Occupational Therapy License from Pennsylvania to Missouri: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Missouri by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Missouri's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the reciprocity application (MO 375-1095, 9-2025), the applicant lists NBCOT OTR credentials and has the certifying entity send verification of credentials directly to the Board; copies of certificates or wallet cards are not accepted. The form does not require current NBCOT certification. Missouri also requires its open-book Jurisprudence Exam, returned with the application..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Pennsylvania and Missouri 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 Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in Missouri while living in Pennsylvania could later be done on a privilege.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Missouri
| Pennsylvania (current) | Missouri (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).) | $30 (OT reciprocity application fee from form MO 375-1095 ($10 for an OTA or a limited permit). Paid by check or money order to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy. Other states may charge fees for license verifications. The Commission lists Missouri's future privilege fee as $30, which is not payable yet.) |
| 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. |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Missouri sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Missouri's current requirements on the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a valid current OT license from another state, U.S. territory or DC and have held it for at least one year (reciprocity application).
- Complete and notarize the Application for Licensure - Reciprocity (MO 375-1095).
- Have NBCOT send credential verification directly to the Board.
- Have every state, territory, province or country where you were licensed send a Verification of Licensure form directly to the Board within 90 days of applying.
- Complete and return the Missouri Jurisprudence Exam (open book).
- Pay the fees ($30 (OT reciprocity application fee from form MO 375-1095 ($10 for an OTA or a limited permit). Paid by check or money order to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy. Other states may charge fees for license verifications. The Commission lists Missouri's future privilege fee as $30, which is not payable yet.)) and allow The Board publishes no processing timeframe..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Pennsylvania occupational therapy license in Missouri?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Missouri by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy (Division of Professional Registration), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Missouri's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the reciprocity application (MO 375-1095, 9-2025), the applicant lists NBCOT OTR credentials and has the certifying entity send verification of credentials directly to the Board; copies of certificates or wallet cards are not accepted. The form does not require current NBCOT certification. Missouri also requires its open-book Jurisprudence Exam, returned with the application..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Pennsylvania to Missouri?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the reciprocity application (MO 375-1095, 9-2025), the applicant lists NBCOT OTR credentials and has the certifying entity send verification of credentials directly to the Board; copies of certificates or wallet cards are not accepted. The form does not require current NBCOT certification. Missouri also requires its open-book Jurisprudence Exam, returned with the application.
How much does a Missouri OT license cost for someone licensed in Pennsylvania?
$30 (OT reciprocity application fee from form MO 375-1095 ($10 for an OTA or a limited permit). Paid by check or money order to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy. Other states may charge fees for license verifications. The Commission lists Missouri's future privilege fee as $30, which is not payable yet.).
How long does Missouri take to process the application?
The Board publishes no processing timeframe..
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Missouri?
Not for this move. Missouri has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Missouri license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy — Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy — Application for Licensure, Reciprocity (MO 375-1095, 9-2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy — board home ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Missouri: Not Yet accepting applications; jurisprudence required) ↗ (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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