Occupational Therapy License from Ohio to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Ohio to Arkansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee), verify your Ohio license, and meet Arkansas's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants who have passed the exam have NBCOT send a Verification of Certification directly to the Arkansas State Medical Board. The packet does not say whether that certification must be current. Arkansas also requires a signed Medical Practices Act and Rules Affidavit and a completed 10-question OT Practice Act questionnaire, both returned with the application. This is an open-book questionnaire, not a proctored jurisprudence exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact stops at the Arkansas line. Ohio issues privileges, but Arkansas has enacted the compact but is not yet issuing or honoring privileges, so this is a standard endorsement application to the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee). Keep your Ohio license current if you want to keep using privileges elsewhere.
What changes, Ohio → Arkansas
| Ohio (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact member — compact privilege to practice | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application 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).) | The ASMB application packet (rev. 10/11/2024) and fee schedule list a $4 OT application fee (OTA $3; temporary permit $1), payable by check or money order. The fee schedule says this is a reduced fee under Act 114 of 2023, in effect July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026, which 'may or may not apply in future years'. No post-June 2026 OT fee was published as of 2026-09-27, so the current amount is unverified. + $36.25 state and federal criminal background check. The Commission lists a $4 future Arkansas compact privilege fee (not issuing). |
| Processing time | 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 | the Board says a permanent license application 'will take several weeks to complete', that applications are processed in order of receipt, and that the federal portion of the background check 'can take several weeks or more'; no numeric range is published |
| Licensing authority | Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) | Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arkansas's current requirements on the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited OT program (bachelor's or master's level) with at least six months of supervised fieldwork; the school sends the education verification form and official transcript directly.
- Complete a state and federal criminal background check through the Arkansas State Police; out-of-state applicants receive a CBC packet by mail, and previously obtained checks are not accepted.
- Obtain verification of every OT license ever held, including temporary and inactive licenses.
- Have every facility and employer from the last five years (or since graduation, if shorter) verify your work directly to the Board.
- Submit the notarized paper application with a passport-style photo, the Medical Practices Act and Rules Affidavit and the OT Practice Act questionnaire.
- Pay the fees (The ASMB application packet (rev. 10/11/2024) and fee schedule list a $4 OT application fee (OTA $3; temporary permit $1), payable by check or money order. The fee schedule says this is a reduced fee under Act 114 of 2023, in effect July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026, which 'may or may not apply in future years'. No post-June 2026 OT fee was published as of 2026-09-27, so the current amount is unverified. + $36.25 state and federal criminal background check. The Commission lists a $4 future Arkansas compact privilege fee (not issuing).) and allow the Board says a permanent license application 'will take several weeks to complete', that applications are processed in order of receipt, and that the federal portion of the background check 'can take several weeks or more'; no numeric range is published.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Ohio occupational therapy license in Arkansas?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Ohio to Arkansas by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee), verify your Ohio license, and meet Arkansas's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants who have passed the exam have NBCOT send a Verification of Certification directly to the Arkansas State Medical Board. The packet does not say whether that certification must be current. Arkansas also requires a signed Medical Practices Act and Rules Affidavit and a completed 10-question OT Practice Act questionnaire, both returned with the application. This is an open-book questionnaire, not a proctored jurisprudence exam..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Ohio to Arkansas?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants who have passed the exam have NBCOT send a Verification of Certification directly to the Arkansas State Medical Board. The packet does not say whether that certification must be current. Arkansas also requires a signed Medical Practices Act and Rules Affidavit and a completed 10-question OT Practice Act questionnaire, both returned with the application. This is an open-book questionnaire, not a proctored jurisprudence exam.
How much does a Arkansas OT license cost for someone licensed in Ohio?
The ASMB application packet (rev. 10/11/2024) and fee schedule list a $4 OT application fee (OTA $3; temporary permit $1), payable by check or money order. The fee schedule says this is a reduced fee under Act 114 of 2023, in effect July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026, which 'may or may not apply in future years'. No post-June 2026 OT fee was published as of 2026-09-27, so the current amount is unverified. + $36.25 state and federal criminal background check. The Commission lists a $4 future Arkansas compact privilege fee (not issuing)..
How long does Arkansas take to process the application?
the Board says a permanent license application 'will take several weeks to complete', that applications are processed in order of receipt, and that the federal portion of the background check 'can take several weeks or more'; no numeric range is published.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Arkansas?
Not for this move. Arkansas has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Arkansas license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Arkansas State Medical Board, OT / OTA page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, Occupational Therapy Licensure Information Packet (rev. 10/11/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, Fee Schedule (Act 114 of 2023 fee reduction, July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Arkansas: Not Yet accepting applications) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT and OTA Endorsement Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT/OTA Endorsement Application Instructions packet (Dec 2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT-OTA Licensing (application pathways) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT Compact ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT-OTA Endorsement Application page (Internet Archive copy, captured 2025-06-12; eligibility and five-business-day review re-checked) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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