Occupational Therapy License from Texas to Washington: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Texas to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health), verify your Texas license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; applicants must have obtained a passing score on the NBCOT exam. The Department's licensing pages do not specify whether a Score Transfer or a Verification of Certification is required, and do not require CURRENT NBCOT certification. No Washington jurisprudence exam was found on the licensing requirements page..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Texas nor Washington is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a Washington license by endorsement from the Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health). The board verifies your Texas license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in Texas neither speeds nor slows Washington's standard out-of-state review.
What changes, Texas → Washington
| Texas (current) | Washington (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| 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.) | $166 (OT application and initial license fee under WAC 246-847-990, including a $16 HEALWA surcharge (OTA also $166). Non-refundable. The FBI fingerprinting fee is separate and not published on the pages read. Limited permit $55. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Washington is not issuing privileges).) |
| 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 | no processing time is published; the Department says delayed responses to its requests lengthen processing, and military spouses/registered domestic partners may be eligible for expedited processing |
| Licensing authority | Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) | Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Washington sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Washington's current requirements on the Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of a nationally accredited, board-approved OT program with at least six months of supervised fieldwork (official transcript sent directly from the school).
- Have every jurisdiction where you hold or held a credential (or applied for one) send the verification form directly to the Department.
- Complete an FBI fingerprint-based background check (required of all new applicants from July 1, 2026; instructions are sent after you apply).
- Provide a complete chronology of activities from OT graduation to application, accounting for any gaps.
- Substantially-equivalent-state route (SHB 1724): be credentialed for at least two years in a state Washington has deemed equivalent, with no disciplinary action.
- Pay the fees ($166 (OT application and initial license fee under WAC 246-847-990, including a $16 HEALWA surcharge (OTA also $166). Non-refundable. The FBI fingerprinting fee is separate and not published on the pages read. Limited permit $55. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Washington is not issuing privileges).)) and allow no processing time is published; the Department says delayed responses to its requests lengthen processing, and military spouses/registered domestic partners may be eligible for expedited processing.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Texas occupational therapy license in Washington?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Texas to Washington by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health), verify your Texas license, and meet Washington's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; applicants must have obtained a passing score on the NBCOT exam. The Department's licensing pages do not specify whether a Score Transfer or a Verification of Certification is required, and do not require CURRENT NBCOT certification. No Washington jurisprudence exam was found on the licensing requirements page..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Texas to Washington?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; applicants must have obtained a passing score on the NBCOT exam. The Department's licensing pages do not specify whether a Score Transfer or a Verification of Certification is required, and do not require CURRENT NBCOT certification. No Washington jurisprudence exam was found on the licensing requirements page.
How much does a Washington OT license cost for someone licensed in Texas?
$166 (OT application and initial license fee under WAC 246-847-990, including a $16 HEALWA surcharge (OTA also $166). Non-refundable. The FBI fingerprinting fee is separate and not published on the pages read. Limited permit $55. No OT Compact privilege fee exists yet (Washington is not issuing privileges).).
How long does Washington take to process the application?
no processing time is published; the Department says delayed responses to its requests lengthen processing, and military spouses/registered domestic partners may be eligible for expedited processing.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Washington?
Not for this move. Washington has enacted the OT Compact but was not issuing privileges as of 2026-09-27. A Washington license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Washington DOH — OT and OTA Licensing Information (application, fee schedule WAC 246-847-990) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — OT and OTA Licensing Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — OT and OTA Substantially Equivalent States (SHB 1724) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — OT and OTA Frequently Asked Questions (FBI background checks from July 1, 2026) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Washington DOH — OT Licensure Compact ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Washington: Not Yet) ↗ (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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