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LicenseReciprocity

Occupational Therapy License from North Dakota to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from North Dakota to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section), verify your North Dakota license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score)..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

This is an endorsement move with a benefit attached. North Dakota is outside the issuing group, so no privilege applies; you apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) for a Ohio license, with NBCOT passage verified rather than retaken. If you then live in Ohio, that license can anchor privileges in the other issuing states.

What changes, North Dakota → Ohio

Side-by-side: North Dakota vs Ohio (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
North Dakota (current)Ohio (destination)
OT Compact statusOT Compact enacted — not yet issuingOT Compact member — compact privilege to practice
Application fee$125–$200 ($50 initial application fee + initial OT license fee of $150, or $75 if the application is received July 1 to December 31 of an odd-numbered year (N.D. Admin. Code 55.5-02-01-03), so $200 or $125 in total. OTA: $50 + $110 or $55. The fee is waived for qualifying military spouses. No fingerprint fee is currently charged (see notes). NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (North Dakota's state privilege fee is listed as TBD, plus the $75 Commission fee).)$100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).)
Processing timethe Board states only that licenses are typically issued within a week after all completed documents are received and the Jurisprudence Exam is passed; no end-to-end timeframe is published. The Board asks for 2-3 days to enter an online application before the applicant can take the Jurisprudence Exam or check statusthe Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months
Licensing authorityNorth Dakota State Board of Occupational Therapy PracticeOhio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section)

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Ohio's current requirements on the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited entry-level OT program (Certification of Entry-Level Education form or official transcript).
  5. Pass the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (90% minimum) and upload the transcript.
  6. Submit official license verification from every jurisdiction where you hold or ever held an OT or other health-care license.
  7. Complete an Ohio BCI and FBI fingerprint criminal records check sent directly to the Board (results must be under six months old at licensure).
  8. If out of practice five or more years (fewer than 250 practice hours in the prior five years), meet the Board's out-of-practice requirements.
  9. Pay the fees ($100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).)) and allow the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months.

Official links

Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) ↗Ohio application ↗License verification ↗Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Ohio → North DakotaOccupational Therapy in North DakotaOccupational Therapy in OhioAll occupational therapy statesThe OT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my North Dakota occupational therapy license in Ohio?

A occupational therapy license transfers from North Dakota to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section), verify your North Dakota license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score)..

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from North Dakota to Ohio?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score).

How much does a Ohio OT license cost for someone licensed in North Dakota?

$100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).).

How long does Ohio take to process the application?

the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months.

Can I use the OT Compact to work in Ohio?

Not for this move. Ohio issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; North Dakota is not. A Ohio 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]