Occupational Therapy License from Tennessee to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Tennessee to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board), verify your Tennessee license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants must show passage of the NBCOT OTR exam; IDFPR staff retrieve the score from the NBCOT portal during evaluation. IDFPR's 'Qualifications for Licensure' document does not require current NBCOT certification and lists no Illinois jurisprudence exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact stops at the Illinois line. Tennessee issues privileges, but Illinois has not enacted the compact, so this is a standard endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board). Keep your Tennessee license current if you want to keep using privileges elsewhere.
What changes, Tennessee → Illinois
| Tennessee (current) | Illinois (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact member — compact privilege to practice | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $110 ($100 non-refundable OT application fee + $10 state regulatory fee, paid at the end of the online application (OTA $75 + $10 = $85). The background-check vendor fee is paid separately. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Tennessee privilege: $125 OT / $100 OTA state fee + $75 Commission fee).) | The endorsement fee is set in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315 but does not appear in IDFPR's OT qualifications document, and the Illinois General Assembly rules site refused connections on 2026-09-27, so the amount could not be verified. |
| Processing time | no processing time is published; Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(e) says completed reciprocity files are ordinarily processed at the next Board meeting scheduled to review files, and the Board meets four times a year | IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt |
| Licensing authority | Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards) | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Master's degree or higher from a program that meets or exceeds ACOTE standards (upload the official sealed transcript).
- Passing score on the NBCOT OTR exam, retrieved by IDFPR from the NBCOT portal.
- Certification of licensure from the first jurisdiction where you were licensed and from every jurisdiction where you are currently licensed (primary-source website printouts accepted).
- Apply online through IDFPR's CORE system; all required documents must be uploaded before the application can be submitted.
- Pay the fees (The endorsement fee is set in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315 but does not appear in IDFPR's OT qualifications document, and the Illinois General Assembly rules site refused connections on 2026-09-27, so the amount could not be verified.) and allow IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Tennessee occupational therapy license in Illinois?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Tennessee to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (Occupational Therapy Licensure Board), verify your Tennessee license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants must show passage of the NBCOT OTR exam; IDFPR staff retrieve the score from the NBCOT portal during evaluation. IDFPR's 'Qualifications for Licensure' document does not require current NBCOT certification and lists no Illinois jurisprudence exam..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Tennessee to Illinois?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants must show passage of the NBCOT OTR exam; IDFPR staff retrieve the score from the NBCOT portal during evaluation. IDFPR's 'Qualifications for Licensure' document does not require current NBCOT certification and lists no Illinois jurisprudence exam.
How much does a Illinois OT license cost for someone licensed in Tennessee?
The endorsement fee is set in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315 but does not appear in IDFPR's OT qualifications document, and the Illinois General Assembly rules site refused connections on 2026-09-27, so the amount could not be verified..
How long does Illinois take to process the application?
IDFPR publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application stays active for three years from receipt.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Illinois?
Not for this move. Illinois has not enacted the OT Compact. A Illinois license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- IDFPR, Occupational Therapy profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- IDFPR, Qualifications for Licensure: Occupational Therapist (056, effective 02/2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Department of Health — Board of Occupational Therapy ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Board of OT — Occupational Therapist online application checklist (fees $100 + $10 state regulatory fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy ch. 1150-02, March 2023 revision (1150-02-.05 reciprocity procedure; 1150-02-.06 fees) (Internet Archive copy) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Tennessee accepting applications since May 20, 2026; $125 OT privilege fee; jurisprudence not required) ↗ (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]