Occupational Therapy License from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Pennsylvania and Arkansas have both enacted the OT Compact, and neither was issuing privileges as of the verification date, so this is an ordinary endorsement move. Apply to the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in Arkansas while living in Pennsylvania could later be done on a privilege.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Arkansas
| Pennsylvania (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| Application fee | $30 (application for license fee, the same for OT and OTA (49 Pa. Code 42.17; the Board's Licensure Snapshot shows a $30 initial fee). The Act 41 endorsement route charges the same 42.17 application fee (42.9(a)(5)). Biennial renewal is $55 (OTA $45). The fee schedule also lists a $20 temporary license. No fingerprint/background-check fee was found in the Board materials read. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Pennsylvania is not issuing privileges).) | 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 Department of State publishes processing guides and timelines only for certain boards, and none covers occupational therapy. Applications are filed and tracked in PALS, and the Board may require an interview (Act 41 route) | 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 | Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | 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 Pennsylvania occupational therapy license in Arkansas?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
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)
- PA Department of State — Occupational Therapist Licensure Snapshot (requirements, $30 initial fee, Act 41) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- PA State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure — board page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 49 Pa. Code § 42.9 — Licensure by endorsement (Act 41) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 49 Pa. Code § 42.12 — Waiver of licensure examination ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 49 Pa. Code § 42.13 — Application for licensure ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 49 Pa. Code § 42.17 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Compact Map dataset (Pennsylvania: Enacted, HB 482 / SB 571) ↗ (accessed 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]