Occupational Therapy License from Illinois to Missouri: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Missouri by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration), verify your Illinois license, and meet Missouri's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the reciprocity application (MO 375-1095, 9-2025), the applicant lists NBCOT OTR credentials and has the certifying entity send verification of credentials directly to the Board; copies of certificates or wallet cards are not accepted. The form does not require current NBCOT certification. Missouri also requires its open-book Jurisprudence Exam, returned with the application..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact plays no part here, since neither state is issuing privileges. You apply to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration) as an OT licensed in another state, with NBCOT passage verified and your Illinois license confirmed, plus whatever Missouri adds such as fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.
What changes, Illinois → Missouri
| Illinois (current) | Missouri (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. | $30 (OT reciprocity application fee from form MO 375-1095 ($10 for an OTA or a limited permit). Paid by check or money order to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy. Other states may charge fees for license verifications. The Commission lists Missouri's future privilege fee as $30, which is not payable yet.) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt | The Board publishes no processing timeframe. |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) | Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Missouri sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Missouri's current requirements on the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a valid current OT license from another state, U.S. territory or DC and have held it for at least one year (reciprocity application).
- Complete and notarize the Application for Licensure - Reciprocity (MO 375-1095).
- Have NBCOT send credential verification directly to the Board.
- Have every state, territory, province or country where you were licensed send a Verification of Licensure form directly to the Board within 90 days of applying.
- Complete and return the Missouri Jurisprudence Exam (open book).
- Pay the fees ($30 (OT reciprocity application fee from form MO 375-1095 ($10 for an OTA or a limited permit). Paid by check or money order to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy. Other states may charge fees for license verifications. The Commission lists Missouri's future privilege fee as $30, which is not payable yet.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing timeframe..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Illinois occupational therapy license in Missouri?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Missouri by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration), verify your Illinois license, and meet Missouri's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the reciprocity application (MO 375-1095, 9-2025), the applicant lists NBCOT OTR credentials and has the certifying entity send verification of credentials directly to the Board; copies of certificates or wallet cards are not accepted. The form does not require current NBCOT certification. Missouri also requires its open-book Jurisprudence Exam, returned with the application..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Illinois to Missouri?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the reciprocity application (MO 375-1095, 9-2025), the applicant lists NBCOT OTR credentials and has the certifying entity send verification of credentials directly to the Board; copies of certificates or wallet cards are not accepted. The form does not require current NBCOT certification. Missouri also requires its open-book Jurisprudence Exam, returned with the application.
How much does a Missouri OT license cost for someone licensed in Illinois?
$30 (OT reciprocity application fee from form MO 375-1095 ($10 for an OTA or a limited permit). Paid by check or money order to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy. Other states may charge fees for license verifications. The Commission lists Missouri's future privilege fee as $30, which is not payable yet.).
How long does Missouri take to process the application?
The Board publishes no processing timeframe..
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Missouri?
Not for this move. Missouri has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Missouri license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy — Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy — Application for Licensure, Reciprocity (MO 375-1095, 9-2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy — board home ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Missouri: Not Yet accepting applications; jurisprudence required) ↗ (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]