Occupational Therapy License from Michigan to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New Hampshire Occupational Therapists Governing Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Michigan to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Occupational Therapists Governing Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification), verify your Michigan license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. OPLC's OT initial-application checklist lists NBCOT certification as an eligibility item and requires a letter sent directly from NBCOT verifying your certification and its expiration dates (Occ 302.03(e)), i.e. an NBCOT Verification of Certification, so current NBCOT certification appears to be expected. The separate universal reciprocity route (RSA 310:17) asks for the application, fee, proof of your active license and an FBI background check. No New Hampshire jurisprudence exam was found..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Michigan and New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Occupational Therapists Governing Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in New Hampshire while living in Michigan could later be done on a privilege.
What changes, Michigan → New Hampshire
| Michigan (current) | New Hampshire (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing | OT 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).) | $110 (OT application fee on OPLC's Occupational Therapy Governing Board License Fees page (Internet Archive copy of 2025-05-31; OTA also $110; separate $20 certificate fee and $10 license-verification fee listed). OPLC moved the page to a new address in 2026 that could not be retrieved, so confirm the current amount (fees are set in Plc 1000). + FBI background-check fees. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (New Hampshire is not issuing privileges).) |
| Processing time | LARA's OT licensing guide and OT page publish no processing time | OPLC publishes no OT processing time; under Plc 313.07(c) it may issue a provisional license to an endorsement applicant whose FBI check results are still pending |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists (LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing) | New Hampshire Occupational Therapists Governing Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Occupational Therapists Governing Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Hampshire Occupational Therapists Governing Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply online through OPLC; applicants licensed in another state can use the universal reciprocity route (Universal Application for Initial License with a copy or portal screenshot of the active, good-standing license).
- Complete an FBI criminal history records check.
- Have NBCOT send a letter directly to the Board verifying your certification and its expiration dates.
- Have each other state of licensure send license verification directly to the Board, where applicable.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited OT program (official transcript sent directly from the school on the standard initial route).
- Pay the fees ($110 (OT application fee on OPLC's Occupational Therapy Governing Board License Fees page (Internet Archive copy of 2025-05-31; OTA also $110; separate $20 certificate fee and $10 license-verification fee listed). OPLC moved the page to a new address in 2026 that could not be retrieved, so confirm the current amount (fees are set in Plc 1000). + FBI background-check fees. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (New Hampshire is not issuing privileges).)) and allow OPLC publishes no OT processing time; under Plc 313.07(c) it may issue a provisional license to an endorsement applicant whose FBI check results are still pending.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Michigan occupational therapy license in New Hampshire?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Michigan to New Hampshire by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Hampshire Occupational Therapists Governing Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification), verify your Michigan license, and meet New Hampshire's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. OPLC's OT initial-application checklist lists NBCOT certification as an eligibility item and requires a letter sent directly from NBCOT verifying your certification and its expiration dates (Occ 302.03(e)), i.e. an NBCOT Verification of Certification, so current NBCOT certification appears to be expected. The separate universal reciprocity route (RSA 310:17) asks for the application, fee, proof of your active license and an FBI background check. No New Hampshire jurisprudence exam was found..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Michigan to New Hampshire?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. OPLC's OT initial-application checklist lists NBCOT certification as an eligibility item and requires a letter sent directly from NBCOT verifying your certification and its expiration dates (Occ 302.03(e)), i.e. an NBCOT Verification of Certification, so current NBCOT certification appears to be expected. The separate universal reciprocity route (RSA 310:17) asks for the application, fee, proof of your active license and an FBI background check. No New Hampshire jurisprudence exam was found.
How much does a New Hampshire OT license cost for someone licensed in Michigan?
$110 (OT application fee on OPLC's Occupational Therapy Governing Board License Fees page (Internet Archive copy of 2025-05-31; OTA also $110; separate $20 certificate fee and $10 license-verification fee listed). OPLC moved the page to a new address in 2026 that could not be retrieved, so confirm the current amount (fees are set in Plc 1000). + FBI background-check fees. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (New Hampshire is not issuing privileges).).
How long does New Hampshire take to process the application?
OPLC publishes no OT processing time; under Plc 313.07(c) it may issue a provisional license to an endorsement applicant whose FBI check results are still pending.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in New Hampshire?
Not for this move. New Hampshire has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A New Hampshire license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- NH OPLC — Occupational Therapists Applications page (online portal, checklists, reciprocity link) (Internet Archive copy of 2026-03-24; oplc.nh.gov returned HTTP 403 on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NH OPLC — New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (HB 594, RSA 310:17; OT qualifying jurisdictions, Plc 313.43; FBI check; provisional license) (Internet Archive copy of 2026-08-21) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NH OPLC — Occupational Therapist Initial Application Checklist (Internet Archive copy of 2025-03-05) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NH OPLC — Occupational Therapy Governing Board License Fees (Internet Archive copy of 2025-05-31) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (New Hampshire: Not Yet accepting applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Michigan LARA — Occupational Therapy board page (licensing guides, MiPLUS, State License Search links) (Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-14; michigan.gov returned HTTP 403 to automated requests on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Michigan LARA — Occupational Therapist Licensing Guide, revision date 10/01/23 (endorsement requirements, $187.40 fee) (Internet Archive copy of 2025-03-03) ↗ (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]