Occupational Therapy License from Illinois to Minnesota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, verify your Illinois license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Minnesota has two endorsement-type routes. 'Equivalency' (Minn. Stat. §148.6412) is for applicants who hold CURRENT NBCOT certification; they send an NBCOT Verification of Certification, which the Board notes is not the same document as exam results. 'Reciprocity' (§148.6415) is for applicants WITHOUT current NBCOT certification who hold a current, unrestricted OT credential in another state; they send license verification plus the statute or rules that governed their initial license, so the Board can confirm equivalent standards. Minnesota has no state jurisprudence exam for licensure, and the Commission lists Minnesota as 'Not required'..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This is an endorsement move with a benefit attached. Illinois is outside the issuing group, so no privilege applies; you apply to the Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice for a Minnesota license, with NBCOT passage verified rather than retaken. If you then live in Minnesota, that license can anchor privileges in the other issuing states.
What changes, Illinois → Minnesota
| Illinois (current) | Minnesota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | OT Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| 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. | $185 (Initial OT licensure fee ($105 for an OTA). Add the $32 criminal background check fee. A temporary license, available while the application is pending to OTs licensed elsewhere or NBCOT-certified, costs $75. Minn. Stat. §148.6445 sets these amounts as maximums, and the Board's published fee page (read via an Internet Archive copy captured 2025-09-17) matched the statutory $185. NOT the compact privilege fee: the Commission lists Minnesota's privilege fee as $50, plus the $75 Commission fee. §148.6445 subd. 5a sets a $150 cap.) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt | 4–7 weeks (Board-implied. The Board says the criminal background check takes 3 to 5 weeks after the fingerprint packet reaches the CBC office, and then 'allow five (5) to ten (10) business days' for review once ALL documents are received. You may practice as soon as your name appears on the Board's License Look Up.) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) | Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Minnesota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Minnesota's current requirements on the Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply online through the Board's licensing portal and choose Equivalency (current NBCOT) or Reciprocity (no current NBCOT).
- Have every OT or health-care licensing agency where you hold or held a license send verification directly to the Board.
- Reciprocity route only: submit the statute or rules from the jurisdiction that issued your initial license, showing requirements equivalent to Minnesota's.
- Complete a fingerprint-based state (BCA) and FBI criminal background check under Minn. Stat. §214.075; results are valid for one year.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited entry-level OT program.
- Pay the fees ($185 (Initial OT licensure fee ($105 for an OTA). Add the $32 criminal background check fee. A temporary license, available while the application is pending to OTs licensed elsewhere or NBCOT-certified, costs $75. Minn. Stat. §148.6445 sets these amounts as maximums, and the Board's published fee page (read via an Internet Archive copy captured 2025-09-17) matched the statutory $185. NOT the compact privilege fee: the Commission lists Minnesota's privilege fee as $50, plus the $75 Commission fee. §148.6445 subd. 5a sets a $150 cap.)) and allow 4–7 weeks (Board-implied. The Board says the criminal background check takes 3 to 5 weeks after the fingerprint packet reaches the CBC office, and then 'allow five (5) to ten (10) business days' for review once ALL documents are received. You may practice as soon as your name appears on the Board's License Look Up.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Illinois occupational therapy license in Minnesota?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Minnesota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, verify your Illinois license, and meet Minnesota's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Minnesota has two endorsement-type routes. 'Equivalency' (Minn. Stat. §148.6412) is for applicants who hold CURRENT NBCOT certification; they send an NBCOT Verification of Certification, which the Board notes is not the same document as exam results. 'Reciprocity' (§148.6415) is for applicants WITHOUT current NBCOT certification who hold a current, unrestricted OT credential in another state; they send license verification plus the statute or rules that governed their initial license, so the Board can confirm equivalent standards. Minnesota has no state jurisprudence exam for licensure, and the Commission lists Minnesota as 'Not required'..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Illinois to Minnesota?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Minnesota has two endorsement-type routes. 'Equivalency' (Minn. Stat. §148.6412) is for applicants who hold CURRENT NBCOT certification; they send an NBCOT Verification of Certification, which the Board notes is not the same document as exam results. 'Reciprocity' (§148.6415) is for applicants WITHOUT current NBCOT certification who hold a current, unrestricted OT credential in another state; they send license verification plus the statute or rules that governed their initial license, so the Board can confirm equivalent standards. Minnesota has no state jurisprudence exam for licensure, and the Commission lists Minnesota as 'Not required'.
How much does a Minnesota OT license cost for someone licensed in Illinois?
$185 (Initial OT licensure fee ($105 for an OTA). Add the $32 criminal background check fee. A temporary license, available while the application is pending to OTs licensed elsewhere or NBCOT-certified, costs $75. Minn. Stat. §148.6445 sets these amounts as maximums, and the Board's published fee page (read via an Internet Archive copy captured 2025-09-17) matched the statutory $185. NOT the compact privilege fee: the Commission lists Minnesota's privilege fee as $50, plus the $75 Commission fee. §148.6445 subd. 5a sets a $150 cap.).
How long does Minnesota take to process the application?
4–7 weeks (Board-implied. The Board says the criminal background check takes 3 to 5 weeks after the fingerprint packet reaches the CBC office, and then 'allow five (5) to ten (10) business days' for review once ALL documents are received. You may practice as soon as your name appears on the Board's License Look Up.).
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Minnesota?
Not for this move. Minnesota issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Illinois is not. A Minnesota license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Minnesota Board of OT Practice — Application: Another State or NBCOT Certified (Equivalency or Reciprocity) (Internet Archive copy of the official page, captured 2026-05-15) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota Board of OT Practice — License Information (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota Board of OT Practice — Fees (Internet Archive copy captured 2025-09-17) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §148.6412 Licensure by equivalency ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §148.6415 Licensure by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §148.6420 Application requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §148.6445 Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §214.075 Health-related licensing boards; criminal background checks ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Minnesota accepting applications since January 12, 2026; $50 privilege fee) ↗ (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
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