Occupational Therapy License from Virginia to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Can I use my Virginia occupational therapy license in Arkansas?
Yes, for working in Arkansas — both Virginia and Arkansas are active members of the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (OT Compact). If Virginia is your primary state of residence and your Virginia license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Arkansas without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Arkansas, you will need an Arkansas license once Arkansas becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Virginia and Arkansas both issue OT Compact privileges, so this move has two versions. Working in Arkansas while you keep living in Virginia: buy an Arkansas privilege through the commission ($75 plus Arkansas's fee), meet any Arkansas jurisprudence requirement, and keep your Virginia license active, because the privilege ends when it does. Moving to Arkansas: Arkansas becomes your home state and you need an Arkansas license, by converting the privilege where the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) offers that route or by endorsement.
What's different between Virginia and Arkansas
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Arkansas. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Virginia to Arkansas (this page): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
Arkansas to Virginia (the reverse move): Compact privilege — work there without a second license.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Virginia matter?
Coming from Virginia matters here: only 10 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Arkansas.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (40).
- OT Compact membership
Virginia and Arkansas are both OT Compact member states.
A compact privilege lets you practice in Arkansas while Virginia is your home state; it is not a license, and a move to Arkansas needs an Arkansas license.
- Application fee
Arkansas lists $4 for an out-of-state applicant and Virginia lists $130 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Exam rules on record
Arkansas and Virginia carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Arkansas (this move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Applicants who have passed the exam have NBCOT send a Verification of Certification directly to the Arkansas State Medical Board. The packet does not say whether that certification must be current. Arkansas also requires a signed Medical Practices Act and Rules Affidavit and a completed 10-question OT Practice Act questionnaire, both returned with the application. This is an open-book questionnaire, not a proctored jurisprudence exam.
- Virginia (the reverse move): The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Endorsement applicants submit 'verification of a professional credential in occupational therapy' (18VAC85-80-36), and the Board's application page tells applicants to have NBCOT send 'certification of credentials' directly to the Board; the underlying exam rule (18VAC85-80-50) requires evidence of passing the NBCOT certification exam. The sources read do not say that CURRENT NBCOT certification is required. No Virginia jurisprudence exam applies (the Commission lists Virginia's compact jurisprudence as 'Not required').
What changes, Virginia → Arkansas
| Virginia (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · OT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $130 (initial OT license fee under 18VAC85-80-26 (OTA $70); non-refundable. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Virginia privilege: $75 OT / $40 OTA state fee under 18VAC85-80-26(A)(10), plus the $75 Commission fee).) | $4 (The ASMB application packet (rev. 10/11/2024) and fee schedule list a $4 OT application fee (OTA $3; temporary permit $1), payable by check or money order. The fee schedule says this is a reduced fee under Act 114 of 2023, in effect July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2027, which 'may or may not apply in future years'. + $39.36 state and federal criminal background check (ASMB fee schedule). NOT the OT Compact privilege fee: an Arkansas privilege costs a $4 state fee (OTA $3) plus the $75 Commission fee.) |
| Processing time | no processing time found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27 | the Board says a permanent license application 'will take several weeks to complete', that applications are processed in order of receipt, and that the federal portion of the background check 'can take several weeks or more'; no numeric range is published |
| Licensing authority | Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) | Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas 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 Arkansas: purchase an OT Compact privilege for Arkansas through the compact commission and complete any Arkansas jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Arkansas: apply for an Arkansas license with the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee); 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 Virginia to Arkansas?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken.
Do I need an Arkansas license or just a compact privilege?
A privilege is enough if you keep living in Virginia and your Virginia license stays active and unencumbered. If you move your residence to Arkansas, you need an Arkansas license from the Arkansas State Medical Board (Occupational Therapy Examining Committee).
What does it cost?
An Arkansas compact privilege costs the $75 commission fee plus Arkansas's privilege fee. An Arkansas license by endorsement, for a relocation: $4 (The ASMB application packet (rev.
How long does it take?
A privilege depends on your FBI background check through the Virginia board and any Arkansas jurisprudence step. An Arkansas license by endorsement: the Board says a permanent license application 'will take several weeks to complete', that applications are processed in order of receipt, and that the federal portion of the background check 'can take several weeks or more'; no numeric range is published.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified Virginia 2026-09-27, Arkansas 2026-10-29.
- Arkansas State Medical Board, OT / OTA page ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, Occupational Therapy Licensure Information Packet (rev. 10/11/2024) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, Fee Schedule (Act 114 of 2023 fee reduction, July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2027) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- OT Compact Commission, Before You Apply (Arkansas accepting applications since October 5, 2026; $4 OT / $3 OTA state fee; jurisprudence not required) ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Arkansas State Medical Board, home page ('OT Compact implementation is scheduled to begin October 5, 2026') ↗ (accessed 2026-10-29)
- Virginia Board of Medicine — Occupational Therapy application wizard (Internet Archive copy, captured 2025-10-07; dhp.virginia.gov unreachable) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 18VAC85-80-36 — Licensure by endorsement requirements (eff. December 3, 2025) (Internet Archive copy of law.lis.virginia.gov, captured 2026-05-17) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 18VAC85-80-26 — Fees (Internet Archive copy of law.lis.virginia.gov, captured 2026-04-21) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- 18VAC85-80-50 — Examination requirements (Internet Archive copy of law.lis.virginia.gov) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources Virginia 2026-09-27, Arkansas 2026-10-29
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