Occupational Therapy License from New York to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from New York to Georgia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division), verify your New York license, and meet Georgia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. An OT licensed elsewhere who passed the NBCOT exam uses the standard Application/Examination path. Staff confirm your certification and scores on the NBCOT verification portal, or you have NBCOT send a Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If you took the exam more than once, the Board must receive ALL of your scores. The application refers to 'NBCOT Certification' and scores but does not say that a lapsed certification is disqualifying. No Georgia jurisprudence exam is required. Georgia's 'Reciprocity' route is only for OTs licensed after a non-NBCOT exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact plays no part here, since neither state is issuing privileges. You apply to the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) as an OT licensed in another state, with NBCOT passage verified and your New York license confirmed, plus whatever Georgia adds such as fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.
What changes, New York → Georgia
| New York (current) | Georgia (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.) | $60 (OT application fee per the Board's application for licensure (form dated 04/24/2023; OTA $50); + $5 online processing fee (Board fee schedule rev. 03-03-22; applications are now online-only through GOALS); + GAPS fingerprinting fee. The OT line on the fee schedule PDF is blank in the rendered file, and the current GOALS fee schedule could not be read by automated fetch. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Commission lists Georgia's future state fee as $75 for OTs).) |
| Processing time | NYSED publishes no processing timeframe for OT applications. | 4–6 weeks (the Board's application states 'It takes approximately 4 - 6 weeks to process a complete application for licensure'; applications are processed in order of receipt, and incomplete applications are withdrawn if deficiencies are not cured within 60 days) |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy | Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Official transcript showing degree and date, sent directly from the school, plus documentation of completed supervised fieldwork.
- Have every state where you hold or ever held a license send verification of its status directly to the Board.
- Submit three notarized references known to you within five years: two professional (at least one from a licensed or certified OT practitioner) and one personal.
- Register with the Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS) and complete a fingerprint criminal background check right after applying.
- Submit a secure and verifiable document and affidavit of citizenship (immigration documents if applicable).
- Pay the fees ($60 (OT application fee per the Board's application for licensure (form dated 04/24/2023; OTA $50); + $5 online processing fee (Board fee schedule rev. 03-03-22; applications are now online-only through GOALS); + GAPS fingerprinting fee. The OT line on the fee schedule PDF is blank in the rendered file, and the current GOALS fee schedule could not be read by automated fetch. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Commission lists Georgia's future state fee as $75 for OTs).)) and allow 4–6 weeks (the Board's application states 'It takes approximately 4 - 6 weeks to process a complete application for licensure'; applications are processed in order of receipt, and incomplete applications are withdrawn if deficiencies are not cured within 60 days).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my New York occupational therapy license in Georgia?
A occupational therapy license transfers from New York to Georgia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy (Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division), verify your New York license, and meet Georgia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. An OT licensed elsewhere who passed the NBCOT exam uses the standard Application/Examination path. Staff confirm your certification and scores on the NBCOT verification portal, or you have NBCOT send a Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If you took the exam more than once, the Board must receive ALL of your scores. The application refers to 'NBCOT Certification' and scores but does not say that a lapsed certification is disqualifying. No Georgia jurisprudence exam is required. Georgia's 'Reciprocity' route is only for OTs licensed after a non-NBCOT exam..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from New York to Georgia?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. An OT licensed elsewhere who passed the NBCOT exam uses the standard Application/Examination path. Staff confirm your certification and scores on the NBCOT verification portal, or you have NBCOT send a Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If you took the exam more than once, the Board must receive ALL of your scores. The application refers to 'NBCOT Certification' and scores but does not say that a lapsed certification is disqualifying. No Georgia jurisprudence exam is required. Georgia's 'Reciprocity' route is only for OTs licensed after a non-NBCOT exam.
How much does a Georgia OT license cost for someone licensed in New York?
$60 (OT application fee per the Board's application for licensure (form dated 04/24/2023; OTA $50); + $5 online processing fee (Board fee schedule rev. 03-03-22; applications are now online-only through GOALS); + GAPS fingerprinting fee. The OT line on the fee schedule PDF is blank in the rendered file, and the current GOALS fee schedule could not be read by automated fetch. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Commission lists Georgia's future state fee as $75 for OTs).).
How long does Georgia take to process the application?
4–6 weeks (the Board's application states 'It takes approximately 4 - 6 weeks to process a complete application for licensure'; applications are processed in order of receipt, and incomplete applications are withdrawn if deficiencies are not cured within 60 days).
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Georgia?
Not for this move. Georgia has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Georgia license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Georgia State Board of OT, How-To Guide: Occupational Therapist (Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-24; live sos.ga.gov returned a Cloudflare challenge on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia State Board of OT, Application for Licensure (form dated 04/24/2023) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia State Board of OT, Fee Schedule (rev. 03-03-22) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Georgia State Board of OT, board page (Internet Archive copy of 2026-04-23) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Georgia: 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]