Occupational Therapy License from New York to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from New York to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency), verify your New York license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the 'Application by Reciprocity' checklist (for OTs licensed in another state), PLA requires state license verifications and a criminal background check; unlike the examination checklist, it does not list an NBCOT score report or transcript. The pages reviewed do not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. No Indiana jurisprudence exam is required, and the Commission lists Indiana as 'not required' for compact jurisprudence..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
New York isn't issuing OT Compact privileges, so you start with endorsement into Indiana through the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency). The payoff comes afterward: Indiana does issue privileges, so once Indiana is your home state and your Indiana license is active, you can practice in the other issuing states on privileges instead of separate licenses.
What changes, New York → Indiana
| New York (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | OT Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| 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.) | $100 (nonrefundable application fee paid by card with the online application (same fee for OTA), per the PLA licensing page and Committee fee schedule (Dec 2025 archive copy). A temporary permit is $50 more. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee: an Indiana privilege costs a $25 state fee plus the $75 Commission fee.) |
| Processing time | NYSED publishes no processing timeframe for OT applications. | PLA publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application with missing requirements is abandoned after one year |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy | Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Indiana's current requirements on the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Complete the Indiana criminal background check required by PLA.
- Have every state where you hold or held a license or certification send verification directly to the Occupational Therapy Committee (license-card copies are not accepted).
- If you are licensed in several states, any license verifications not submitted at application must be on file before your first Indiana renewal.
- Submit statements and court documents for any 'yes' answers, plus legal name-change documentation if applicable.
- Pay the fees ($100 (nonrefundable application fee paid by card with the online application (same fee for OTA), per the PLA licensing page and Committee fee schedule (Dec 2025 archive copy). A temporary permit is $50 more. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee: an Indiana privilege costs a $25 state fee plus the $75 Commission fee.)) and allow PLA publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application with missing requirements is abandoned after one year.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my New York occupational therapy license in Indiana?
A occupational therapy license transfers from New York to Indiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency), verify your New York license, and meet Indiana's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the 'Application by Reciprocity' checklist (for OTs licensed in another state), PLA requires state license verifications and a criminal background check; unlike the examination checklist, it does not list an NBCOT score report or transcript. The pages reviewed do not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. No Indiana jurisprudence exam is required, and the Commission lists Indiana as 'not required' for compact jurisprudence..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from New York to Indiana?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the 'Application by Reciprocity' checklist (for OTs licensed in another state), PLA requires state license verifications and a criminal background check; unlike the examination checklist, it does not list an NBCOT score report or transcript. The pages reviewed do not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. No Indiana jurisprudence exam is required, and the Commission lists Indiana as 'not required' for compact jurisprudence.
How much does a Indiana OT license cost for someone licensed in New York?
$100 (nonrefundable application fee paid by card with the online application (same fee for OTA), per the PLA licensing page and Committee fee schedule (Dec 2025 archive copy). A temporary permit is $50 more. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee: an Indiana privilege costs a $25 state fee plus the $75 Commission fee.).
How long does Indiana take to process the application?
PLA publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application with missing requirements is abandoned after one year.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Indiana?
Not for this move. Indiana issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; New York is not. A Indiana license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Indiana PLA, Occupational Therapy Licensing Information and fee schedule (Internet Archive copy of 2025-12-15; in.gov refused connections from this environment on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Indiana PLA, Occupational Therapy Home, announcement of March 5, 2026: 'Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Implemented and Live in Indiana, Beginning Monday, March 9, 2026' (Internet Archive copy of 2026-06-12) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Indiana accepting applications since March 9, 2026; $25 state fee; jurisprudence not required) ↗ (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]