Occupational Therapy License from Illinois to New Mexico: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New Mexico Board of Examiners for Occupational Therapy (Regulation and Licensing Department) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Examiners for Occupational Therapy (Regulation and Licensing Department), verify your Illinois license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. NMSA §61-12A-11 requires passing an exam prescribed by NBCOT or the Board. OTs licensed in another eligible jurisdiction get an expedited license by endorsement (16.15.7 NMAC) on proof of a current, unrestricted license in good standing. If their original jurisdiction did not require the NBCOT exam, they must pass NBCOT and the New Mexico laws-and-rules exam before the first renewal. Every online applicant must also pass the Board's online jurisprudence exam ($10) inside the application before they can continue. Current NBCOT certification is not required by the rule..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Illinois nor New Mexico is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a New Mexico license by endorsement from the New Mexico Board of Examiners for Occupational Therapy (Regulation and Licensing Department). The board verifies your Illinois license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in Illinois neither speeds nor slows New Mexico's standard out-of-state review.
What changes, Illinois → New Mexico
| Illinois (current) | New Mexico (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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. | $60–$110 (OT full-licensure application fee: $110 if licensure is received September 1 to May 31, or $60 if June 1 to August 31 (licenses renew every year). Add the $10 jurisprudence exam fee. The OTA fee is $100 or $50. A provisional permit adds $25 on top of the full fee. Military service members and veterans with an expedited license pay no initial or renewal fees for the first three years (16.15.7.12 NMAC). The Board does not require background checks.) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt | ~4 weeks (16.15.7.10 NMAC: once the application is complete, including third-party documents, the Board must issue the expedited license to a qualified applicant within 30 days. Applications with a disqualifying conviction or other cause go to the next Board meeting instead. No minimum is stated.) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) | New Mexico Board of Examiners for Occupational Therapy (Regulation and Licensing Department) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Mexico sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Mexico's current requirements on the New Mexico Board of Examiners for Occupational Therapy (Regulation and Licensing Department) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Mexico Board of Examiners for Occupational Therapy (Regulation and Licensing Department) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current, unrestricted OT license in good standing in an eligible U.S. jurisdiction (not American Samoa or the U.S. Virgin Islands).
- Pass the New Mexico jurisprudence exam within the NM-PLUS online application.
- Have no disqualifying criminal conviction and no pending New Mexico disciplinary action.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited program with at least 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork.
- Pay the fees ($60–$110 (OT full-licensure application fee: $110 if licensure is received September 1 to May 31, or $60 if June 1 to August 31 (licenses renew every year). Add the $10 jurisprudence exam fee. The OTA fee is $100 or $50. A provisional permit adds $25 on top of the full fee. Military service members and veterans with an expedited license pay no initial or renewal fees for the first three years (16.15.7.12 NMAC). The Board does not require background checks.)) and allow ~4 weeks (16.15.7.10 NMAC: once the application is complete, including third-party documents, the Board must issue the expedited license to a qualified applicant within 30 days. Applications with a disqualifying conviction or other cause go to the next Board meeting instead. No minimum is stated.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Illinois occupational therapy license in New Mexico?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to New Mexico by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Mexico Board of Examiners for Occupational Therapy (Regulation and Licensing Department), verify your Illinois license, and meet New Mexico's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. NMSA §61-12A-11 requires passing an exam prescribed by NBCOT or the Board. OTs licensed in another eligible jurisdiction get an expedited license by endorsement (16.15.7 NMAC) on proof of a current, unrestricted license in good standing. If their original jurisdiction did not require the NBCOT exam, they must pass NBCOT and the New Mexico laws-and-rules exam before the first renewal. Every online applicant must also pass the Board's online jurisprudence exam ($10) inside the application before they can continue. Current NBCOT certification is not required by the rule..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Illinois to New Mexico?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. NMSA §61-12A-11 requires passing an exam prescribed by NBCOT or the Board. OTs licensed in another eligible jurisdiction get an expedited license by endorsement (16.15.7 NMAC) on proof of a current, unrestricted license in good standing. If their original jurisdiction did not require the NBCOT exam, they must pass NBCOT and the New Mexico laws-and-rules exam before the first renewal. Every online applicant must also pass the Board's online jurisprudence exam ($10) inside the application before they can continue. Current NBCOT certification is not required by the rule.
How much does a New Mexico OT license cost for someone licensed in Illinois?
$60–$110 (OT full-licensure application fee: $110 if licensure is received September 1 to May 31, or $60 if June 1 to August 31 (licenses renew every year). Add the $10 jurisprudence exam fee. The OTA fee is $100 or $50. A provisional permit adds $25 on top of the full fee. Military service members and veterans with an expedited license pay no initial or renewal fees for the first three years (16.15.7.12 NMAC). The Board does not require background checks.).
How long does New Mexico take to process the application?
~4 weeks (16.15.7.10 NMAC: once the application is complete, including third-party documents, the Board must issue the expedited license to a qualified applicant within 30 days. Applications with a disqualifying conviction or other cause go to the next Board meeting instead. No minimum is stated.).
Can I use the OT Compact to work in New Mexico?
Not for this move. New Mexico has not enacted the OT Compact. A New Mexico license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- NM RLD — Occupational Therapy: Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NM RLD — Occupational Therapy: Licensing, Registration, and Renewal (NMSA 61-12A-11, license lookup) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 16.15.7 NMAC Expedited Licensing Requirements (Board of Examiners for Occupational Therapy) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NM RLD — Occupational Therapist Application Manual (July 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NM RLD — Occupational Therapy: Background Report Instructions ('This board does not require background checks') ↗ (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]