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LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy), verify your Georgia license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required')..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

This is an endorsement move with a benefit attached. Georgia is outside the issuing group, so no privilege applies; you apply to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) for a Virginia license, with NBCOT passage verified rather than retaken. If you then live in Virginia, that license can anchor privileges in the other issuing states.

What changes, Georgia → Virginia

Side-by-side: Georgia vs Virginia (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
Georgia (current)Virginia (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).)$130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $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)no processing time found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27
Licensing authorityGeorgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division)Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy)

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Virginia's current requirements on the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a current, active OT license in good standing in a U.S. jurisdiction or Canada.
  5. Have NBCOT send certification of your credentials directly to the Board.
  6. Have your school send verification of your ACOTE-accredited professional education (transcript) directly to the Board.
  7. Submit a current National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report.
  8. Have license verification sent from every jurisdiction in which you have been issued an OT license.
  9. Pay the fees ($130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $75 Commission fee).)) and allow no processing time found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27.

Official links

Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) ↗Virginia application ↗License verification ↗Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Virginia → GeorgiaOccupational Therapy in GeorgiaOccupational Therapy in VirginiaAll occupational therapy statesThe OT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Georgia occupational therapy license in Virginia?

A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy), verify your Georgia license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required')..

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

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required').

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

$130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $75 Commission fee).).

How long does Virginia take to process the application?

no processing time found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27.

Can I use the OT Compact to work in Virginia?

Not for this move. Virginia issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Georgia is not. A Virginia 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]