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LicenseReciprocity

Occupational Therapy License from Minnesota to California: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: California Board of Occupational Therapy ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Minnesota to California by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the California Board of Occupational Therapy, verify your Minnesota license, and meet California's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The Board accepts either an NBCOT Verification of Certification or an NBCOT Score Transfer Report sent directly to the Board. The Board's materials do not say whether certification must be current. No California jurisprudence or laws-and-rules exam is listed. An applicant who has not worked as an OT within five years must either complete 40 hours of CE/PDUs within the past two years or pass the NBCOT exam (B&P Code 2570.14)..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

The compact stops at the California line. Minnesota issues privileges, but California has not enacted the compact, so this is a standard endorsement application to the California Board of Occupational Therapy. Keep your Minnesota license current if you want to keep using privileges elsewhere.

What changes, Minnesota → California

Side-by-side: Minnesota vs California (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
Minnesota (current)California (destination)
OT Compact statusOT Compact member — compact privilege to practiceLicensure by endorsement
Application fee$185 (Initial OT licensure fee ($105 for an OTA). Add the $32 criminal background check fee. A temporary license, available while the application is pending to OTs licensed elsewhere or NBCOT-certified, costs $75. Minn. Stat. §148.6445 sets these amounts as maximums, and the Board's published fee page (read via an Internet Archive copy captured 2025-09-17) matched the statutory $185. NOT the compact privilege fee: the Commission lists Minnesota's privilege fee as $50, plus the $75 Commission fee. §148.6445 subd. 5a sets a $150 cap.)$50 ($50 application fee paid in BreEZe. A separate initial license fee, prorated by your birth date and the month of issue, is stated in the approval letter and paid after approval, so it is not in this range. + $49 fingerprint-card fee if you are not using Live Scan (Live Scan fees are paid to the vendor).)
Processing time4–7 weeks (Board-implied. The Board says the criminal background check takes 3 to 5 weeks after the fingerprint packet reaches the CBC office, and then 'allow five (5) to ten (10) business days' for review once ALL documents are received. You may practice as soon as your name appears on the Board's License Look Up.)3–4 weeks (the Board states 'Processing time for all applications is 3-4 weeks'; 16 CCR 4112 gives the Board 30 days to review an application and notify the applicant of any deficiency; licenses issue once the approved applicant completes the online form and pays the initial license fee)
Licensing authorityMinnesota Board of Occupational Therapy PracticeCalifornia Board of Occupational Therapy

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm California's current requirements on the California Board of Occupational Therapy website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the California Board of Occupational Therapy (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Official transcript with the degree posted, sent directly from a qualifying accredited OT degree program.
  5. Complete a background check for this Board: Live Scan if in California, or the Board's pre-printed fingerprint cards if out of state.
  6. Have every jurisdiction where you hold or held any health-related license send verification of licensure.
  7. Submit a 2x2 passport-quality color photo taken within the last six months.
  8. If you have not practiced as an OT within five years, submit 40 hours of CE/PDUs from the past two years or pass the NBCOT exam.
  9. Pay the fees ($50 ($50 application fee paid in BreEZe. A separate initial license fee, prorated by your birth date and the month of issue, is stated in the approval letter and paid after approval, so it is not in this range. + $49 fingerprint-card fee if you are not using Live Scan (Live Scan fees are paid to the vendor).)) and allow 3–4 weeks (the Board states 'Processing time for all applications is 3-4 weeks'; 16 CCR 4112 gives the Board 30 days to review an application and notify the applicant of any deficiency; licenses issue once the approved applicant completes the online form and pays the initial license fee).

Official links

California Board of Occupational Therapy ↗California application ↗License verification ↗

Related guides

Reverse: California → MinnesotaOccupational Therapy in MinnesotaOccupational Therapy in CaliforniaAll occupational therapy statesThe OT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Minnesota occupational therapy license in California?

A occupational therapy license transfers from Minnesota to California by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the California Board of Occupational Therapy, verify your Minnesota license, and meet California's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The Board accepts either an NBCOT Verification of Certification or an NBCOT Score Transfer Report sent directly to the Board. The Board's materials do not say whether certification must be current. No California jurisprudence or laws-and-rules exam is listed. An applicant who has not worked as an OT within five years must either complete 40 hours of CE/PDUs within the past two years or pass the NBCOT exam (B&P Code 2570.14)..

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Minnesota to California?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The Board accepts either an NBCOT Verification of Certification or an NBCOT Score Transfer Report sent directly to the Board. The Board's materials do not say whether certification must be current. No California jurisprudence or laws-and-rules exam is listed. An applicant who has not worked as an OT within five years must either complete 40 hours of CE/PDUs within the past two years or pass the NBCOT exam (B&P Code 2570.14).

How much does a California OT license cost for someone licensed in Minnesota?

$50 ($50 application fee paid in BreEZe. A separate initial license fee, prorated by your birth date and the month of issue, is stated in the approval letter and paid after approval, so it is not in this range. + $49 fingerprint-card fee if you are not using Live Scan (Live Scan fees are paid to the vendor).).

How long does California take to process the application?

3–4 weeks (the Board states 'Processing time for all applications is 3-4 weeks'; 16 CCR 4112 gives the Board 30 days to review an application and notify the applicant of any deficiency; licenses issue once the approved applicant completes the online form and pays the initial license fee).

Can I use the OT Compact to work in California?

Not for this move. California has not enacted the OT Compact. A California 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]