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LicenseReciprocity

Occupational Therapy License from Illinois to New Jersey: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to New Jersey by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs), verify your Illinois license, and meet New Jersey's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under N.J.A.C. 13:44K-3.3 (licensure by reciprocity), an OT with a current, good-standing license from a state with substantially equivalent education, training and examination requirements is licensed on documents, and must give the Council evidence verifying education, training and examination results no later than six months after the license issues. Passing the NBCOT certification exam is the examination requirement in 13:44K-2.1. The rules do not require current NBCOT certification. New Jersey also requires its Jurisprudence Orientation, an online orientation rather than a scored exam..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The compact plays no part here, since neither state is issuing privileges. You apply to the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs) as an OT licensed in another state, with NBCOT passage verified and your Illinois license confirmed, plus whatever New Jersey adds such as fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.

What changes, Illinois → New Jersey

Side-by-side: Illinois vs New Jersey (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
Illinois (current)New Jersey (destination)
OT Compact statusLicensure by endorsementLicensure by endorsement
Application feeThe 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.$180–$260 ($100 application fee + initial OT license fee of $160 (paid in the first year of the biennial renewal period) or $80 (second year), per the fee schedule in N.J.A.C. 13:44K-11.1 as published by the Council (chapter text last revised 01/18/2022, read from an Internet Archive copy of 2024-06-19). Caveat: the Council's live online orientation cites a $100 late-renewal fee where this schedule shows $40, so the schedule may have been amended since; confirm current fees with the Council. + criminal history background-check fee. Temporary license $50. New Jersey is not in the OT Compact.)
Processing timeIDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receiptno processing time is published in the rules or on the pages read; njconsumeraffairs.gov was inaccessible to automated requests
Licensing authorityIllinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board)New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Jersey sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm New Jersey's current requirements on the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold a valid, current OT license in good standing in another state and have practiced as a licensed OT for at least one year and 1,200 hours within the five years before applying.
  5. Consent to a fingerprint criminal history background check (FBI and NJ State Police) and pay its fee.
  6. Document that every state license you hold is in good standing.
  7. Complete the New Jersey Jurisprudence Orientation.
  8. Designate an agent in New Jersey for service of process if you are not a New Jersey resident and have no office in the state.
  9. Within six months after licensure, submit evidence verifying your education, training and NBCOT examination results.
  10. Pay the fees ($180–$260 ($100 application fee + initial OT license fee of $160 (paid in the first year of the biennial renewal period) or $80 (second year), per the fee schedule in N.J.A.C. 13:44K-11.1 as published by the Council (chapter text last revised 01/18/2022, read from an Internet Archive copy of 2024-06-19). Caveat: the Council's live online orientation cites a $100 late-renewal fee where this schedule shows $40, so the schedule may have been amended since; confirm current fees with the Council. + criminal history background-check fee. Temporary license $50. New Jersey is not in the OT Compact.)) and allow no processing time is published in the rules or on the pages read; njconsumeraffairs.gov was inaccessible to automated requests.

Official links

New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs) ↗

Related guides

Reverse: New Jersey → IllinoisOccupational Therapy in IllinoisOccupational Therapy in New JerseyAll occupational therapy statesThe OT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Illinois occupational therapy license in New Jersey?

A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to New Jersey by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs), verify your Illinois license, and meet New Jersey's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under N.J.A.C. 13:44K-3.3 (licensure by reciprocity), an OT with a current, good-standing license from a state with substantially equivalent education, training and examination requirements is licensed on documents, and must give the Council evidence verifying education, training and examination results no later than six months after the license issues. Passing the NBCOT certification exam is the examination requirement in 13:44K-2.1. The rules do not require current NBCOT certification. New Jersey also requires its Jurisprudence Orientation, an online orientation rather than a scored exam..

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Illinois to New Jersey?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under N.J.A.C. 13:44K-3.3 (licensure by reciprocity), an OT with a current, good-standing license from a state with substantially equivalent education, training and examination requirements is licensed on documents, and must give the Council evidence verifying education, training and examination results no later than six months after the license issues. Passing the NBCOT certification exam is the examination requirement in 13:44K-2.1. The rules do not require current NBCOT certification. New Jersey also requires its Jurisprudence Orientation, an online orientation rather than a scored exam.

How much does a New Jersey OT license cost for someone licensed in Illinois?

$180–$260 ($100 application fee + initial OT license fee of $160 (paid in the first year of the biennial renewal period) or $80 (second year), per the fee schedule in N.J.A.C. 13:44K-11.1 as published by the Council (chapter text last revised 01/18/2022, read from an Internet Archive copy of 2024-06-19). Caveat: the Council's live online orientation cites a $100 late-renewal fee where this schedule shows $40, so the schedule may have been amended since; confirm current fees with the Council. + criminal history background-check fee. Temporary license $50. New Jersey is not in the OT Compact.).

How long does New Jersey take to process the application?

no processing time is published in the rules or on the pages read; njconsumeraffairs.gov was inaccessible to automated requests.

Can I use the OT Compact to work in New Jersey?

Not for this move. New Jersey has not enacted the OT Compact. A New Jersey license by endorsement is required.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

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