Occupational Therapy License from New Jersey to New York: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from New Jersey to New York by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy, verify your New Jersey license, and meet New York's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. New York has no separate endorsement application: OTs licensed elsewhere file the same Form 1 and meet the same education and exam requirements. NYSED needs NBCOT OTR exam results (passing score 450) sent directly from NBCOT; anyone who has already passed asks NBCOT to send written verification of certification directly to the Office of the Professions. Current NBCOT certification is not required. New York has no state jurisprudence exam..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Neither New Jersey nor New York is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a New York license by endorsement from the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy. The board verifies your New Jersey license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in New Jersey neither speeds nor slows New York's standard out-of-state review.

What changes, New Jersey → New York

Side-by-side: New Jersey vs New York (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
	New Jersey (current)	New York (destination)
OT Compact status	Licensure by endorsement	Licensure by endorsement
Application fee	$180–$260 ($100 application fee + initial OT license fee of $160 (paid in the first year of the biennial renewal period) or $80 (second year), per the fee schedule in N.J.A.C. 13:44K-11.1 as published by the Council (chapter text last revised 01/18/2022, read from an Internet Archive copy of 2024-06-19). Caveat: the Council's live online orientation cites a $100 late-renewal fee where this schedule shows $40, so the schedule may have been amended since; confirm current fees with the Council. + criminal history background-check fee. Temporary license $50. New Jersey is not in the OT Compact.)	$294 (Licensure and first registration fee for an OT ($147 for an OTA). An online application must be paid by credit card. A limited permit costs $70, non-refundable. Fees are subject to change; the fee in law when NYSED receives the application applies.)
Processing time	no processing time is published in the rules or on the pages read; njconsumeraffairs.gov was inaccessible to automated requests	NYSED publishes no processing timeframe for OT applications.
Licensing authority	New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs)	New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy

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

Step by step

Confirm New York's current requirements on the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state.
Submit Form 1 (Application for Licensure) online with the $294 licensure and first registration fee.
Have your OT school send Form 2 (Certification of Professional Education) directly to NYSED (baccalaureate or entry-level master's in OT from an NYS-registered or ACOTE-accredited program, including six months of supervised experience).
Have NBCOT send exam results or written verification of certification directly to NYSED.
Have every jurisdiction where you hold or held a license send Form 3 (Verification of Other Professional Licensure/Certification) directly.
Be of good moral character and at least 21 years old.
Pay the fees ($294 (Licensure and first registration fee for an OT ($147 for an OTA). An online application must be paid by credit card. A limited permit costs $70, non-refundable. Fees are subject to change; the fee in law when NYSED receives the application applies.)) and allow NYSED publishes no processing timeframe for OT applications..

Official links

New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy ↗New York application ↗

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my New Jersey occupational therapy license in New York?

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from New Jersey to New York?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. New York has no separate endorsement application: OTs licensed elsewhere file the same Form 1 and meet the same education and exam requirements. NYSED needs NBCOT OTR exam results (passing score 450) sent directly from NBCOT; anyone who has already passed asks NBCOT to send written verification of certification directly to the Office of the Professions. Current NBCOT certification is not required. New York has no state jurisprudence exam.

How much does a New York OT license cost for someone licensed in New Jersey?

$294 (Licensure and first registration fee for an OT ($147 for an OTA). An online application must be paid by credit card. A limited permit costs $70, non-refundable. Fees are subject to change; the fee in law when NYSED receives the application applies.).

How long does New York take to process the application?

NYSED publishes no processing timeframe for OT applications..

Can I use the OT Compact to work in New York?

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