Occupational Therapy License from Georgia to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy), verify your Georgia license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Rule 8.4.2 (Licensure by Endorsement), the applicant must be currently licensed in another state whose requirements, including passing an approved examination (NBCOT), are equivalent to or greater than Mississippi's. The applicant's NBCOT certification must not have been subject to disciplinary action. The rule does not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. There is no general jurisprudence exam: Rule 8.4.7(3) lets the Department require one only for universal-license applicants, where Mississippi law requires it..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Georgia and Mississippi have both enacted the OT Compact, and neither was issuing privileges as of the verification date, so this is an ordinary endorsement move. Apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in Mississippi while living in Georgia could later be done on a privilege.
What changes, Georgia → Mississippi
| Georgia (current) | Mississippi (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $60 (OT application fee per the Board's application for licensure (form dated 04/24/2023; OTA $50); + $5 online processing fee (Board fee schedule rev. 03-03-22; applications are now online-only through GOALS); + GAPS fingerprinting fee. The OT line on the fee schedule PDF is blank in the rendered file, and the current GOALS fee schedule could not be read by automated fetch. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Commission lists Georgia's future state fee as $75 for OTs).) | $250 ($100 application fee plus $150 initial OT licensure fee (Rule 8.13.2), non-refundable. The OTA initial fee is $100. No criminal background check is required for regular licensure: MSDH requires background checks for OTs only for the OT Licensure Compact ($50 plus $25 local fingerprinting).) |
| Processing time | 4–6 weeks (the Board's application states 'It takes approximately 4 - 6 weeks to process a complete application for licensure'; applications are processed in order of receipt, and incomplete applications are withdrawn if deficiencies are not cured within 60 days) | 1–3 weeks (The Department says 'Please allow 7 to 14 business days after receipt of all paperwork to receive your license' (about 1.4 to 2.8 weeks, rounded). For universal-license applicants, Rule 8.4.7 requires a decision within 120 days and a temporary practice permit within 30 days if processing will take longer than two weeks.) |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) | Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current OT license in good standing (not suspended or revoked) in another state, territory or jurisdiction with equivalent requirements.
- Have your NBCOT certification free of any disciplinary action.
- Apply online through the MSDH Professional Licensure portal with the Credential Verification, Verification of Education and Employment History forms as required.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited entry-level OT program with supervised fieldwork.
- Pay the fees ($250 ($100 application fee plus $150 initial OT licensure fee (Rule 8.13.2), non-refundable. The OTA initial fee is $100. No criminal background check is required for regular licensure: MSDH requires background checks for OTs only for the OT Licensure Compact ($50 plus $25 local fingerprinting).)) and allow 1–3 weeks (The Department says 'Please allow 7 to 14 business days after receipt of all paperwork to receive your license' (about 1.4 to 2.8 weeks, rounded). For universal-license applicants, Rule 8.4.7 requires a decision within 120 days and a temporary practice permit within 30 days if processing will take longer than two weeks.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Georgia occupational therapy license in Mississippi?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy), verify your Georgia license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Rule 8.4.2 (Licensure by Endorsement), the applicant must be currently licensed in another state whose requirements, including passing an approved examination (NBCOT), are equivalent to or greater than Mississippi's. The applicant's NBCOT certification must not have been subject to disciplinary action. The rule does not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. There is no general jurisprudence exam: Rule 8.4.7(3) lets the Department require one only for universal-license applicants, where Mississippi law requires it..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Georgia to Mississippi?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Rule 8.4.2 (Licensure by Endorsement), the applicant must be currently licensed in another state whose requirements, including passing an approved examination (NBCOT), are equivalent to or greater than Mississippi's. The applicant's NBCOT certification must not have been subject to disciplinary action. The rule does not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. There is no general jurisprudence exam: Rule 8.4.7(3) lets the Department require one only for universal-license applicants, where Mississippi law requires it.
How much does a Mississippi OT license cost for someone licensed in Georgia?
$250 ($100 application fee plus $150 initial OT licensure fee (Rule 8.13.2), non-refundable. The OTA initial fee is $100. No criminal background check is required for regular licensure: MSDH requires background checks for OTs only for the OT Licensure Compact ($50 plus $25 local fingerprinting).).
How long does Mississippi take to process the application?
1–3 weeks (The Department says 'Please allow 7 to 14 business days after receipt of all paperwork to receive your license' (about 1.4 to 2.8 weeks, rounded). For universal-license applicants, Rule 8.4.7 requires a decision within 120 days and a temporary practice permit within 30 days if processing will take longer than two weeks.).
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Mississippi?
Not for this move. Mississippi has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Mississippi license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- MSDH — Occupational Therapy licensure page (application portal, processing time, OT Compact notice) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- MSDH — Regulations Governing Licensure of Occupational Therapists and OTAs (amended February 2025): Rules 8.4.2, 8.4.7, 8.13.2 ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- MSDH — Background checks (OT Licensure Compact only) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Mississippi: Not Yet accepting applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia State Board of OT, How-To Guide: Occupational Therapist (Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-24; live sos.ga.gov returned a Cloudflare challenge on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia State Board of OT, Application for Licensure (form dated 04/24/2023) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia State Board of OT, Fee Schedule (rev. 03-03-22) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia State Board of OT, board page (Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-23) ↗ (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]