Occupational Therapy License from Georgia to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia 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 Georgia 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
Georgia and South Carolina 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 South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in South Carolina while living in Georgia could later be done on a privilege.
What changes, Georgia → South Carolina
| Georgia (current) | South Carolina (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).) | $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 | 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) | 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 | Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) | 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 ($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).)) and allow 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.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Georgia occupational therapy license in South Carolina?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia 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 Georgia 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..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Georgia to South Carolina?
No. 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.
How much does a South Carolina OT license cost for someone licensed in Georgia?
$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).).
How long does South Carolina take to process the application?
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.
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 2026-09-27. A South Carolina license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- 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)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (South Carolina: Not Yet) ↗ (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
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