Occupational Therapy License from Idaho to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Idaho to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance), verify your Idaho license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under MOBILE endorsement, if you hold current NBCOT certification you list your certification number and Board staff verify it with NBCOT. If your certification is not current, you list your original exam information and ask NBCOT to send a score transfer to the Board. The standard (examination-route) application also accepts current or lapsed NBCOT certification, verified by certification number. No Florida jurisprudence exam is listed..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact plays no part here, since neither state is issuing privileges. You apply to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) as an OT licensed in another state, with NBCOT passage verified and your Idaho license confirmed, plus whatever Florida adds such as fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.
What changes, Idaho → Florida
| Idaho (current) | Florida (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $160 (initial license fee for OTs on the DOPL Occupational Therapy Licensure Board fee table (OTA $120; temporary license or limited permit $25; renewal $40 annual / $80 biennial). Conflict: IDAPA 24.06.01.400 (effective 7-1-24) caps initial licensure at $80 for OTs and $60 for OTAs 'not to exceed'. DOPL's initial fees are exactly double those caps, which suggests a two-year initial term, but no official text says so. $160 is the amount DOPL publishes; confirm at application.) | $180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee) |
| Processing time | DOPL says a license issues in approximately 3-5 business days once a complete application is confirmed compliant; files needing Board review wait for the next Board meeting; no end-to-end range is published | for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published |
| Licensing authority | Idaho Occupational Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) | Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active, unencumbered OT license issued by another state, DC or a U.S. territory (MOBILE endorsement, s. 456.0145, F.S.).
- Have actively practiced as a licensed OT for at least two of the four years before applying.
- Have no National Practitioner Data Bank report (unless removed on appeal or for conduct that is not a Florida violation), no pending discipline, and no discipline in the prior five years.
- Complete electronic fingerprinting for background screening (required since HB 975, 2024).
- Have each state that licensed you send license verification (online verifications that show discipline are accepted).
- Pay the fees ($180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee)) and allow for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Idaho occupational therapy license in Florida?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Idaho to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance), verify your Idaho license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under MOBILE endorsement, if you hold current NBCOT certification you list your certification number and Board staff verify it with NBCOT. If your certification is not current, you list your original exam information and ask NBCOT to send a score transfer to the Board. The standard (examination-route) application also accepts current or lapsed NBCOT certification, verified by certification number. No Florida jurisprudence exam is listed..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Idaho to Florida?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under MOBILE endorsement, if you hold current NBCOT certification you list your certification number and Board staff verify it with NBCOT. If your certification is not current, you list your original exam information and ask NBCOT to send a score transfer to the Board. The standard (examination-route) application also accepts current or lapsed NBCOT certification, verified by certification number. No Florida jurisprudence exam is listed.
How much does a Florida OT license cost for someone licensed in Idaho?
$180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee).
How long does Florida take to process the application?
for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Florida?
Not for this move. Florida has not enacted the OT Compact. A Florida license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Florida Board of OT Practice, Occupational Therapist licensing (requirements, MOBILE endorsement, fees, processing times) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Florida Statutes s. 456.0145 (MOBILE Act), as linked by the Board ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Idaho DOPL, Occupational Therapy Licensure Board page with fee table and FAQ (Internet Archive copy of 2026-09-14; live DOPL host refused connections on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- IDAPA 24.06.01, Rules for the Licensure of Occupational Therapists and OT Assistants, section 400 fees (Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-04) ↗ (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]