Occupational Therapy License from Virginia to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) ↗
Yes, for working in Indiana — both Virginia and Indiana 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 Indiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Indiana, you will need a Indiana license once Indiana becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Virginia and Indiana both issue OT Compact privileges, so this move has two versions. Working in Indiana while you keep living in Virginia: buy a Indiana privilege through the commission ($75 plus Indiana's fee), meet any Indiana jurisprudence requirement, and keep your Virginia license active, because the privilege ends when it does. Moving to Indiana: Indiana becomes your home state and you need a Indiana license, by converting the privilege where the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) offers that route or by endorsement.
What changes, Virginia → Indiana
| Virginia (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact member — compact privilege to practice | OT Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| 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).) | $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 found; the Board of Medicine's site (dhp.virginia.gov) was unreachable from this environment on 2026-09-27 | PLA publishes no OT processing timeframe; an application with missing requirements is abandoned after one year |
| Licensing authority | Virginia Board of Medicine (regulates occupational therapy, with its Advisory Board on Occupational Therapy) | 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 a 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 a 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
Can I use my Virginia occupational therapy license in Indiana?
Yes, for working in Indiana — both Virginia and Indiana 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 Indiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Indiana, you will need a Indiana license once Indiana becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Virginia to Indiana?
No. 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.
Do I need a Indiana 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 Indiana, you need a Indiana license from the Indiana Occupational Therapy Committee (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency).
What does it cost?
A Indiana compact privilege costs the $75 commission fee plus Indiana's privilege fee. A 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). 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.).
How long does it take?
A privilege depends on your FBI background check through the Virginia board and any Indiana jurisprudence step. A 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 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)
- 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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]