Occupational Therapy License from Ohio to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (Occupational Therapists/Assistants licensure) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Ohio to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (Occupational Therapists/Assistants licensure), verify your Ohio license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners requires applicants to be CURRENTLY NBCOT certified (NBCOT contact is listed for verification). A post-exam NBCOT score report sent directly to the Board is required only for temporary-license (new graduate) applicants. The Board's OT application instructions mention no state jurisprudence exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Your Ohio license can anchor OT Compact privileges, but not into Louisiana: Louisiana has enacted the compact but is not yet issuing or honoring privileges. To practice in Louisiana you need a Louisiana license by endorsement from the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (Occupational Therapists/Assistants 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 → Louisiana
| Ohio (current) | Louisiana (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).) | $150 (Non-refundable OT licensure fee paid by card through LaMED ($100 for an OTA). A temporary license costs $200 in total ($50 temporary fee plus $150 licensure). The Board does not list the background-check cost. Act 933 of the 2026 Regular Session (HB 1182) rewrote the OT fee statute and includes a separate reciprocity fee line. It could not be read because legis.la.gov did not resolve from this environment, so this range reflects only the Board's published $150.) |
| 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 publishes no processing timeframe. It warns that applicants with criminal history may face delays and that the background check cannot start until the application is submitted. |
| Licensing authority | Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) | Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (Occupational Therapists/Assistants licensure) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (Occupational Therapists/Assistants licensure) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (Occupational Therapists/Assistants licensure) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Apply online through the LSBME LaMED dashboard (online.lasbme.org).
- Hold current NBCOT certification.
- Have every state where you are or were licensed send license verification to the Board.
- Complete the criminal background check; instructions are sent after the application is submitted.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited entry-level OT program.
- Pay the fees ($150 (Non-refundable OT licensure fee paid by card through LaMED ($100 for an OTA). A temporary license costs $200 in total ($50 temporary fee plus $150 licensure). The Board does not list the background-check cost. Act 933 of the 2026 Regular Session (HB 1182) rewrote the OT fee statute and includes a separate reciprocity fee line. It could not be read because legis.la.gov did not resolve from this environment, so this range reflects only the Board's published $150.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing timeframe. It warns that applicants with criminal history may face delays and that the background check cannot start until the application is submitted..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Ohio occupational therapy license in Louisiana?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Ohio to Louisiana by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (Occupational Therapists/Assistants licensure), verify your Ohio license, and meet Louisiana's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners requires applicants to be CURRENTLY NBCOT certified (NBCOT contact is listed for verification). A post-exam NBCOT score report sent directly to the Board is required only for temporary-license (new graduate) applicants. The Board's OT application instructions mention no state jurisprudence exam..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Ohio to Louisiana?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners requires applicants to be CURRENTLY NBCOT certified (NBCOT contact is listed for verification). A post-exam NBCOT score report sent directly to the Board is required only for temporary-license (new graduate) applicants. The Board's OT application instructions mention no state jurisprudence exam.
How much does a Louisiana OT license cost for someone licensed in Ohio?
$150 (Non-refundable OT licensure fee paid by card through LaMED ($100 for an OTA). A temporary license costs $200 in total ($50 temporary fee plus $150 licensure). The Board does not list the background-check cost. Act 933 of the 2026 Regular Session (HB 1182) rewrote the OT fee statute and includes a separate reciprocity fee line. It could not be read because legis.la.gov did not resolve from this environment, so this range reflects only the Board's published $150.).
How long does Louisiana take to process the application?
The Board publishes no processing timeframe. It warns that applicants with criminal history may face delays and that the background check cannot start until the application is submitted..
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Louisiana?
Not for this move. Louisiana has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Louisiana license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- LSBME — Application & Instructions for Initial Licensure, Occupational Therapist/Assistant ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- LSBME — Occupational Therapists/Assistants licensure page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Louisiana: 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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