Occupational Therapy License from Washington to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) ↗

A occupational therapy license transfers from Washington to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance), verify your Washington license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under MOBILE endorsement, if you hold current NBCOT certification you list your certification number and Board staff verify it with NBCOT. If your certification is not current, you list your original exam information and ask NBCOT to send a score transfer to the Board. The standard (examination-route) application also accepts current or lapsed NBCOT certification, verified by certification number. No Florida jurisprudence exam is listed..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Neither Washington nor Florida is issuing OT Compact privileges, so there is one route: a Florida license by endorsement from the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance). The board verifies your Washington license and your NBCOT exam passage; being licensed in Washington neither speeds nor slows Florida's standard out-of-state review.

What changes, Washington → Florida

Side-by-side: Washington vs Florida (Occupational Therapy (OT/OTA)), verified 2026-09-27
	Washington (current)	Florida (destination)
OT Compact status	OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing	Licensure by endorsement
Application fee	$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).)	$180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee)
Processing time	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	for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published
Licensing authority	Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health)	Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) website (linked below) — rules change.
Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) (application linked below).
Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
Hold an active, unencumbered OT license issued by another state, DC or a U.S. territory (MOBILE endorsement, s. 456.0145, F.S.).
Have actively practiced as a licensed OT for at least two of the four years before applying.
Have no National Practitioner Data Bank report (unless removed on appeal or for conduct that is not a Florida violation), no pending discipline, and no discipline in the prior five years.
Complete electronic fingerprinting for background screening (required since HB 975, 2024).
Have each state that licensed you send license verification (online verifications that show discipline are accepted).
Pay the fees ($180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee)) and allow for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published.

Official links

Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance) ↗Florida application ↗License verification ↗

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my Washington occupational therapy license in Florida?

Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Washington to Florida?

No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken. Under MOBILE endorsement, if you hold current NBCOT certification you list your certification number and Board staff verify it with NBCOT. If your certification is not current, you list your original exam information and ask NBCOT to send a score transfer to the Board. The standard (examination-route) application also accepts current or lapsed NBCOT certification, verified by certification number. No Florida jurisprudence exam is listed.

How much does a Florida OT license cost for someone licensed in Washington?

$180 ($100 nonrefundable application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed activity fee, all due with the application (same total for MOBILE endorsement and the examination route); + electronic fingerprinting vendor fee).

How long does Florida take to process the application?

for MOBILE endorsement the Board allows up to five business days for initial review and issues the license within seven days once all requirements are met (s. 456.0145(2)(e), F.S.); Florida law requires initial review within 30 days, and documents received after initial review are processed within 14 business days; no end-to-end range is published.

Can I use the OT Compact to work in Florida?

Not for this move. Florida has not enacted the OT Compact. A Florida license by endorsement is required.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.

Florida Board of OT Practice, Occupational Therapist licensing (requirements, MOBILE endorsement, fees, processing times) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
Florida Statutes s. 456.0145 (MOBILE Act), as linked by the Board ↗ (accessed 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)

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27

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