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LicenseReciprocity

Occupational Therapy License from Pennsylvania to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required')..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Pennsylvania isn't issuing OT Compact privileges, so you start with endorsement into Virginia through the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy). The payoff comes afterward: Virginia does issue privileges, so once Virginia is your home state and your Virginia license is active, you can practice in the other issuing states on privileges instead of separate licenses.

What changes, Pennsylvania → Virginia

Side-by-side: Pennsylvania vs Virginia (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
Pennsylvania (current)Virginia (destination)
OT Compact statusOT Compact enacted — not yet issuingOT Compact member — compact privilege to practice
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).)$130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $75 Commission fee).)
Processing timethe 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 found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27
Licensing authorityPennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State)Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Virginia's current requirements on the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a current, active OT license in good standing in a U.S. jurisdiction or Canada.
  5. Have NBCOT send certification of your credentials directly to the Board.
  6. Have your school send verification of your ACOTE-accredited professional education (transcript) directly to the Board.
  7. Submit a current National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report.
  8. Have license verification sent from every jurisdiction in which you have been issued an OT license.
  9. Pay the fees ($130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $75 Commission fee).)) and allow no processing time found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27.

Official links

Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) ↗Virginia application ↗License verification ↗Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Virginia → PennsylvaniaOccupational Therapy in PennsylvaniaOccupational Therapy in VirginiaAll occupational therapy statesThe OT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Pennsylvania occupational therapy license in Virginia?

A occupational therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Virginia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Virginia's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required')..

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Pennsylvania to Virginia?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required').

How much does a Virginia OT license cost for someone licensed in Pennsylvania?

$130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $75 Commission fee).).

How long does Virginia take to process the application?

no processing time found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27.

Can I use the OT Compact to work in Virginia?

Not for this move. Virginia issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Pennsylvania is not. A Virginia license by endorsement is required.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]