Occupational Therapy License from Georgia to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health), verify your Georgia license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; applicants must have obtained a passing score on the NBCOT exam. The Department's licensing pages do not specify whether a Score Transfer or a Verification of Certification is required, and do not require CURRENT NBCOT certification. No Washington jurisprudence exam was found on the licensing requirements page..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Georgia and Washington 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 Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in Washington while living in Georgia could later be done on a privilege.
What changes, Georgia → Washington
| Georgia (current) | Washington (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).) | $166 (OT application and initial license fee under WAC 246-847-990, including a $16 HEALWA surcharge (OTA also $166). Non-refundable. The FBI fingerprinting fee is separate and not published on the pages read. Limited permit $55. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Washington 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; the Department says delayed responses to its requests lengthen processing, and military spouses/registered domestic partners may be eligible for expedited processing |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) | Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of a nationally accredited, board-approved OT program with at least six months of supervised fieldwork (official transcript sent directly from the school).
- Have every jurisdiction where you hold or held a credential (or applied for one) send the verification form directly to the Department.
- Complete an FBI fingerprint-based background check (required of all new applicants from July 1, 2026; instructions are sent after you apply).
- Provide a complete chronology of activities from OT graduation to application, accounting for any gaps.
- Substantially-equivalent-state route (SHB 1724): be credentialed for at least two years in a state Washington has deemed equivalent, with no disciplinary action.
- Pay the fees ($166 (OT application and initial license fee under WAC 246-847-990, including a $16 HEALWA surcharge (OTA also $166). Non-refundable. The FBI fingerprinting fee is separate and not published on the pages read. Limited permit $55. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Washington is not issuing privileges).)) and allow no processing time is published; the Department says delayed responses to its requests lengthen processing, and military spouses/registered domestic partners may be eligible for expedited processing.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Georgia occupational therapy license in Washington?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health), verify your Georgia license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; applicants must have obtained a passing score on the NBCOT exam. The Department's licensing pages do not specify whether a Score Transfer or a Verification of Certification is required, and do not require CURRENT NBCOT certification. No Washington jurisprudence exam was found on the licensing requirements page..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Georgia to Washington?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; applicants must have obtained a passing score on the NBCOT exam. The Department's licensing pages do not specify whether a Score Transfer or a Verification of Certification is required, and do not require CURRENT NBCOT certification. No Washington jurisprudence exam was found on the licensing requirements page.
How much does a Washington OT license cost for someone licensed in Georgia?
$166 (OT application and initial license fee under WAC 246-847-990, including a $16 HEALWA surcharge (OTA also $166). Non-refundable. The FBI fingerprinting fee is separate and not published on the pages read. Limited permit $55. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Washington is not issuing privileges).).
How long does Washington take to process the application?
no processing time is published; the Department says delayed responses to its requests lengthen processing, and military spouses/registered domestic partners may be eligible for expedited processing.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Washington?
Not for this move. Washington has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Washington license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Washington DOH — OT and OTA Licensing Information (application, fee schedule WAC 246-847-990) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — OT and OTA Licensing Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — OT and OTA Substantially Equivalent States (SHB 1724) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — OT and OTA Frequently Asked Questions (FBI background checks from July 1, 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — OT Licensure Compact ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Washington: 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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]