Transfer Your Occupational Therapy License to Texas: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) ↗
By endorsement only. Texas is outside the OT Compact, so no privilege applies there; you apply to the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) for a Texas license ($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.); processing 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), and your NBCOT exam result is verified rather than retaken.
Moving to Texas from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Texas has not enacted the OT Compact, which keeps things simple: every out-of-state OT and OTA gets a Texas license by endorsement, whether the plan is a permanent move, a short contract, or telehealth to clients located in Texas. Build the board's review time into your start date, because you cannot see Texas patients on an out-of-state license while the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) reviews your application.
Texas has NOT enacted the OT Compact, so every OT relocating to Texas needs a Texas license. Licensure by endorsement is for NBCOT-passed applicants who are currently licensed in another U.S. state or territory, or who come from the U.S. military or a non-licensing jurisdiction with two years of OT employment immediately before applying (Verification of Employment form). A temporary license is available only to first-time NBCOT examinees applying by examination, not to endorsement applicants. Military applicants licensed in good standing elsewhere may request alternative licensing and expedited services (22 TAC 364.1) and application-fee waivers. An applicant whose former Texas license has been expired a year or more must restore it instead. The OT board sits within the Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners (ptot.texas.gov).
Texas requirements at a glance
| Exam | The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Texas requires a 'passing NBCOT certification examination score report' sent by NBCOT directly to the Board and states 'This is NOT a Verification of Certification', so a Score Transfer is required and current NBCOT certification is not. Texas ALSO requires its Jurisprudence Exam: a free, 20-question, open-book online exam on the OT Rules and OT Practice Act that may be retaken until passed. |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $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.) |
| 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 |
Step by step
- Confirm Texas's current requirements on the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of an accredited OT educational program meeting 22 TAC 364.1(a)(4), with your school code on the application.
- Pass the Texas OT Jurisprudence Exam.
- Have NBCOT send your passing exam score report directly to the Board.
- Complete fingerprinting for a criminal history background check using the agency's service code.
- Have original license verification sent directly to the Board for any past or current OT license the Board cannot verify online (South Dakota, Wyoming, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands must always be ordered).
- Provide a U.S.-passport-standard color photo and a Social Security number (required for license issuance from September 1, 2026).
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 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.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Texas:
All 50 origin states
Nearby states
Occupational Therapy license transfer into the states bordering Texas:
Texas for other professions
Frequently asked questions
Does my occupational therapy license transfer to Texas?
By endorsement only. Texas is outside the OT Compact, so no privilege applies there; you apply to the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) for a Texas license ($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.); processing 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), and your NBCOT exam result is verified rather than retaken.
Do I have to retake the NBCOT exam to get licensed in Texas?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Texas requires a 'passing NBCOT certification examination score report' sent by NBCOT directly to the Board and states 'This is NOT a Verification of Certification', so a Score Transfer is required and current NBCOT certification is not. Texas ALSO requires its Jurisprudence Exam: a free, 20-question, open-book online exam on the OT Rules and OT Practice Act that may be retaken until passed.
How much does an OT license by endorsement cost in Texas?
$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.).
How long does Texas take to issue an OT license by endorsement?
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.
Is Texas an OT Compact state?
No. Texas had not enacted the OT Compact as of 2026-09-27, so no privilege authorizes practice there and every incoming OT or OTA needs a Texas license.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]