Transfer Your Occupational Therapy License to South Dakota: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy) ↗
South Dakota has enacted the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact but, as of 2026-09-27, is not yet accepting applications or issuing privileges, so no privilege lets you practice there. Every incoming OT or OTA needs a South Dakota license by endorsement from the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy): $50 (initial license fee set by ARSD 20:64:02:05 (statute caps OT fees at $50, SDCL 36-31-12); the rule also sets a $50 annual renewal and a $25 limited permit. The applicant also pays the fingerprinting/background-check fees (amount not published in the sources read). The Board's online portal may add payment charges not verified here. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Dakota is not issuing privileges).), processing no processing time is published on the Board's OT page or in the rules; the license cannot issue until the state and FBI background check results are received, with NBCOT exam passage verified instead of retaken.
Moving to South Dakota from a specific state?
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Verdict
OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing
Don't let "enacted" mislead you. South Dakota has passed the OT Compact but had not started issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27, and the commission publishes no go-live date. Until it does, the only way to practice in South Dakota is a South Dakota license through the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy), and the endorsement steps below are the whole process.
South Dakota has ENACTED the OT Compact but is NOT yet issuing privileges ('Not Yet' on the Commission's Before You Apply page). The Board's OT page says South Dakota 'recognizes the OT Compact' and links the Commission's rules (effective June 8, 2026), but a relocating OT still needs a South Dakota license. OTs are licensed by the Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners; there is no standalone OT board, and applications are filed online through the Board's MySD portal. A limited permit ($25) is available only to graduates scheduled for the next NBCOT exam. Licenses renew annually and require 12 continuing competency points per year. The Board's OT page does not publish the application checklist, so document requirements beyond the statute and rules may exist.
South Dakota requirements at a glance
| Exam | The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the Board's approved licensing exam is the NBCOT certification exam (ARSD 20:64:02:01). For licensure 'by reciprocity' the applicant submits a certified copy of the current license from the other state plus a copy of the application filed there (ARSD 20:64:02:02), and SDCL 36-31-8 lets the Board waive the examination, education or experience requirements for an applicant currently licensed in an equivalent state. The rules read do not say whether a Score Transfer or Verification of Certification is required, or whether CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No South Dakota jurisprudence exam was found. |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $50 (initial license fee set by ARSD 20:64:02:05 (statute caps OT fees at $50, SDCL 36-31-12); the rule also sets a $50 annual renewal and a $25 limited permit. The applicant also pays the fingerprinting/background-check fees (amount not published in the sources read). The Board's online portal may add payment charges not verified here. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Dakota is not issuing privileges).) |
| Processing time | no processing time is published on the Board's OT page or in the rules; the license cannot issue until the state and FBI background check results are received |
Step by step
- Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of an accredited occupational therapy educational program recognized by the Board, with at least six months of supervised fieldwork (SDCL 36-31-6).
- Submit a certified copy of your current license from another state, DC or U.S. territory and a copy of your application for licensure there (ARSD 20:64:02:02).
- Submit fingerprints for a state (DCI) and FBI criminal background check; the Board may not issue a license before receiving the results (SDCL 36-31-6.1).
- Apply online through a MySD/SDBMOE account.
- Pay the fees ($50 (initial license fee set by ARSD 20:64:02:05 (statute caps OT fees at $50, SDCL 36-31-12); the rule also sets a $50 annual renewal and a $25 limited permit. The applicant also pays the fingerprinting/background-check fees (amount not published in the sources read). The Board's online portal may add payment charges not verified here. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Dakota is not issuing privileges).)) and allow no processing time is published on the Board's OT page or in the rules; the license cannot issue until the state and FBI background check results are received.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into South Dakota:
Nearby states
Occupational Therapy license transfer into the states bordering South Dakota:
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Frequently asked questions
Does my occupational therapy license transfer to South Dakota?
South Dakota has enacted the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact but, as of 2026-09-27, is not yet accepting applications or issuing privileges, so no privilege lets you practice there. Every incoming OT or OTA needs a South Dakota license by endorsement from the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners (Occupational Therapy): $50 (initial license fee set by ARSD 20:64:02:05 (statute caps OT fees at $50, SDCL 36-31-12); the rule also sets a $50 annual renewal and a $25 limited permit. The applicant also pays the fingerprinting/background-check fees (amount not published in the sources read). The Board's online portal may add payment charges not verified here. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Dakota is not issuing privileges).), processing no processing time is published on the Board's OT page or in the rules; the license cannot issue until the state and FBI background check results are received, with NBCOT exam passage verified instead of retaken.
Do I have to retake the NBCOT exam to get licensed in South Dakota?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the Board's approved licensing exam is the NBCOT certification exam (ARSD 20:64:02:01). For licensure 'by reciprocity' the applicant submits a certified copy of the current license from the other state plus a copy of the application filed there (ARSD 20:64:02:02), and SDCL 36-31-8 lets the Board waive the examination, education or experience requirements for an applicant currently licensed in an equivalent state. The rules read do not say whether a Score Transfer or Verification of Certification is required, or whether CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No South Dakota jurisprudence exam was found.
How much does an OT license by endorsement cost in South Dakota?
$50 (initial license fee set by ARSD 20:64:02:05 (statute caps OT fees at $50, SDCL 36-31-12); the rule also sets a $50 annual renewal and a $25 limited permit. The applicant also pays the fingerprinting/background-check fees (amount not published in the sources read). The Board's online portal may add payment charges not verified here. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (South Dakota is not issuing privileges).).
How long does South Dakota take to issue an OT license by endorsement?
no processing time is published on the Board's OT page or in the rules; the license cannot issue until the state and FBI background check results are received.
Is South Dakota an OT Compact state?
South Dakota has enacted the compact but was not accepting applications or issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. Until it goes live, endorsement is the only way to practice in South Dakota.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- SD Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners — Occupational Therapist profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SD Administrative Rules ch. 20:64:02 — Licensure Requirements (exam, reciprocity application, limited permit, fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SDCL 36-31-6 — Application for licensure requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SDCL 36-31-6.1 — Criminal background check requirement ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SDCL 36-31-8 — Waiver for applicants licensed in another state ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- SDCL 36-31-12 — Fees (cap of $50) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (South Dakota: Not Yet) ↗ (accessed 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]