Occupational Therapy License from Georgia to Wisconsin: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Wisconsin Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Wisconsin by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Wisconsin Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services), verify your Georgia license, and meet Wisconsin's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. For RECIPROCAL applicants (licensed in another state or territory), DSPS's credentialing information sheet (#1569, rev. 4/2022) requires only the application/fee, the Wisconsin State Jurisprudence Exam and license verifications, so no NBCOT document or current NBCOT certification is required on that route; initial (non-reciprocal) applicants verify their score with an NBCOT Verification of Certification. Wisconsin ALSO requires its State Jurisprudence Exam (instructions emailed after the application and fee are processed)..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
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 Wisconsin Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) for a Wisconsin license, with NBCOT passage verified rather than retaken. If you then live in Wisconsin, that license can anchor privileges in the other issuing states.
What changes, Georgia → Wisconsin
| Georgia (current) | Wisconsin (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing | OT 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).) | $60 (credential fee per DSPS information sheet #1569 (rev. 4/2022), paid online via LicensE; DSPS's current initial-fee schedule could not be confirmed separately. Optional fee reduction (form 3217). Oral examination, if required: $266. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Wisconsin privilege: $75 state fee + $75 Commission fee).) |
| 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 DSPS OT page; applicants can track status with the LicensE Application Status Lookup |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) | Wisconsin Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Wisconsin sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Wisconsin's current requirements on the Wisconsin Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Wisconsin Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an OT license or similar certificate in another U.S. state or territory whose requirements the Board finds substantially equivalent, and keep it active until Wisconsin licensure is complete.
- Pass the Wisconsin State Jurisprudence Exam.
- Have each jurisdiction where you are or were licensed (active or inactive) send a verification letter directly to the Board.
- Submit the Convictions and Pending Charges (#2252) and Malpractice Suits or Claims (#2829) forms if applicable.
- Appear for an oral examination if the Board requires one (for example, after 5 or more years out of practice); $266 fee.
- Pay the fees ($60 (credential fee per DSPS information sheet #1569 (rev. 4/2022), paid online via LicensE; DSPS's current initial-fee schedule could not be confirmed separately. Optional fee reduction (form 3217). Oral examination, if required: $266. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Wisconsin privilege: $75 state fee + $75 Commission fee).)) and allow no processing time is published on the DSPS OT page; applicants can track status with the LicensE Application Status Lookup.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Georgia occupational therapy license in Wisconsin?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Georgia to Wisconsin by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Wisconsin Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services), verify your Georgia license, and meet Wisconsin's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. For RECIPROCAL applicants (licensed in another state or territory), DSPS's credentialing information sheet (#1569, rev. 4/2022) requires only the application/fee, the Wisconsin State Jurisprudence Exam and license verifications, so no NBCOT document or current NBCOT certification is required on that route; initial (non-reciprocal) applicants verify their score with an NBCOT Verification of Certification. Wisconsin ALSO requires its State Jurisprudence Exam (instructions emailed after the application and fee are processed)..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Georgia to Wisconsin?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. For RECIPROCAL applicants (licensed in another state or territory), DSPS's credentialing information sheet (#1569, rev. 4/2022) requires only the application/fee, the Wisconsin State Jurisprudence Exam and license verifications, so no NBCOT document or current NBCOT certification is required on that route; initial (non-reciprocal) applicants verify their score with an NBCOT Verification of Certification. Wisconsin ALSO requires its State Jurisprudence Exam (instructions emailed after the application and fee are processed).
How much does a Wisconsin OT license cost for someone licensed in Georgia?
$60 (credential fee per DSPS information sheet #1569 (rev. 4/2022), paid online via LicensE; DSPS's current initial-fee schedule could not be confirmed separately. Optional fee reduction (form 3217). Oral examination, if required: $266. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Wisconsin privilege: $75 state fee + $75 Commission fee).).
How long does Wisconsin take to process the application?
no processing time is published on the DSPS OT page; applicants can track status with the LicensE Application Status Lookup.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Wisconsin?
Not for this move. Wisconsin issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Georgia is not. A Wisconsin license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Wisconsin DSPS — Occupational Therapist profession page (application forms, temporary credential, OT Compact) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Wisconsin DSPS — #1569 Credentialing Information for OT/OTA Applicants (rev. 4/2022; reciprocal applicants) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Wisconsin accepting applications since May 29, 2026; $75 OT privilege fee; jurisprudence required) ↗ (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]