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LicenseReciprocity

Occupational Therapy License from Michigan to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (occupational therapy licensing) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Michigan to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (occupational therapy licensing), verify your Michigan license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The Board's July 2026 licensure checklist accepts EITHER NBCOT certification (which covers an ACOTE-accredited degree and NBCOT exam passage) OR a current, active, in-good-standing out-of-state license from a state substantially equivalent to Montana. No Montana jurisprudence exam is listed, and the Commission lists Montana as 'Not required'..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Michigan and Montana have both enacted the OT Compact, and neither was issuing privileges as of the verification date, so this is an ordinary endorsement move. Apply to the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (occupational therapy licensing); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in Montana while living in Michigan could later be done on a privilege.

What changes, Michigan → Montana

Side-by-side: Michigan vs Montana (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
Michigan (current)Montana (destination)
OT Compact statusOT Compact enacted — not yet issuingOT Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Application fee$187.40 (combined application fee + 2-year license fee for 'OT by Examination or Endorsement', paid by card through MiPLUS, per LARA's Occupational Therapist Licensing Guide (revision date 10/01/23, read from an Internet Archive copy of 2025-03-03). The April 2026 LARA OT page links a newer file revision of the same guide that could not be retrieved, so confirm the amount in MiPLUS. Fingerprint vendor fee and PSI jurisprudence-exam fee not stated in the guide. NOT an OT Compact privilege fee (Michigan is not issuing privileges).)$190 (OT license application fee of $190 (the same for an OTA). Montana's consolidated fee rule ARM 24.119.401 carried the former ARM 24.165.401 amounts forward unchanged. Since July 1, 2025, HB 227 adds a $5 contingent-litigation-fund fee for applicants of qualifying boards. A temporary practice permit costs $120. The Commission lists a $190 privilege fee, which is not payable yet.)
Processing timeLARA's OT licensing guide and OT page publish no processing timeNo timeframe is published. The Department says that if all other requirements are met while out-of-state verifications are pending, it can issue a provisional license with a reservation of rights, which acts as a full license for 60 days.
Licensing authorityMichigan Board of Occupational Therapists (LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing)Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (occupational therapy licensing)

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Montana's current requirements on the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (occupational therapy licensing) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (occupational therapy licensing) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Apply online through the Montana licensing portal (ebiz.mt.gov/pol) with the fee.
  5. Provide verification of all current, previous and expired licenses in any profession from other states or jurisdictions.
  6. Provide NBCOT certification OR a current, active, in-good-standing license from a state substantially equivalent to Montana.
  7. Pay the fees ($190 (OT license application fee of $190 (the same for an OTA). Montana's consolidated fee rule ARM 24.119.401 carried the former ARM 24.165.401 amounts forward unchanged. Since July 1, 2025, HB 227 adds a $5 contingent-litigation-fund fee for applicants of qualifying boards. A temporary practice permit costs $120. The Commission lists a $190 privilege fee, which is not payable yet.)) and allow No timeframe is published. The Department says that if all other requirements are met while out-of-state verifications are pending, it can issue a provisional license with a reservation of rights, which acts as a full license for 60 days..

Official links

Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (occupational therapy licensing) ↗Montana application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Montana → MichiganOccupational Therapy in MichiganOccupational Therapy in MontanaAll occupational therapy statesThe OT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Michigan occupational therapy license in Montana?

A occupational therapy license transfers from Michigan to Montana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (occupational therapy licensing), verify your Michigan license, and meet Montana's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The Board's July 2026 licensure checklist accepts EITHER NBCOT certification (which covers an ACOTE-accredited degree and NBCOT exam passage) OR a current, active, in-good-standing out-of-state license from a state substantially equivalent to Montana. No Montana jurisprudence exam is listed, and the Commission lists Montana as 'Not required'..

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Michigan to Montana?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The Board's July 2026 licensure checklist accepts EITHER NBCOT certification (which covers an ACOTE-accredited degree and NBCOT exam passage) OR a current, active, in-good-standing out-of-state license from a state substantially equivalent to Montana. No Montana jurisprudence exam is listed, and the Commission lists Montana as 'Not required'.

How much does a Montana OT license cost for someone licensed in Michigan?

$190 (OT license application fee of $190 (the same for an OTA). Montana's consolidated fee rule ARM 24.119.401 carried the former ARM 24.165.401 amounts forward unchanged. Since July 1, 2025, HB 227 adds a $5 contingent-litigation-fund fee for applicants of qualifying boards. A temporary practice permit costs $120. The Commission lists a $190 privilege fee, which is not payable yet.).

How long does Montana take to process the application?

No timeframe is published. The Department says that if all other requirements are met while out-of-state verifications are pending, it can issue a provisional license with a reservation of rights, which acts as a full license for 60 days..

Can I use the OT Compact to work in Montana?

Not for this move. Montana has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Montana 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

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]