Occupational Therapy License from Minnesota to Tennessee: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Can I use my Minnesota occupational therapy license in Tennessee?
Yes, for working in Tennessee — both Minnesota and Tennessee are active members of the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (OT Compact). If Minnesota is your primary state of residence and your Minnesota license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Tennessee without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Tennessee, you will need a Tennessee license once Tennessee becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Minnesota and Tennessee both issue OT Compact privileges, so this move has two versions. Working in Tennessee while you keep living in Minnesota: buy a Tennessee privilege through the commission ($75 plus Tennessee's fee), meet any Tennessee jurisprudence requirement, and keep your Minnesota license active, because the privilege ends when it does. Moving to Tennessee: Tennessee becomes your home state and you need a Tennessee license, by converting the privilege where the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards) offers that route or by endorsement.
What's different between Minnesota and Tennessee
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Tennessee. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Minnesota to Tennessee (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Tennessee to Minnesota (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Minnesota matter?
Coming from Minnesota matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Tennessee.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- OT Compact membership
Minnesota and Tennessee are both OT Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Tennessee while Minnesota is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Tennessee needs a Tennessee license.
- Application fee
Tennessee lists $135 for an out-of-state applicant and Minnesota lists $185 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Processing time
Minnesota lists 4–7 weeks for the reverse move; Tennessee has no verified processing-time figure on file, so the two cannot be compared here.
- Exam rules on record
Tennessee and Minnesota carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Tennessee (this move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(i) 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').
- Minnesota (the reverse move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Minnesota has two endorsement-type routes. 'Equivalency' (Minn. Stat. §148.6412) is for applicants who hold CURRENT NBCOT certification; they send an NBCOT Verification of Certification, which the Board notes is not the same document as exam results. 'Reciprocity' (§148.6415) is for applicants WITHOUT current NBCOT certification who hold a current, unrestricted OT credential in another state; they send license verification plus the statute or rules that governed their initial license, so the Board can confirm equivalent standards. Minnesota has no state jurisprudence exam for licensure, and the Commission lists Minnesota as 'Not required'.
What changes, Minnesota → Tennessee
| Minnesota (current) | Tennessee (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| 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.) | $135 ($125 non-refundable OT application fee + $10 state regulatory fee under Board Rule 1150-02-.06(4) as amended effective June 21, 2026 (OTA $100 + $10 = $110). The Board's online application checklist still shows the earlier $100 + $10 = $110 (OTA $85), so confirm the amount due at the end of the online application. 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 time | 4–7 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.) | no processing time is published; Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(f) 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 authority | Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice | 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
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Tennessee: purchase an OT Compact privilege for Tennessee through the compact commission and complete any Tennessee jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Tennessee: apply for a Tennessee license with the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Minnesota to Tennessee?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken.
Do I need a Tennessee license or just a compact privilege?
A privilege is enough if you keep living in Minnesota and your Minnesota license stays active and unencumbered. If you move your residence to Tennessee, you need a Tennessee license from the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards).
What does it cost?
A Tennessee compact privilege costs the $75 commission fee plus Tennessee's privilege fee. A Tennessee license by endorsement, for a relocation: $135 ($125 non-refundable OT application fee + $10 state regulatory fee under Board Rule 1150-02-.06(4) as amended effective June 21, 2026 (OTA $100 + $10 = $110).
How long does it take?
A privilege depends on your FBI background check through the Minnesota board and any Tennessee jurisprudence step. A Tennessee license by endorsement: no processing time is published; Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(f) says completed reciprocity files are ordinarily processed at the next Board meeting scheduled to review files, and the Board meets four times a year.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Minnesota 2026-09-27, Tennessee 2026-10-29.
- Tennessee Department of Health — Board of Occupational Therapy ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Tennessee Board of OT — Occupational Therapist online application checklist (still lists the pre-June-2026 $100 + $10 fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy ch. 1150-02, June 2026 revision (1150-02-.05(2) reciprocity procedure; 1150-02-.06 fees, amended effective June 21, 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Tennessee accepting applications since May 20, 2026; $125 OT privilege fee; jurisprudence not required) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Minnesota Board of OT Practice — Application: Another State or NBCOT Certified (Equivalency or Reciprocity) (Internet Archive copy of the official page, captured 2026-05-15) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota Board of OT Practice — License Information (Internet Archive copy captured 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minnesota Board of OT Practice — Fees (Internet Archive copy captured 2025-09-17) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §148.6412 Licensure by equivalency ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §148.6415 Licensure by reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §148.6420 Application requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §148.6445 Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Minn. Stat. §214.075 Health-related licensing boards; criminal background checks ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Minnesota 2026-09-27, Tennessee 2026-10-29
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