Occupational Therapy License from New York to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from New York to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy), verify your New York license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. 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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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither New York nor Mississippi is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a Mississippi license by endorsement from the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy). The board verifies your New York license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in New York neither speeds nor slows Mississippi's standard out-of-state review.
What changes, New York → Mississippi
| New York (current) | Mississippi (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.) | $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 | NYSED publishes no processing timeframe for OT applications. | 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.) |
| Licensing authority | New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — State Board for Occupational Therapy | Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Mississippi's current requirements on the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy) (application linked below).
- 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
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my New York occupational therapy license in Mississippi?
A occupational therapy license transfers from New York to Mississippi by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Mississippi State Department of Health — Professional Licensure (Occupational Therapy), verify your New York license, and meet Mississippi's endorsement requirements. 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..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from New York to 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 a Mississippi OT license cost for someone licensed in New York?
$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 process the application?
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.).
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Mississippi?
Not for this move. Mississippi has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Mississippi license by endorsement is required.
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)
- 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
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