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LicenseReciprocity

Occupational Therapy License from Georgia to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section), verify your Georgia license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score)..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Georgia isn't issuing OT Compact privileges, so you start with endorsement into Ohio through the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section). The payoff comes afterward: Ohio does issue privileges, so once Ohio is your home state and your Ohio license is active, you can practice in the other issuing states on privileges instead of separate licenses.

What changes, Georgia → Ohio

Side-by-side: Georgia vs Ohio (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
Georgia (current)Ohio (destination)
OT Compact statusOT Compact enacted — not yet issuingOT Compact member — compact privilege to practice
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).)$100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).)
Processing time4–6 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)the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months
Licensing authorityGeorgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division)Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Ohio's current requirements on the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited entry-level OT program (Certification of Entry-Level Education form or official transcript).
  5. Pass the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (90% minimum) and upload the transcript.
  6. Submit official license verification from every jurisdiction where you hold or ever held an OT or other health-care license.
  7. Complete an Ohio BCI and FBI fingerprint criminal records check sent directly to the Board (results must be under six months old at licensure).
  8. If out of practice five or more years (fewer than 250 practice hours in the prior five years), meet the Board's out-of-practice requirements.
  9. Pay the fees ($100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).)) and allow the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months.

Official links

Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) ↗Ohio application ↗License verification ↗Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Ohio → GeorgiaOccupational Therapy in GeorgiaOccupational Therapy in OhioAll occupational therapy statesThe OT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Georgia occupational therapy license in Ohio?

A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section), verify your Georgia license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score)..

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Georgia to Ohio?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score).

How much does a Ohio OT license cost for someone licensed in Georgia?

$100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).).

How long does Ohio take to process the application?

the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months.

Can I use the OT Compact to work in Ohio?

Not for this move. Ohio issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Georgia is not. A Ohio license by endorsement is required.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]