Occupational Therapy License from Washington to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-09-27 · source: Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) ↗
A occupational therapy license transfers from Washington to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section), verify your Washington license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score)..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Washington isn't issuing OT Compact privileges, so you start with endorsement into Ohio through the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section). The payoff comes afterward: Ohio does issue privileges, so once Ohio is your home state and your Ohio license is active, you can practice in the other issuing states on privileges instead of separate licenses.
What changes, Washington → Ohio
| Washington (current) | Ohio (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Compact status | OT Compact enacted — not yet issuing | OT Compact member — compact privilege to practice |
| 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).) | $100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission 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 | the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months |
| Licensing authority | Washington State Occupational Therapy Practice Board (Washington State Department of Health) | Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Ohio's current requirements on the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Graduate of an ACOTE-accredited entry-level OT program (Certification of Entry-Level Education form or official transcript).
- Pass the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (90% minimum) and upload the transcript.
- Submit official license verification from every jurisdiction where you hold or ever held an OT or other health-care license.
- Complete an Ohio BCI and FBI fingerprint criminal records check sent directly to the Board (results must be under six months old at licensure).
- If out of practice five or more years (fewer than 250 practice hours in the prior five years), meet the Board's out-of-practice requirements.
- Pay the fees ($100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).)) and allow the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Washington occupational therapy license in Ohio?
A occupational therapy license transfers from Washington to Ohio by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (Occupational Therapy Section), verify your Washington license, and meet Ohio's endorsement requirements. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score)..
Do I retake the NBCOT exam moving from Washington to Ohio?
No. The NBCOT certification exam is not retaken; the applicant has NBCOT send a Score Transfer to the Ohio OTPTAT Board or uploads an official NBCOT Verification of Certification. Ohio also requires the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam (taken online via myicourse, 90% minimum passing score).
How much does a Ohio OT license cost for someone licensed in Washington?
$100 (non-refundable endorsement application fee paid online through eLicense Ohio; + $22 BCI and $24 FBI background-check fees (plus any vendor fingerprinting fee); + $35 NBCOT Score Transfer if not already sent. NOT the OT Compact privilege fee (Ohio privilege: $25 state fee + $75 commission fee).).
How long does Ohio take to process the application?
the Board states only that an application is reviewed within five business days of submission (approval or a request for more documents); no end-to-end licensing timeframe is published, and FBI checks from ink-rolled cards can take up to three months.
Can I use the OT Compact to work in Ohio?
Not for this move. Ohio issues privileges, but only to therapists whose home state is also issuing; Washington is not. A Ohio license by endorsement is required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-27.
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT and OTA Endorsement Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT/OTA Endorsement Application Instructions packet (Dec 2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT-OTA Licensing (application pathways) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT Compact ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- OT Compact Commission — Before You Apply (Ohio accepting applications since January 12, 2026; $25 OT privilege fee; jurisprudence required) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-27)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board — OT-OTA Endorsement Application page (Internet Archive copy, captured 2025-06-12; eligibility and five-business-day review re-checked) ↗ (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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-09-27
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]