Transfer Your Occupational Therapy License to Mississippi: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) ↗
Not through the compact yet. Mississippi has passed the OT Compact into law but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27, so you transfer by endorsement with the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy). The fee is $250 ($100 application fee plus $150 initial OT licensure fee (Rule 8.13.2), non-refundable. The OTA initial fee is $100. No criminal background check is required for regular licensure: MSDH requires background checks for OTs only for the OT Licensure Compact ($50 plus $25 local fingerprinting).) and processing runs 1–3 weeks (The Department says 'Please allow 7 to 14 business days after receipt of all paperwork to receive your license' (about 1.4 to 2.8 weeks, rounded). For universal-license applicants, Rule 8.4.7 requires a decision within 120 days and a temporary practice permit within 30 days if processing will take longer than two weeks.); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification.
Moving to Mississippi from a specific state?
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Verdict
OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Don't let "enacted" mislead you. Mississippi 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 Mississippi is a Mississippi license through the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy), and the endorsement steps below are the whole process.
Mississippi has enacted the OT Compact but is NOT yet issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. MSDH's OT page announces that the OT Licensure Compact 'begins October 5, 2026'. The Commission lists a $200 OT privilege fee and no jurisprudence requirement. Until then, relocating OTs use licensure by endorsement (Rule 8.4.2). Under Rule 8.4.7 and Miss. Code §73-50-1, a person who establishes Mississippi residence and has held an equivalent license for at least one year can instead get a universal license, with a temporary practice permit if processing runs past two weeks. Military-trained applicants and spouses are handled under §73-50-1 / §73-50-2. Licenses renew every year.
Mississippi requirements at a glance
| Exam | The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Rule 8.4.2 (Licensure by Endorsement), the applicant must be currently licensed in another state whose requirements, including passing an approved examination (NBCOT), are equivalent to or greater than Mississippi's. The applicant's NBCOT certification must not have been subject to disciplinary action. The rule does not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. There is no general jurisprudence exam: Rule 8.4.7(3) lets the Department require one only for universal-license applicants, where Mississippi law requires it. |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $250 ($100 application fee plus $150 initial OT licensure fee (Rule 8.13.2), non-refundable. The OTA initial fee is $100. No criminal background check is required for regular licensure: MSDH requires background checks for OTs only for the OT Licensure Compact ($50 plus $25 local fingerprinting).) |
| Processing time | 1–3 weeks (The Department says 'Please allow 7 to 14 business days after receipt of all paperwork to receive your license' (about 1.4 to 2.8 weeks, rounded). For universal-license applicants, Rule 8.4.7 requires a decision within 120 days and a temporary practice permit within 30 days if processing will take longer than two weeks.) |
Step by step
- Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a current OT license in good standing (not suspended or revoked) in another state, territory or jurisdiction with equivalent requirements.
- Have your NBCOT certification free of any disciplinary action.
- Apply online through the MSDH Professional Licensure portal with the Credential Verification, Verification of Education and Employment History forms as required.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited entry-level OT program with supervised fieldwork.
- Pay the fees ($250 ($100 application fee plus $150 initial OT licensure fee (Rule 8.13.2), non-refundable. The OTA initial fee is $100. No criminal background check is required for regular licensure: MSDH requires background checks for OTs only for the OT Licensure Compact ($50 plus $25 local fingerprinting).)) and allow 1–3 weeks (The Department says 'Please allow 7 to 14 business days after receipt of all paperwork to receive your license' (about 1.4 to 2.8 weeks, rounded). For universal-license applicants, Rule 8.4.7 requires a decision within 120 days and a temporary practice permit within 30 days if processing will take longer than two weeks.).
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Mississippi:
Nearby states
Occupational Therapy license transfer into the states bordering Mississippi:
Mississippi for other professions
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Frequently asked questions
Does my occupational therapy license transfer to Mississippi?
Not through the compact yet. Mississippi has passed the OT Compact into law but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27, so you transfer by endorsement with the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy). The fee is $250 ($100 application fee plus $150 initial OT licensure fee (Rule 8.13.2), non-refundable. The OTA initial fee is $100. No criminal background check is required for regular licensure: MSDH requires background checks for OTs only for the OT Licensure Compact ($50 plus $25 local fingerprinting).) and processing runs 1–3 weeks (The Department says 'Please allow 7 to 14 business days after receipt of all paperwork to receive your license' (about 1.4 to 2.8 weeks, rounded). For universal-license applicants, Rule 8.4.7 requires a decision within 120 days and a temporary practice permit within 30 days if processing will take longer than two weeks.); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification.
Do I have to retake the NBCOT exam to get licensed in Mississippi?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Rule 8.4.2 (Licensure by Endorsement), the applicant must be currently licensed in another state whose requirements, including passing an approved examination (NBCOT), are equivalent to or greater than Mississippi's. The applicant's NBCOT certification must not have been subject to disciplinary action. The rule does not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. There is no general jurisprudence exam: Rule 8.4.7(3) lets the Department require one only for universal-license applicants, where Mississippi law requires it.
How much does an OT license by endorsement cost in Mississippi?
$250 ($100 application fee plus $150 initial OT licensure fee (Rule 8.13.2), non-refundable. The OTA initial fee is $100. No criminal background check is required for regular licensure: MSDH requires background checks for OTs only for the OT Licensure Compact ($50 plus $25 local fingerprinting).).
How long does Mississippi take to issue an OT license by endorsement?
1–3 weeks (The Department says 'Please allow 7 to 14 business days after receipt of all paperwork to receive your license' (about 1.4 to 2.8 weeks, rounded). For universal-license applicants, Rule 8.4.7 requires a decision within 120 days and a temporary practice permit within 30 days if processing will take longer than two weeks.).
Is Mississippi an OT Compact state?
Mississippi 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 Mississippi.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- MSDH — Occupational Therapy licensure page (application portal, processing time, OT Compact notice) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- MSDH — Regulations Governing Licensure of Occupational Therapists and OTAs (amended February 2025): Rules 8.4.2, 8.4.7, 8.13.2 ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- MSDH — Background checks (OT Licensure Compact only) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Mississippi: Not Yet accepting applications) ↗ (accessed 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]