Occupational Therapy License from Ohio to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Ohio to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure), verify your Ohio license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants licensed in other states must arrange for an official NBCOT Certification Verification Letter to be sent directly to DPH; the standard checklist also lists an official NBCOT score report. Under the four-years-of-practice pathway, DPH says no transcripts, training verification or examination are required. No Connecticut jurisprudence exam is listed..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Ohio license can anchor OT Compact privileges, but not into Connecticut: Connecticut has not enacted the compact. To practice in Connecticut you need a Connecticut license by endorsement from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure). NBCOT passage is verified, not retaken. Any privileges you hold in other issuing states are unaffected while Ohio remains your home state.
What changes, Ohio → Connecticut
| Ohio (current) | Connecticut (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact member — compact privilege to practice | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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).) | $200 (initial application fee, paid online through eLicense (biennial renewal $205). DPH lists no fingerprint requirement on the OT pages reviewed.) |
| 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 | DPH does not publish an OT processing timeframe on the pages reviewed |
| Licensing authority | Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) | Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Connecticut's current requirements on the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of an AOTA/ACOTE-accredited OT program with at least 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork; the school sends the official transcript directly.
- Have NBCOT send an official Certification Verification Letter directly to DPH.
- Have every state where you hold or ever held a license or certification send verification directly (most charge a fee).
- Apply online through eLicense with a photo; paper applications are not accepted.
- Pay the fees ($200 (initial application fee, paid online through eLicense (biennial renewal $205). DPH lists no fingerprint requirement on the OT pages reviewed.)) and allow DPH does not publish an OT processing timeframe on the pages reviewed.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Ohio occupational therapy license in Connecticut?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Ohio to Connecticut by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section (Occupational Therapist Licensure), verify your Ohio license, and meet Connecticut's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants licensed in other states must arrange for an official NBCOT Certification Verification Letter to be sent directly to DPH; the standard checklist also lists an official NBCOT score report. Under the four-years-of-practice pathway, DPH says no transcripts, training verification or examination are required. No Connecticut jurisprudence exam is listed..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Ohio to Connecticut?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants licensed in other states must arrange for an official NBCOT Certification Verification Letter to be sent directly to DPH; the standard checklist also lists an official NBCOT score report. Under the four-years-of-practice pathway, DPH says no transcripts, training verification or examination are required. No Connecticut jurisprudence exam is listed.
How much does a Connecticut OT license cost for someone licensed in Ohio?
$200 (initial application fee, paid online through eLicense (biennial renewal $205). DPH lists no fingerprint requirement on the OT pages reviewed.).
How long does Connecticut take to process the application?
DPH does not publish an OT processing timeframe on the pages reviewed.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Connecticut?
Not for this move. Connecticut has not enacted the OT Compact. A Connecticut license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- CT DPH, Occupational Therapist Licensure (fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- CT DPH, OT Licensure Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- CT DPH, Applicants Licensed in Another US State for at Least 4 Years ↗ (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)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Ohio accepting applications since January 12, 2026; $25 OT privilege fee; jurisprudence required) ↗ (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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