Occupational Therapy License from Indiana to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Can I use my Indiana occupational therapy license in Arkansas?
Yes, for working in Arkansas — both Indiana and Arkansas are active members of the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (OT Compact). If Indiana is your primary state of residence and your Indiana license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Arkansas without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Arkansas, you will need an Arkansas license once Arkansas becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Because Indiana and Arkansas are both issuing privileges, you may not need an Arkansas license at all, provided Indiana stays your home. An OT or OTA living in Indiana with an active, unencumbered Indiana license can practice in Arkansas on a compact privilege. That changes if you relocate: living in Arkansas makes it your home state, and the privilege gives way to an Arkansas license from the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee).
What's different between Indiana and Arkansas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arkansas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Indiana to Arkansas (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Arkansas to Indiana (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Indiana matter?
Coming from Indiana matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Arkansas.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- OT Compact membership
Indiana and Arkansas are both OT Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Arkansas while Indiana is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Arkansas needs an Arkansas license.
- Application fee
Arkansas lists $4 for an out-of-state applicant and Indiana lists $100 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Arkansas and Indiana carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Arkansas (this move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants who have passed the exam have NBCOT send a Verification of Certification directly to the Arkansas State Medical Board. The packet does not say whether that certification must be current. Arkansas also requires a signed Medical Practices Act and Rules Affidavit and a completed 10-question OT Practice Act questionnaire, both returned with the application. This is an open-book questionnaire, not a proctored jurisprudence exam.
- Indiana (the reverse move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the 'Application by Reciprocity' checklist (for OTs licensed in another state), PLA requires state license verifications and a criminal background check; unlike the examination checklist, it does not list an NBCOT score report or transcript. The pages reviewed do not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. No Indiana jurisprudence exam is required, and the Commission lists Indiana as 'not required' for compact jurisprudence.
What changes, Indiana → Arkansas
| Indiana (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $100 (nonrefundable application fee paid by card with the online application (same fee for OTA), per the PLA licensing page and Committee fee schedule (Dec 2025 archive copy). A temporary permit is $50 more. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee: an Indiana privilege costs a $25 state fee plus the $75 Commission fee.) | $4 (The ASMB application packet (rev. 10/11/2024) and fee schedule list a $4 OT application fee (OTA $3; temporary permit $1), payable by check or money order. The fee schedule says this is a reduced fee under Act 114 of 2023, in effect July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2027, which 'may or may not apply in future years'. + $39.36 state and federal criminal background check (ASMB fee schedule). NOT the OT Compact privilege fee: an Arkansas privilege costs a $4 state fee (OTA $3) plus the $75 Commission fee.) |
| Processing time | PLA publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application with missing requirements is abandoned after one year | the Board says a permanent license application 'will take several weeks to complete', that applications are processed in order of receipt, and that the federal portion of the background check 'can take several weeks or more'; no numeric range is published |
| Licensing authority | Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) | Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Arkansas: purchase an OT Compact privilege for Arkansas through the compact commission and complete any Arkansas jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Arkansas: apply for an Arkansas license with the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Indiana to Arkansas?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken.
Do I need an Arkansas license or just a compact privilege?
A privilege is enough if you keep living in Indiana and your Indiana license stays active and unencumbered. If you move your residence to Arkansas, you need an Arkansas license from the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee).
What does it cost?
An Arkansas compact privilege costs the $75 commission fee plus Arkansas's privilege fee. An Arkansas license by endorsement, for a relocation: $4 (The ASMB application packet (rev.
How long does it take?
A privilege depends on your FBI background check through the Indiana board and any Arkansas jurisprudence step. An Arkansas license by endorsement: the Board says a permanent license application 'will take several weeks to complete', that applications are processed in order of receipt, and that the federal portion of the background check 'can take several weeks or more'; no numeric range is published.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Indiana 2026-09-27, Arkansas 2026-10-29.
- Arkansas State Medical Board, OT / OTA page ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, Occupational Therapy Licensure Information Packet (rev. 10/11/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, Fee Schedule (Act 114 of 2023 fee reduction, July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2027) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Arkansas accepting applications since October 5, 2026; $4 OT / $3 OTA state fee; jurisprudence not required) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, home page ('OT Compact implementation is scheduled to begin October 5, 2026') ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Indiana PLA, Occupational Therapy Licensing Information and fee schedule (Internet Archive copy of 2025-12-15; in.gov refused connections from this environment on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Indiana PLA, Occupational Therapy Home, announcement of March 5, 2026: 'Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Implemented and Live in Indiana, Beginning Monday, March 9, 2026' (Internet Archive copy of 2026-06-12) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Indiana 2026-09-27, Arkansas 2026-10-29
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