Skip to content
LicenseReciprocity

Occupational Therapy License from Rhode Island to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Rhode Island to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section), verify your Rhode Island license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score)..

Verify this exact pair in the checker

Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

This is an endorsement move with a benefit attached. Rhode Island is outside the issuing group, so no privilege applies; you apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) for a Ohio license, with NBCOT passage verified rather than retaken. If you then live in Ohio, that license can anchor privileges in the other issuing states.

What changes, Rhode Island → Ohio

Side-by-side: Rhode Island vs Ohio (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
Rhode Island (current)Ohio (destination)
OT Compact statusOT Compact enacted — not yet issuingOT Compact member — compact privilege to practice
Application fee$140 (non-refundable OT application fee (216-RICR-10-05-2 fee schedule, effective March 25, 2026; the application packet says it includes the first license up to the next June 30 even-year expiration). OTA application is also $140. Optional $30 framed-certificate fee. No fingerprint fee for the standard application (a RI Attorney General BCI is listed only on the military expedite form). No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Rhode Island is not issuing privileges).)$100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).)
Processing timeno processing time is published; the application packet says applications are valid for one year from receipt and that RIDOH will not accelerate one applicant's processing at the expense of others (military members, veterans and spouses may request expedited handling)the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months
Licensing authorityRhode Island Board of Occupational Therapy (Rhode Island Department of Health, Professional Licensing)Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section)

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Ohio's current requirements on the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited entry-level OT program (Certification of Entry-Level Education form or official transcript).
  5. Pass the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (90% minimum) and upload the transcript.
  6. Submit official license verification from every jurisdiction where you hold or ever held an OT or other health-care license.
  7. Complete an Ohio BCI and FBI fingerprint criminal records check sent directly to the Board (results must be under six months old at licensure).
  8. If out of practice five or more years (fewer than 250 practice hours in the prior five years), meet the Board's out-of-practice requirements.
  9. Pay the fees ($100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).)) and allow the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months.

Official links

Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) ↗Ohio application ↗License verification ↗Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Ohio → Rhode IslandOccupational Therapy in Rhode IslandOccupational Therapy in OhioAll occupational therapy statesThe OT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Rhode Island occupational therapy license in Ohio?

A occupational therapy license transfers from Rhode Island to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section), verify your Rhode Island license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score)..

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Rhode Island to Ohio?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score).

How much does a Ohio OT license cost for someone licensed in Rhode Island?

$100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).).

How long does Ohio take to process the application?

the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months.

Can I use the OT Compact to work in Ohio?

Not for this move. Ohio issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Rhode Island is not. A Ohio 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]