Occupational Therapy License from Tennessee to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Can I use my Tennessee occupational therapy license in Indiana?
Yes, for working in Indiana — both Tennessee and Indiana are active members of the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (OT Compact). If Tennessee is your primary state of residence and your Tennessee license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Indiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Indiana, you will need an Indiana license once Indiana becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Tennessee and Indiana both issue OT Compact privileges, so this move has two versions. Working in Indiana while you keep living in Tennessee: buy an Indiana privilege through the commission ($75 plus Indiana's fee), meet any Indiana jurisprudence requirement, and keep your Tennessee license active, because the privilege ends when it does. Moving to Indiana: Indiana becomes your home state and you need an Indiana license, by converting the privilege where the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) offers that route or by endorsement.
What's different between Tennessee and Indiana
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Indiana. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Tennessee to Indiana (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Indiana to Tennessee (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Tennessee matter?
Coming from Tennessee matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Indiana.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- OT Compact membership
Tennessee and Indiana are both OT Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Indiana while Tennessee is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Indiana needs an Indiana license.
- Application fee
Indiana lists $100 for an out-of-state applicant and Tennessee lists $135 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Indiana and Tennessee carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Indiana (this move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. On the 'Application by Reciprocity' checklist (for OTs licensed in another state), PLA requires state license verifications and a criminal background check; unlike the examination checklist, it does not list an NBCOT score report or transcript. The pages reviewed do not say whether NBCOT certification must be current. No Indiana jurisprudence exam is required, and the Commission lists Indiana as 'not required' for compact jurisprudence.
- Tennessee (the reverse move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(i) the reciprocity applicant must have NBCOT certification exam results sent directly to the Board (an NBCOT Score Transfer / verification of exam results). The rule asks for exam results, not proof of CURRENT NBCOT certification. Tennessee does not require a jurisprudence exam for licensure by reciprocity (the Commission also lists Tennessee's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required').
What changes, Tennessee → Indiana
| Tennessee (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $135 ($125 non-refundable OT application fee + $10 state regulatory fee under Board Rule 1150-02-.06(4) as amended effective June 21, 2026 (OTA $100 + $10 = $110). The Board's online application checklist still shows the earlier $100 + $10 = $110 (OTA $85), so confirm the amount due at the end of the online application. 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).) | $100 (nonrefundable application fee paid by card with the online application (same fee for OTA), per the PLA licensing page and Committee fee schedule (Dec 2025 archive copy). A temporary permit is $50 more. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee: an Indiana privilege costs a $25 state fee plus the $75 Commission fee.) |
| Processing time | no processing time is published; Board Rule 1150-02-.05(2)(f) says completed reciprocity files are ordinarily processed at the next Board meeting scheduled to review files, and the Board meets four times a year | PLA publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application with missing requirements is abandoned after one year |
| Licensing authority | Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health, Health Related Boards) | Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Indiana: purchase an OT Compact privilege for Indiana through the compact commission and complete any Indiana jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Indiana: apply for an Indiana license with the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Tennessee to Indiana?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken.
Do I need an Indiana license or just a compact privilege?
A privilege is enough if you keep living in Tennessee and your Tennessee license stays active and unencumbered. If you move your residence to Indiana, you need an Indiana license from the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency).
What does it cost?
An Indiana compact privilege costs the $75 commission fee plus Indiana's privilege fee. An Indiana license by endorsement, for a relocation: $100 (nonrefundable application fee paid by card with the online application (same fee for OTA), per the PLA licensing page and Committee fee schedule (Dec 2025 archive copy).
How long does it take?
A privilege depends on your FBI background check through the Tennessee board and any Indiana jurisprudence step. An Indiana license by endorsement: PLA publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application with missing requirements is abandoned after one year.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Tennessee 2026-10-29, Indiana 2026-09-27.
- Indiana PLA, Occupational Therapy Licensing Information and fee schedule (Internet Archive copy of 2025-12-15; in.gov refused connections from this environment on 2026-09-27) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Indiana PLA, Occupational Therapy Home, announcement of March 5, 2026: 'Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Implemented and Live in Indiana, Beginning Monday, March 9, 2026' (Internet Archive copy of 2026-06-12) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Indiana accepting applications since March 9, 2026; $25 state fee; jurisprudence not required) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Tennessee Department of Health — Board of Occupational Therapy ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Tennessee Board of OT — Occupational Therapist online application checklist (still lists the pre-June-2026 $100 + $10 fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy ch. 1150-02, June 2026 revision (1150-02-.05(2) reciprocity procedure; 1150-02-.06 fees, amended effective June 21, 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Tennessee 2026-10-29, Indiana 2026-09-27
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