Occupational Therapy License from New York to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Division of Professional Regulation) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from New York to Delaware by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Division of Professional Regulation), verify your New York license, and meet Delaware's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. If you took the NBCOT exam after 2006 and designated Delaware to receive your scores, the Board office pulls them online. If you took it before 2007 or did not designate Delaware, you must order an official NBCOT Score Transfer. The Board does not say that NBCOT certification must be current, and no Delaware jurisprudence exam is required for licensure..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact plays no part here, since neither state is issuing privileges. You apply to the Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Division of Professional Regulation) as an OT licensed in another state, with NBCOT passage verified and your New York license confirmed, plus whatever Delaware adds such as fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.
What changes, New York → Delaware
| New York (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $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.) | $236 (nonrefundable OT application fee paid in DELPROS (OTA $96; interstate telehealth registration $50). + fingerprinting and background-check fees paid to the vendor. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Commission lists Delaware's future state fee as $100 for OTs).) |
| Processing time | NYSED publishes no processing timeframe for OT applications. | no timeframe is published; the Board reviews only complete applications and does so at its next scheduled meeting |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy | Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Division of Professional Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Delaware's current requirements on the Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Division of Professional Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Division of Professional Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current OT license in another jurisdiction (apply 'by reciprocity' in DELPROS).
- Complete a State of Delaware and FBI fingerprint criminal background check through IdentoGO using the Board's service code; checks done for any other purpose are not accepted.
- Have every state or jurisdiction where you hold or ever held a license send verification directly to the Board.
- Order an NBCOT Score Transfer if you tested before 2007 or did not designate Delaware to receive your scores.
- Pay the fees ($236 (nonrefundable OT application fee paid in DELPROS (OTA $96; interstate telehealth registration $50). + fingerprinting and background-check fees paid to the vendor. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Commission lists Delaware's future state fee as $100 for OTs).)) and allow no timeframe is published; the Board reviews only complete applications and does so at its next scheduled meeting.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my New York occupational therapy license in Delaware?
A occupational therapy license transfers from New York to Delaware by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Division of Professional Regulation), verify your New York license, and meet Delaware's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. If you took the NBCOT exam after 2006 and designated Delaware to receive your scores, the Board office pulls them online. If you took it before 2007 or did not designate Delaware, you must order an official NBCOT Score Transfer. The Board does not say that NBCOT certification must be current, and no Delaware jurisprudence exam is required for licensure..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from New York to Delaware?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. If you took the NBCOT exam after 2006 and designated Delaware to receive your scores, the Board office pulls them online. If you took it before 2007 or did not designate Delaware, you must order an official NBCOT Score Transfer. The Board does not say that NBCOT certification must be current, and no Delaware jurisprudence exam is required for licensure.
How much does a Delaware OT license cost for someone licensed in New York?
$236 (nonrefundable OT application fee paid in DELPROS (OTA $96; interstate telehealth registration $50). + fingerprinting and background-check fees paid to the vendor. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Commission lists Delaware's future state fee as $100 for OTs).).
How long does Delaware take to process the application?
no timeframe is published; the Board reviews only complete applications and does so at its next scheduled meeting.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Delaware?
Not for this move. Delaware has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Delaware license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Delaware DPR, Board of Occupational Therapy Practice ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Delaware DPR, Occupational Therapist licensure (reciprocity and examination requirements) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Delaware DPR, OT Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Delaware: Not Yet accepting applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — License Requirements for Occupational Therapists ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NYSED Office of the Professions — Application Forms for Occupational Therapists (Forms 1, 2, 2F, 3) ↗ (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]