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LicenseReciprocity

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

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Michigan to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards), verify your Michigan license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(h) the reciprocity applicant must have NBCOT certification exam results sent directly to the Board (an NBCOT Score Transfer / verification of exam results). The rule asks for exam results, not proof of CURRENT NBCOT certification. Tennessee does not require a jurisprudence exam for licensure by reciprocity (the Commission also lists Tennessee's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required')..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Michigan isn't issuing OT Compact privileges, so you start with endorsement into Tennessee through the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards). The payoff comes afterward: Tennessee does issue privileges, so once Tennessee is your home state and your Tennessee license is active, you can practice in the other issuing states on privileges instead of separate licenses.

What changes, Michigan → Tennessee

Side-by-side: Michigan vs Tennessee (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
Michigan (current)Tennessee (destination)
OT Compact statusOT Compact enacted — not yet issuingOT Compact member — compact privilege to practice
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 ($100 non-refundable OT application fee + $10 state regulatory fee, paid at the end of the online application (OTA $75 + $10 = $85). The background-check vendor fee is paid separately. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Tennessee privilege: $125 OT / $100 OTA state fee + $75 Commission fee).)
Processing timeLARA's OT licensing guide and OT page publish no processing timeno processing time is published; Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(e) says completed reciprocity files are ordinarily processed at the next Board meeting scheduled to review files, and the Board meets four times a year
Licensing authorityMichigan Board of Occupational Therapists (LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing)Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards)

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Graduate transcript sent directly from an AOTA/ACOTE-accredited degree program.
  5. Have NBCOT send your certification exam results directly to the Board.
  6. Have license verification sent directly to the Board from every state where you are or ever were licensed.
  7. Complete a criminal background check through the Board's vendor (OCA code 1594 for OTs), with results sent directly to the Board.
  8. Submit a passport-style photo taken within the last 12 months, proof of citizenship/lawful presence, and the mandatory Practitioner Profile.
  9. Pay the fees ($110 ($100 non-refundable OT application fee + $10 state regulatory fee, paid at the end of the online application (OTA $75 + $10 = $85). The background-check vendor fee is paid separately. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Tennessee privilege: $125 OT / $100 OTA state fee + $75 Commission fee).)) and allow no processing time is published; Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(e) says completed reciprocity files are ordinarily processed at the next Board meeting scheduled to review files, and the Board meets four times a year.

Official links

Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards) ↗Tennessee application ↗License verification ↗Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Tennessee → MichiganOccupational Therapy in MichiganOccupational Therapy in TennesseeAll occupational therapy statesThe OT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Michigan occupational therapy license in Tennessee?

A occupational therapy license transfers from Michigan to Tennessee by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards), verify your Michigan license, and meet Tennessee's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(h) the reciprocity applicant must have NBCOT certification exam results sent directly to the Board (an NBCOT Score Transfer / verification of exam results). The rule asks for exam results, not proof of CURRENT NBCOT certification. Tennessee does not require a jurisprudence exam for licensure by reciprocity (the Commission also lists Tennessee's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required')..

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

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(h) the reciprocity applicant must have NBCOT certification exam results sent directly to the Board (an NBCOT Score Transfer / verification of exam results). The rule asks for exam results, not proof of CURRENT NBCOT certification. Tennessee does not require a jurisprudence exam for licensure by reciprocity (the Commission also lists Tennessee's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required').

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

$110 ($100 non-refundable OT application fee + $10 state regulatory fee, paid at the end of the online application (OTA $75 + $10 = $85). The background-check vendor fee is paid separately. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Tennessee privilege: $125 OT / $100 OTA state fee + $75 Commission fee).).

How long does Tennessee take to process the application?

no processing time is published; Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(e) says completed reciprocity files are ordinarily processed at the next Board meeting scheduled to review files, and the Board meets four times a year.

Can I use the OT Compact to work in Tennessee?

Not for this move. Tennessee issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Michigan is not. A Tennessee 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]