Occupational Therapy License from Illinois to South Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy), verify your Illinois license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the Board's approved licensing exam is the NBCOT certification exam (ARSD 20:64:02:01). For licensure 'by reciprocity' the applicant submits a certified copy of the current license from the other state plus a copy of the application filed there (ARSD 20:64:02:02), and SDCL 36-31-8 lets the Board waive the examination, education or experience requirements for an applicant currently licensed in an equivalent state. The rules read do not say whether a Score Transfer or Verification of Certification is required, or whether CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No South Dakota jurisprudence exam was found..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Illinois nor South Dakota is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a South Dakota license by endorsement from the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy). The board verifies your Illinois license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in Illinois neither speeds nor slows South Dakota's standard out-of-state review.
What changes, Illinois → South Dakota
| Illinois (current) | South Dakota (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. | $50 (initial license fee set by ARSD 20:64:02:05 (statute caps OT fees at $50, SDCL 36-31-12); the rule also sets a $50 annual renewal and a $25 limited permit. The applicant also pays the fingerprinting/background-check fees (amount not published in the sources read). The Board's online portal may add payment charges not verified here. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Dakota is not issuing privileges).) |
| Processing time | IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt | no processing time is published on the Board's OT page or in the rules; the license cannot issue until the state and FBI background check results are received |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) | South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of an accredited occupational therapy educational program recognized by the Board, with at least six months of supervised fieldwork (SDCL 36-31-6).
- Submit a certified copy of your current license from another state, DC or U.S. territory and a copy of your application for licensure there (ARSD 20:64:02:02).
- Submit fingerprints for a state (DCI) and FBI criminal background check; the Board may not issue a license before receiving the results (SDCL 36-31-6.1).
- Apply online through a MySD/SDBMOE account.
- Pay the fees ($50 (initial license fee set by ARSD 20:64:02:05 (statute caps OT fees at $50, SDCL 36-31-12); the rule also sets a $50 annual renewal and a $25 limited permit. The applicant also pays the fingerprinting/background-check fees (amount not published in the sources read). The Board's online portal may add payment charges not verified here. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Dakota is not issuing privileges).)) and allow no processing time is published on the Board's OT page or in the rules; the license cannot issue until the state and FBI background check results are received.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Illinois occupational therapy license in South Dakota?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Illinois to South Dakota by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy), verify your Illinois license, and meet South Dakota's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the Board's approved licensing exam is the NBCOT certification exam (ARSD 20:64:02:01). For licensure 'by reciprocity' the applicant submits a certified copy of the current license from the other state plus a copy of the application filed there (ARSD 20:64:02:02), and SDCL 36-31-8 lets the Board waive the examination, education or experience requirements for an applicant currently licensed in an equivalent state. The rules read do not say whether a Score Transfer or Verification of Certification is required, or whether CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No South Dakota jurisprudence exam was found..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Illinois to South Dakota?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the Board's approved licensing exam is the NBCOT certification exam (ARSD 20:64:02:01). For licensure 'by reciprocity' the applicant submits a certified copy of the current license from the other state plus a copy of the application filed there (ARSD 20:64:02:02), and SDCL 36-31-8 lets the Board waive the examination, education or experience requirements for an applicant currently licensed in an equivalent state. The rules read do not say whether a Score Transfer or Verification of Certification is required, or whether CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No South Dakota jurisprudence exam was found.
How much does a South Dakota OT license cost for someone licensed in Illinois?
$50 (initial license fee set by ARSD 20:64:02:05 (statute caps OT fees at $50, SDCL 36-31-12); the rule also sets a $50 annual renewal and a $25 limited permit. The applicant also pays the fingerprinting/background-check fees (amount not published in the sources read). The Board's online portal may add payment charges not verified here. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Dakota is not issuing privileges).).
How long does South Dakota take to process the application?
no processing time is published on the Board's OT page or in the rules; the license cannot issue until the state and FBI background check results are received.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in South Dakota?
Not for this move. South Dakota has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A South Dakota license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- SD Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners — Occupational Therapist profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SD Administrative Rules ch. 20:64:02 — Licensure Requirements (exam, reciprocity application, limited permit, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SDCL 36-31-6 — Application for licensure requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SDCL 36-31-6.1 — Criminal background check requirement ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SDCL 36-31-8 — Waiver for applicants licensed in another state ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SDCL 36-31-12 — Fees (cap of $50) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (South Dakota: Not Yet) ↗ (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]