Occupational Therapy License from Pennsylvania to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. For endorsement, 'NBCOT must submit verification of your current certification status directly to the Board' (an NBCOT Verification of Certification; copies not accepted), and the statutory licensing requirements include being in good standing with NBCOT, so South Carolina requires CURRENT NBCOT certification. The 70% SC Jurisprudence Exam is listed only in the examination-applicant instructions, not in the endorsement instructions..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Pennsylvania and South Carolina 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 South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation); your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in South Carolina while living in Pennsylvania could later be done on a privilege.
What changes, Pennsylvania → South Carolina
| Pennsylvania (current) | South Carolina (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).) | $135 (initial license application fee for an OT (OTA $115), by certified check or money order with a paper application, or online through the LLR portal. Temporary licensure is $10 per license. No fingerprint/background-check fee is listed in the Board's instructions. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Carolina is not issuing privileges).) |
| 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 on the Board's licensure or fee pages; incomplete applications or applications without the fee are not accepted and delay the process |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm South Carolina's current requirements on the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-approved OT program with at least six months of supervised fieldwork.
- Be in good standing with NBCOT and have NBCOT send verification of current certification directly to the Board.
- Have every state where you hold a permanent license (including lapsed licenses) send license verification directly to the Board.
- Submit a 2x2 photo, a signed copy of your Social Security card and a copy of a government ID with the application.
- Pay the fees ($135 (initial license application fee for an OT (OTA $115), by certified check or money order with a paper application, or online through the LLR portal. Temporary licensure is $10 per license. No fingerprint/background-check fee is listed in the Board's instructions. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Carolina is not issuing privileges).)) and allow no processing time is published on the Board's licensure or fee pages; incomplete applications or applications without the fee are not accepted and delay the process.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Pennsylvania occupational therapy license in South Carolina?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to South Carolina by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet South Carolina's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. For endorsement, 'NBCOT must submit verification of your current certification status directly to the Board' (an NBCOT Verification of Certification; copies not accepted), and the statutory licensing requirements include being in good standing with NBCOT, so South Carolina requires CURRENT NBCOT certification. The 70% SC Jurisprudence Exam is listed only in the examination-applicant instructions, not in the endorsement instructions..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Pennsylvania to South Carolina?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. For endorsement, 'NBCOT must submit verification of your current certification status directly to the Board' (an NBCOT Verification of Certification; copies not accepted), and the statutory licensing requirements include being in good standing with NBCOT, so South Carolina requires CURRENT NBCOT certification. The 70% SC Jurisprudence Exam is listed only in the examination-applicant instructions, not in the endorsement instructions.
How much does a South Carolina OT license cost for someone licensed in Pennsylvania?
$135 (initial license application fee for an OT (OTA $115), by certified check or money order with a paper application, or online through the LLR portal. Temporary licensure is $10 per license. No fingerprint/background-check fee is listed in the Board's instructions. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Carolina is not issuing privileges).).
How long does South Carolina take to process the application?
no processing time is published on the Board's licensure or fee pages; incomplete applications or applications without the fee are not accepted and delay the process.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in South Carolina?
Not for this move. South Carolina has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A South Carolina license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- SC LLR Board of Occupational Therapy — Licensure (requirements; examination, endorsement and reinstatement instructions; fees) (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026-03-08; llr.sc.gov refused connections) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SC LLR Board of Occupational Therapy — Fees (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026-03-07) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (South Carolina: Not Yet) ↗ (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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