Occupational Therapy License from Pennsylvania to New Jersey: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to New Jersey by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet New Jersey's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under N.J.A.C. 13:44K-3.3 (licensure by reciprocity), an OT with a current, good-standing license from a state with substantially equivalent education, training and examination requirements is licensed on documents, and must give the Council evidence verifying education, training and examination results no later than six months after the license issues. Passing the NBCOT certification exam is the examination requirement in 13:44K-2.1. The rules do not require current NBCOT certification. New Jersey also requires its Jurisprudence Orientation, an online orientation rather than a scored exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Pennsylvania nor New Jersey is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a New Jersey license by endorsement from the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs). The board verifies your Pennsylvania license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in Pennsylvania neither speeds nor slows New Jersey's standard out-of-state review.
What changes, Pennsylvania → New Jersey
| Pennsylvania (current) | New Jersey (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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).) | $180–$260 ($100 application fee + initial OT license fee of $160 (paid in the first year of the biennial renewal period) or $80 (second year), per the fee schedule in N.J.A.C. 13:44K-11.1 as published by the Council (chapter text last revised 01/18/2022, read from an Internet Archive copy of 2024-06-19). Caveat: the Council's live online orientation cites a $100 late-renewal fee where this schedule shows $40, so the schedule may have been amended since; confirm current fees with the Council. + criminal history background-check fee. Temporary license $50. New Jersey is not in the OT Compact.) |
| 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) | no processing time is published in the rules or on the pages read; njconsumeraffairs.gov was inaccessible to automated requests |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Jersey sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Jersey's current requirements on the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold a valid, current OT license in good standing in another state and have practiced as a licensed OT for at least one year and 1,200 hours within the five years before applying.
- Consent to a fingerprint criminal history background check (FBI and NJ State Police) and pay its fee.
- Document that every state license you hold is in good standing.
- Complete the New Jersey Jurisprudence Orientation.
- Designate an agent in New Jersey for service of process if you are not a New Jersey resident and have no office in the state.
- Within six months after licensure, submit evidence verifying your education, training and NBCOT examination results.
- Pay the fees ($180–$260 ($100 application fee + initial OT license fee of $160 (paid in the first year of the biennial renewal period) or $80 (second year), per the fee schedule in N.J.A.C. 13:44K-11.1 as published by the Council (chapter text last revised 01/18/2022, read from an Internet Archive copy of 2024-06-19). Caveat: the Council's live online orientation cites a $100 late-renewal fee where this schedule shows $40, so the schedule may have been amended since; confirm current fees with the Council. + criminal history background-check fee. Temporary license $50. New Jersey is not in the OT Compact.)) and allow no processing time is published in the rules or on the pages read; njconsumeraffairs.gov was inaccessible to automated requests.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Pennsylvania occupational therapy license in New Jersey?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to New Jersey by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Advisory Council (Division of Consumer Affairs), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet New Jersey's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under N.J.A.C. 13:44K-3.3 (licensure by reciprocity), an OT with a current, good-standing license from a state with substantially equivalent education, training and examination requirements is licensed on documents, and must give the Council evidence verifying education, training and examination results no later than six months after the license issues. Passing the NBCOT certification exam is the examination requirement in 13:44K-2.1. The rules do not require current NBCOT certification. New Jersey also requires its Jurisprudence Orientation, an online orientation rather than a scored exam..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Pennsylvania to New Jersey?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under N.J.A.C. 13:44K-3.3 (licensure by reciprocity), an OT with a current, good-standing license from a state with substantially equivalent education, training and examination requirements is licensed on documents, and must give the Council evidence verifying education, training and examination results no later than six months after the license issues. Passing the NBCOT certification exam is the examination requirement in 13:44K-2.1. The rules do not require current NBCOT certification. New Jersey also requires its Jurisprudence Orientation, an online orientation rather than a scored exam.
How much does a New Jersey OT license cost for someone licensed in Pennsylvania?
$180–$260 ($100 application fee + initial OT license fee of $160 (paid in the first year of the biennial renewal period) or $80 (second year), per the fee schedule in N.J.A.C. 13:44K-11.1 as published by the Council (chapter text last revised 01/18/2022, read from an Internet Archive copy of 2024-06-19). Caveat: the Council's live online orientation cites a $100 late-renewal fee where this schedule shows $40, so the schedule may have been amended since; confirm current fees with the Council. + criminal history background-check fee. Temporary license $50. New Jersey is not in the OT Compact.).
How long does New Jersey take to process the application?
no processing time is published in the rules or on the pages read; njconsumeraffairs.gov was inaccessible to automated requests.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in New Jersey?
Not for this move. New Jersey has not enacted the OT Compact. A New Jersey license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- N.J.A.C. 13:44K, Occupational Therapy Advisory Council rules (13:44K-2.1 eligibility, 13:44K-3.3 licensure by reciprocity, 13:44K-11.1 fees), Council PDF last revised 01/18/2022 (Internet Archive copy of 2024-06-19; njconsumeraffairs.gov served a bot challenge on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- NJ Division of Consumer Affairs — Occupational Therapy Advisory Council online orientation for OT/OTA applicants ↗ (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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