for an out-of-state applicant and Florida lists $180 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
South Carolina and Florida carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- South Carolina (this move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. For endorsement, 'NBCOT must submit verification of your current certification status directly to the Board' (an NBCOT Verification of Certification; copies not accepted), and the statutory licensing requirements include being in good standing with NBCOT, so South Carolina requires CURRENT NBCOT certification. The 70% SC Jurisprudence Exam is listed only in the examination-applicant instructions, not in the endorsement instructions.
- Florida (the reverse move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under MOBILE endorsement, if you hold current NBCOT certification you list your certification number and Board staff verify it with NBCOT. If your certification is not current, you list your original exam information and ask NBCOT to send a score transfer to the Board. The standard (examination-route) application also accepts current or lapsed NBCOT certification, verified by certification number. No Florida jurisprudence exam is listed.
What changes, Florida → South Carolina
| Florida (current) | South Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | 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) | $135 (initial license application fee for an OT (OTA $115), by certified check or money order with a paper application, or online through the LLR portal. Temporary licensure is $10 per license. No fingerprint/background-check fee is listed in the Board's instructions. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Carolina is not issuing privileges).) |
| 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 | no processing time is published on the Board's licensure or fee pages; incomplete applications or applications without the fee are not accepted and delay the process |
| Licensing authority | Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) | South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-approved OT program with at least six months of supervised fieldwork.
- Be in good standing with NBCOT and have NBCOT send verification of current certification directly to the Board.
- Have every state where you hold a permanent license (including lapsed licenses) send license verification directly to the Board.
- Submit a 2x2 photo, a signed copy of your Social Security card and a copy of a government ID with the application.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Florida to South Carolina?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in South Carolina?
Not for this move. South Carolina has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-10-29. A South Carolina license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-10-29.
- SC LLR Board of Occupational Therapy — Licensure (requirements; examination, endorsement and reinstatement instructions; fees) (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026-03-08; llr.sc.gov refused connections) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SC LLR Board of Occupational Therapy — Fees (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- S.C. Code Title 40, Chapter 36 — Occupational Therapy Practice Act (40-36-230 qualifications, 40-36-240(D) endorsement, 40-36-250 licensure without examination) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 94 — Board of Occupational Therapy (94-06 licensure by endorsement; 94-09 fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- SC LLR Board of Occupational Therapy — Frequently Asked Questions (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026-10-06; llr.sc.gov refused connections on 2026-10-29) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (South Carolina: Not Yet) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Florida Board of OT Practice, Occupational Therapist licensing (requirements, MOBILE endorsement, fees, processing times) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Florida Statutes s. 456.0145 (MOBILE Act), as linked by the Board ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-10-29
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