Occupational Therapy License from Pennsylvania to Utah: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Occupational Therapy Board ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Utah by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Occupational Therapy Board, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Utah's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under DOPL's endorsement route the only credential document required (beyond the application and fee) is official verification of an active license in good standing, held for at least one year, from a jurisdiction DOPL designates as equivalent. NBCOT proof (a copy of the NBCOT OTR certificate, or an NBCOT Verification of Certification or Score Transfer) is listed for the licensure-by-application route and to cure deficiencies for non-equivalent jurisdictions (e.g. American Samoa: passage or current OTR certification). DOPL does not require CURRENT NBCOT certification for endorsement, and no Utah jurisprudence exam was found..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Pennsylvania and Utah 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 Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Occupational Therapy Board; your NBCOT result is verified by Score Transfer or Verification of Certification. If both states go live, working in Utah while living in Pennsylvania could later be done on a privilege.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Utah
| Pennsylvania (current) | Utah (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).) | $70 (non-refundable application processing fee per DOPL's Occupational Therapist application form (version 20250214, read via Internet Archive because dopl.utah.gov blocked automated access); DOPL's current fee schedule could not be loaded to confirm it for FY2027. No fingerprint requirement or fee is listed on the OT application. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Utah 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) | DOPL publishes no OT processing time on the pages read |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Occupational Therapy Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Utah sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Utah's current requirements on the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Occupational Therapy Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Occupational Therapy Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active OT license in good standing for at least one year in a jurisdiction DOPL designates as equivalent to Utah.
- Have official license verification sent to DOPL.
- Answer the qualifying questionnaires and document any 'yes' answers or prior discipline.
- Provide a Social Security number, or an ITIN/A-number/passport plus an intent-to-hire letter (Utah Admin. Code R156-1-301).
- Pay the fees ($70 (non-refundable application processing fee per DOPL's Occupational Therapist application form (version 20250214, read via Internet Archive because dopl.utah.gov blocked automated access); DOPL's current fee schedule could not be loaded to confirm it for FY2027. No fingerprint requirement or fee is listed on the OT application. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Utah is not issuing privileges).)) and allow DOPL publishes no OT processing time on the pages read.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Pennsylvania occupational therapy license in Utah?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Utah by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL), Occupational Therapy Board, verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Utah's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under DOPL's endorsement route the only credential document required (beyond the application and fee) is official verification of an active license in good standing, held for at least one year, from a jurisdiction DOPL designates as equivalent. NBCOT proof (a copy of the NBCOT OTR certificate, or an NBCOT Verification of Certification or Score Transfer) is listed for the licensure-by-application route and to cure deficiencies for non-equivalent jurisdictions (e.g. American Samoa: passage or current OTR certification). DOPL does not require CURRENT NBCOT certification for endorsement, and no Utah jurisprudence exam was found..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Pennsylvania to Utah?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under DOPL's endorsement route the only credential document required (beyond the application and fee) is official verification of an active license in good standing, held for at least one year, from a jurisdiction DOPL designates as equivalent. NBCOT proof (a copy of the NBCOT OTR certificate, or an NBCOT Verification of Certification or Score Transfer) is listed for the licensure-by-application route and to cure deficiencies for non-equivalent jurisdictions (e.g. American Samoa: passage or current OTR certification). DOPL does not require CURRENT NBCOT certification for endorsement, and no Utah jurisprudence exam was found.
How much does a Utah OT license cost for someone licensed in Pennsylvania?
$70 (non-refundable application processing fee per DOPL's Occupational Therapist application form (version 20250214, read via Internet Archive because dopl.utah.gov blocked automated access); DOPL's current fee schedule could not be loaded to confirm it for FY2027. No fingerprint requirement or fee is listed on the OT application. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Utah is not issuing privileges).).
How long does Utah take to process the application?
DOPL publishes no OT processing time on the pages read.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Utah?
Not for this move. Utah has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Utah license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Utah DOPL — Apply for an Occupational Therapist License (Internet Archive copy, captured 2025-06-18; live site returned a bot challenge) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Utah DOPL — Endorsement to Utah: Occupational Therapist / Occupational Therapy Assistant (equivalent-jurisdiction chart, last updated 11/1/2021) (Internet Archive copy) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Utah DOPL — Occupational Therapist Application form, v20250214 ($70 fee; licensure by endorsement items) (Internet Archive copy) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Utah: 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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