Occupational Therapy License from Illinois to Alabama: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy, verify your Illinois license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Rule 625-X-1-.04 requires a letter of verification from NBCOT, sent directly to the Board, stating that the applicant met the requirements for OT certification and has not been censured, put on probation, suspended or revoked by NBCOT. The application says Board staff will try to obtain the NBCOT verification for you. The rules and application reviewed do not say whether NBCOT certification must be current, and they list no state jurisprudence or laws-and-rules exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Illinois nor Alabama is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a Alabama license by endorsement from the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy. The board verifies your Illinois license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in Illinois neither speeds nor slows Alabama's standard out-of-state review.
What changes, Illinois → Alabama
| Illinois (current) | Alabama (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | The endorsement fee is set in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315 but does not appear in IDFPR's OT qualifications document, and the Illinois General Assembly rules site refused connections on 2026-09-27, so the amount could not be verified. | $140 (initial OT license fee under Ala. Admin. Code 625-X-7-.01, paid by cashier's check or money order with the application (OTA $115; limited permit $25). The initial license runs about one year; biennial renewal is $140. Spouses of active-duty or transitioning service members pay no initial license fee (625-X-7-.03). No fingerprint requirement appears in the rules or application reviewed.) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt | no processing timeframe is published in the rules or application reviewed; the application says no license issues until all documents and the fee are received and processed |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) | Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Alabama sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Alabama's current requirements on the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Have NBCOT send a letter of verification of your certification directly to the Board.
- Have every state that has ever licensed you send a letter of good standing directly to the Board.
- Submit the notarized-style sworn application with a passport photo and proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence.
- If you have not practiced in the past five years, complete a 480-hour (3-month) Board-approved traineeship; after ten years out, also pass the NBCOT exam again for licensure purposes.
- Pay the fees ($140 (initial OT license fee under Ala. Admin. Code 625-X-7-.01, paid by cashier's check or money order with the application (OTA $115; limited permit $25). The initial license runs about one year; biennial renewal is $140. Spouses of active-duty or transitioning service members pay no initial license fee (625-X-7-.03). No fingerprint requirement appears in the rules or application reviewed.)) and allow no processing timeframe is published in the rules or application reviewed; the application says no license issues until all documents and the fee are received and processed.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Illinois occupational therapy license in Alabama?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Alabama by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy, verify your Illinois license, and meet Alabama's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Rule 625-X-1-.04 requires a letter of verification from NBCOT, sent directly to the Board, stating that the applicant met the requirements for OT certification and has not been censured, put on probation, suspended or revoked by NBCOT. The application says Board staff will try to obtain the NBCOT verification for you. The rules and application reviewed do not say whether NBCOT certification must be current, and they list no state jurisprudence or laws-and-rules exam..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Illinois to Alabama?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Rule 625-X-1-.04 requires a letter of verification from NBCOT, sent directly to the Board, stating that the applicant met the requirements for OT certification and has not been censured, put on probation, suspended or revoked by NBCOT. The application says Board staff will try to obtain the NBCOT verification for you. The rules and application reviewed do not say whether NBCOT certification must be current, and they list no state jurisprudence or laws-and-rules exam.
How much does a Alabama OT license cost for someone licensed in Illinois?
$140 (initial OT license fee under Ala. Admin. Code 625-X-7-.01, paid by cashier's check or money order with the application (OTA $115; limited permit $25). The initial license runs about one year; biennial renewal is $140. Spouses of active-duty or transitioning service members pay no initial license fee (625-X-7-.03). No fingerprint requirement appears in the rules or application reviewed.).
How long does Alabama take to process the application?
no processing timeframe is published in the rules or application reviewed; the application says no license issues until all documents and the fee are received and processed.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Alabama?
Not for this move. Alabama has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Alabama license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Alabama Administrative Code 625-X-1 (License Required/Application), Alabama Legislature ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alabama Administrative Code 625-X-7 (Fees), Alabama Legislature ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy, Application for Licensing as OT/OTA (Internet Archive copy of 2024-05-27; board host refused connections on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy, 2026 renewal instructions (Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-08; source of license-verification link) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Alabama: Not Yet accepting applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- IDFPR, Occupational Therapy profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- IDFPR, Qualifications for Licensure: Occupational Therapist (056, effective 02/2026) ↗ (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]