Occupational Therapy License from Michigan to West Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Michigan to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy, verify your Michigan license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the Board's full-license application is for applicants who have 'successfully taken the NBCOT certification exam'. The Board pages read do not say whether it verifies passage by NBCOT Score Transfer or Verification of Certification, or whether CURRENT NBCOT certification is required (the online Certemy application sets the document steps). No West Virginia jurisprudence exam is required (the Commission lists West Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required'); applicants are responsible for knowing the OT Practice Act and legislative rules..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Michigan isn't issuing OT Compact privileges, so you start with endorsement into West Virginia through the West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy. The payoff comes afterward: West Virginia does issue privileges, so once West Virginia is your home state and your West Virginia license is active, you can practice in the other issuing states on privileges instead of separate licenses.
What changes, Michigan → West Virginia
| Michigan (current) | West Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing | OT 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).) | $75 (initial OT license fee (OTA $50), paid through the State of West Virginia e-Gov processor; non-refundable. Low-income and military-family fee waivers are available. Limited permit: $45 OT (applied toward the license fee). NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (West Virginia privilege: $50 state fee + $75 Commission fee = $125).) |
| Processing time | LARA's OT licensing guide and OT page publish no processing time | no processing time is published; a license number is assigned once all application steps are completed and approved |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists (LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing) | West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — West Virginia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm West Virginia's current requirements on the West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Complete the online application in Certemy in its entirety, including a recent photo and your Social Security number.
- Have passed the NBCOT certification exam.
- If you have not practiced clinically in the 2 years before applying, submit proof of 24 hours of continuing competency from the preceding 2 years.
- Upload the e-Gov payment receipt for the license fee with the application.
- Pay the fees ($75 (initial OT license fee (OTA $50), paid through the State of West Virginia e-Gov processor; non-refundable. Low-income and military-family fee waivers are available. Limited permit: $45 OT (applied toward the license fee). NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (West Virginia privilege: $50 state fee + $75 Commission fee = $125).)) and allow no processing time is published; a license number is assigned once all application steps are completed and approved.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Michigan occupational therapy license in West Virginia?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Michigan to West Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy, verify your Michigan license, and meet West Virginia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the Board's full-license application is for applicants who have 'successfully taken the NBCOT certification exam'. The Board pages read do not say whether it verifies passage by NBCOT Score Transfer or Verification of Certification, or whether CURRENT NBCOT certification is required (the online Certemy application sets the document steps). No West Virginia jurisprudence exam is required (the Commission lists West Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required'); applicants are responsible for knowing the OT Practice Act and legislative rules..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Michigan to West Virginia?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the Board's full-license application is for applicants who have 'successfully taken the NBCOT certification exam'. The Board pages read do not say whether it verifies passage by NBCOT Score Transfer or Verification of Certification, or whether CURRENT NBCOT certification is required (the online Certemy application sets the document steps). No West Virginia jurisprudence exam is required (the Commission lists West Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required'); applicants are responsible for knowing the OT Practice Act and legislative rules.
How much does a West Virginia OT license cost for someone licensed in Michigan?
$75 (initial OT license fee (OTA $50), paid through the State of West Virginia e-Gov processor; non-refundable. Low-income and military-family fee waivers are available. Limited permit: $45 OT (applied toward the license fee). NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (West Virginia privilege: $50 state fee + $75 Commission fee = $125).).
How long does West Virginia take to process the application?
no processing time is published; a license number is assigned once all application steps are completed and approved.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in West Virginia?
Not for this move. West Virginia issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Michigan is not. A West Virginia license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- WV Board of Occupational Therapy — New Applicants: Non-WV Resident (license vs. compact privilege, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WV Board of Occupational Therapy — Initial Application: Full License ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WV Board of Occupational Therapy — FAQ's (fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- WV Board of Occupational Therapy — OT Compact Licensee Info ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (West Virginia accepting applications since January 12, 2026; $50 OT privilege fee) ↗ (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
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