Occupational Therapy License from Texas to Hawaii: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program (DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Texas to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program (DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division), verify your Texas license, and meet Hawaii's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Hawaii requires an original Verification of Certification ordered through MyNBCOT and sent directly to the Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program; an electronic NBCOT verification is acceptable, but a copy of the certificate or pocket card is not. The form ties licensure to 'NBCOT certification requirements' but does not say whether a lapsed certification is accepted. No Hawaii jurisprudence exam is required..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
The compact plays no part here, since neither state is issuing privileges. You apply to the Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program (DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) as an OT licensed in another state, with NBCOT passage verified and your Texas license confirmed, plus whatever Hawaii adds such as fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.
What changes, Texas → Hawaii
| Texas (current) | Hawaii (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $140 (non-refundable OT application fee (OTA $100) per the Board's September 2026 paper application; online applicants pay electronically. Fingerprinting vendor fee paid separately (amount not published on the pages read). Application fees are waived for military service members, veterans and military spouses under HB 5629 (2025). Texas is not in the OT Compact, so no privilege option exists.) | $186–$279 ($186 if the license issues in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 nonrefundable application + $86 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $279 if it issues in an ODD-numbered year ($50 + $86 + $100 CRF + $43 half renewal), payable to Commerce & Consumer Affairs (form OC-01, rev. 10/24)) |
| Processing time | no processing time is published on the application page (it refers applicants to homepage notices and says average processing times vary); a license is not issued until every item is received and processed, and practice may begin once the license shows on the Board's online verification | the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division publishes no OT processing timeframe on the form or program page reviewed |
| Licensing authority | Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) | Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program (DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Hawaii sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Hawaii's current requirements on the Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program (DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program (DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Have NBCOT send an original (or electronic) Verification of Certification directly to the Hawaii OT Program.
- Be at least 18 and a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or alien authorized to work in the United States.
- Provide your Social Security Number (required for the license to issue).
- For any 'yes' answer on complaints, unlicensed activity, discipline or convictions, submit the required statements and documents with the application.
- Pay the fees ($186–$279 ($186 if the license issues in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 nonrefundable application + $86 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $279 if it issues in an ODD-numbered year ($50 + $86 + $100 CRF + $43 half renewal), payable to Commerce & Consumer Affairs (form OC-01, rev. 10/24))) and allow the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division publishes no OT processing timeframe on the form or program page reviewed.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Texas occupational therapy license in Hawaii?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Texas to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program (DCCA, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division), verify your Texas license, and meet Hawaii's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Hawaii requires an original Verification of Certification ordered through MyNBCOT and sent directly to the Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program; an electronic NBCOT verification is acceptable, but a copy of the certificate or pocket card is not. The form ties licensure to 'NBCOT certification requirements' but does not say whether a lapsed certification is accepted. No Hawaii jurisprudence exam is required..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Texas to Hawaii?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Hawaii requires an original Verification of Certification ordered through MyNBCOT and sent directly to the Hawaii Occupational Therapy Program; an electronic NBCOT verification is acceptable, but a copy of the certificate or pocket card is not. The form ties licensure to 'NBCOT certification requirements' but does not say whether a lapsed certification is accepted. No Hawaii jurisprudence exam is required.
How much does a Hawaii OT license cost for someone licensed in Texas?
$186–$279 ($186 if the license issues in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 nonrefundable application + $86 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $279 if it issues in an ODD-numbered year ($50 + $86 + $100 CRF + $43 half renewal), payable to Commerce & Consumer Affairs (form OC-01, rev. 10/24)).
How long does Hawaii take to process the application?
the Professional and Vocational Licensing Division publishes no OT processing timeframe on the form or program page reviewed.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Hawaii?
Not for this move. Hawaii has not enacted the OT Compact. A Hawaii license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Hawaii DCCA PVL, Occupational Therapy Program page ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Hawaii DCCA PVL, Occupational Therapist license information, requirements and instructions (OC-01, rev. 10/24) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Hawaii DCCA PVL, OT Application Forms, Requirements, Fees and Instructions ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Texas Board of OT Examiners — OT Application (General, Apply by Endorsement, Military tabs) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Texas Board of OT Examiners — OT/OTA Initial Licensure Application (paper), rev. 2026.09 ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
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