Transfer Your Occupational Therapy License to Michigan: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Does my occupational therapy license transfer to Michigan?
Not through the compact yet. Michigan has passed the OT Compact into law but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27, so you transfer by endorsement with the Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists (LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing). The fee is $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).) and processing runs LARA's OT licensing guide and OT page publish no processing time; your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification.
Moving to Michigan from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Don't let "enacted" mislead you. Michigan has passed the OT Compact but had not started issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27, and the commission publishes no go-live date. Until it does, the only way to practice in Michigan is a Michigan license through the Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists (LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing), and the endorsement steps below are the whole process.
Michigan has enacted the OT Compact but is NOT yet issuing or accepting privileges (Commission status 'Not Yet' as of 2026-09-27), so relocating OTs need a Michigan license by endorsement from LARA. Endorsement has two tiers under the licensing guide: an applicant first licensed elsewhere who has practiced for MORE than 5 years needs NBCOT passage and the Michigan jurisprudence exam plus the requirements that apply to all applicants; one with LESS than 5 years must meet the full examination-applicant requirements (ACOTE transcripts, NBCOT, jurisprudence). All applicants also demonstrate English proficiency and provide an SSN or SSN affidavit. Source caveat: the guide read is revision 10/01/23; the Board held a public hearing on OT rules in July 2025 and the live michigan.gov pages could not be loaded on 2026-09-27, so confirm current requirements in MiPLUS before applying.
Michigan requirements at a glance
| Exam | The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; LARA requires certification of your passing NBCOT score sent directly to the Bureau by NBCOT. Michigan ALSO requires its jurisprudence examination for endorsement: a passing score (75%) on the Michigan OT jurisprudence exam taken through PSI, sent directly by PSI and dated within the 3 years before you apply. (The Commission's 'not required' jurisprudence entry for Michigan refers only to future compact privileges.) The licensing guide asks for NBCOT exam passage, not current NBCOT certification. |
|---|---|
| Fees | $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).) |
| Processing time | LARA's OT licensing guide and OT page publish no processing time |
Step by step
- Confirm Michigan's current requirements on the Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists (LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Michigan Board of Occupational Therapists (LARA Bureau of Professional Licensing) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Pass the Michigan OT jurisprudence exam through PSI (75% passing score) within the 3 years before applying.
- Have NBCOT send certification of your passing OT exam score directly to LARA.
- Have every state or country where you hold or ever held a license send verification directly to LARA, showing no pending discipline or sanctions in force.
- If you have practiced in another state for LESS than 5 years, also meet the examination requirements, including official transcripts sent directly from an ACOTE-accredited (or WFOT-approved) OT program.
- Complete the criminal background check (instructions emailed after you apply), one-time human-trafficking training, and 2 hours of implicit-bias training within the prior 5 years.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Nearby states
Occupational Therapy license transfer into the states bordering Michigan:
Michigan for other professions
- Nursing in Michigan
- Cosmetology / Barber in Michigan
- Real Estate in Michigan
- Contractor in Michigan
- Teaching in Michigan
- CPA / Accounting in Michigan
- Electrician in Michigan
- Plumber in Michigan
- Engineering in Michigan
- Pharmacy in Michigan
- Physical Therapy in Michigan
- Psychology in Michigan
- Counseling in Michigan
- Social Work in Michigan
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to retake the NBCOT exam to get licensed in Michigan?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; LARA requires certification of your passing NBCOT score sent directly to the Bureau by NBCOT.
Is Michigan an OT Compact state?
Michigan has enacted the compact but was not accepting applications or issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. Until it goes live, endorsement is the only way to practice in Michigan.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Michigan: Not Yet accepting applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com