Occupational Therapy License from Illinois to Oregon: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board, verify your Illinois license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants (licensed and working in another state) do not need to order an NBCOT verification: the Board looks up certification directly on the NBCOT website. New graduates arrange an NBCOT score transfer. Current NBCOT certification is not required; a currently certified applicant automatically meets Oregon's CE requirement, and one who is not must upload 30 points of CE from the last two years. Oregon ALSO requires every applicant to pass the Oregon Law/Ethics exam (open book, online, can be retaken the next day) before the license issues..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Illinois nor Oregon is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a Oregon license by endorsement from the Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board. The board verifies your Illinois license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in Illinois neither speeds nor slows Oregon's standard out-of-state review.
What changes, Illinois → Oregon
| Illinois (current) | Oregon (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. | $280 (two-year license/application fee. From March 1, 2026 the Board quotes $330 in total ($280 + a $50 Oregon State Police background-check fee passed through), for a license active through May 31, 2028; the $12.50 Fieldprint fingerprinting fee is paid separately, directly to the vendor. Non-refundable. OTA: $260 ($210 + $50). Military spouse/domestic partner temporary license: $99. Oregon is not in the OT Compact, so no privilege option exists.) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt | the Board states that once it receives all documentation it licenses within 3 days; no end-to-end timeframe is published. An undisclosed arrest that appears on the FBI check sends the application to the full Board, which meets quarterly; the Board warns this may mean a 1-3 month wait plus a $1,000 civil penalty |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) | Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Oregon sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Oregon's current requirements on the Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Pass the Oregon Law/Ethics exam before the license issues.
- Have official license verification sent from every state where you have been licensed and worked (a copy of your license is not accepted).
- Complete the free 1-hour Oregon OHA Pain Management Course and upload the certificate.
- Complete a fingerprint-based national background check through Fieldprint (agency code FPOccuTheraLicBd).
- If not currently NBCOT certified, upload 30 points of CE earned within the last two years.
- If unlicensed anywhere for more than three years, complete a Board-approved re-entry program or retake the NBCOT exam.
- Pay the fees ($280 (two-year license/application fee. From March 1, 2026 the Board quotes $330 in total ($280 + a $50 Oregon State Police background-check fee passed through), for a license active through May 31, 2028; the $12.50 Fieldprint fingerprinting fee is paid separately, directly to the vendor. Non-refundable. OTA: $260 ($210 + $50). Military spouse/domestic partner temporary license: $99. Oregon is not in the OT Compact, so no privilege option exists.)) and allow the Board states that once it receives all documentation it licenses within 3 days; no end-to-end timeframe is published. An undisclosed arrest that appears on the FBI check sends the application to the full Board, which meets quarterly; the Board warns this may mean a 1-3 month wait plus a $1,000 civil penalty.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Illinois occupational therapy license in Oregon?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to Oregon by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board, verify your Illinois license, and meet Oregon's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants (licensed and working in another state) do not need to order an NBCOT verification: the Board looks up certification directly on the NBCOT website. New graduates arrange an NBCOT score transfer. Current NBCOT certification is not required; a currently certified applicant automatically meets Oregon's CE requirement, and one who is not must upload 30 points of CE from the last two years. Oregon ALSO requires every applicant to pass the Oregon Law/Ethics exam (open book, online, can be retaken the next day) before the license issues..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Illinois to Oregon?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants (licensed and working in another state) do not need to order an NBCOT verification: the Board looks up certification directly on the NBCOT website. New graduates arrange an NBCOT score transfer. Current NBCOT certification is not required; a currently certified applicant automatically meets Oregon's CE requirement, and one who is not must upload 30 points of CE from the last two years. Oregon ALSO requires every applicant to pass the Oregon Law/Ethics exam (open book, online, can be retaken the next day) before the license issues.
How much does a Oregon OT license cost for someone licensed in Illinois?
$280 (two-year license/application fee. From March 1, 2026 the Board quotes $330 in total ($280 + a $50 Oregon State Police background-check fee passed through), for a license active through May 31, 2028; the $12.50 Fieldprint fingerprinting fee is paid separately, directly to the vendor. Non-refundable. OTA: $260 ($210 + $50). Military spouse/domestic partner temporary license: $99. Oregon is not in the OT Compact, so no privilege option exists.).
How long does Oregon take to process the application?
the Board states that once it receives all documentation it licenses within 3 days; no end-to-end timeframe is published. An undisclosed arrest that appears on the FBI check sends the application to the full Board, which meets quarterly; the Board warns this may mean a 1-3 month wait plus a $1,000 civil penalty.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Oregon?
Not for this move. Oregon has not enacted the OT Compact. A Oregon license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Oregon OT Licensing Board — Applications (OT application instructions, fees, fingerprinting, military spouse license) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Oregon OT Licensing Board — Law/Ethics Exam ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Oregon OT Licensing Board — OT Licensure Compact Information (Oregon not part of the compact; HB 2357 did not pass) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Oregon OT Licensing Board — Re-Entry Into Practice (ORS 675.240(5), OAR 339-010-0016) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Oregon OT Licensing Board — Limited Permits ↗ (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]