Occupational Therapy License from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Pennsylvania and Louisiana 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 Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (Occupational Therapists/Assistants licensure); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in Louisiana while living in Pennsylvania could later be done on a privilege.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Louisiana
| Pennsylvania (current) | Louisiana (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).) | $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 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 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 | Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | 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 Pennsylvania occupational therapy license in Louisiana?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
$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)
- 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
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