Physical Therapy License from Arkansas to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in New Hampshire — both Arkansas and New Hampshire are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and your Arkansas license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in New Hampshire without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to New Hampshire, you will need a New Hampshire license once New Hampshire becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both Arkansas and New Hampshire are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Arkansas is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the New Hampshire Governing Board of Physical Therapists (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) — you buy a New Hampshire compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Arkansas license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: New Hampshire may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Arkansas license does. If you are genuinely relocating to New Hampshire rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into New Hampshire.
What changes, Arkansas → New Hampshire
| Arkansas (current) | New Hampshire (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $100 (PT Endorsement (Reciprocity) fee is $100 per the Board rules fee schedule (Section VII). A statutory 95% fee reduction cut this to $5 for applications from Jul 1, 2023-Jun 30, 2026; that window closed before this verification date, so the $100 standing fee applies. A $10 online jurisprudence-exam fee and the state/FBI background-check fee are separate. NOT the $50 PT Compact privilege fee.) | $121 (Physical Therapy Governing Board application fee (identical for PT and PTA); renewal and reinstatement are also $121. Paper reciprocity applications must be paid by check or money order to 'Treasurer, State of New Hampshire'. Excludes the applicant's own cost of the FBI criminal history records check. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | no overall timeframe published; the Board notes criminal background-check results take about 2-6 weeks and no license issues until they are received. A 90-day temporary/provisional license is available on request | OPLC publishes no processing timeframe; under Plc 313.07(c) it may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license to an endorsement-qualified applicant who has filed everything and submitted fingerprints while the criminal history results are still outstanding |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy (Arkansas Department of Health) | New Hampshire Governing Board of Physical Therapists (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire: purchase a PT Compact privilege for New Hampshire through the compact commission and complete any New Hampshire jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to New Hampshire: apply for a New Hampshire license with the New Hampshire Governing Board of Physical Therapists (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire accept an Arkansas physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in New Hampshire — both Arkansas and New Hampshire are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and your Arkansas license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in New Hampshire without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to New Hampshire, you will need a New Hampshire license once New Hampshire becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Arkansas to New Hampshire?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; FSBPT certification of the passing score is the exam requirement. New Hampshire additionally requires the New Hampshire Jurisprudence Assessment Module, completed through the FSBPT JAM service.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a New Hampshire compact privilege to work while living in Arkansas: the commission's uniform fee plus New Hampshire's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full New Hampshire license by endorsement: $121 (Physical Therapy Governing Board application fee (identical for PT and PTA); renewal and reinstatement are also $121. Paper reciprocity applications must be paid by check or money order to 'Treasurer, State of New Hampshire'. Excludes the applicant's own cost of the FBI criminal history records check. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any New Hampshire jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs OPLC publishes no processing timeframe; under Plc 313.07(c) it may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license to an endorsement-qualified applicant who has filed everything and submitted fingerprints while the criminal history results are still outstanding.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- NH OPLC - Physical Therapy License Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC - Physical Therapist Initial Application Checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC - New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (RSA 310:17 qualifying jurisdictions, Plc 313.47) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC - Physical Therapy Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact Commission - Process and Requirements (New Hampshire privilege fees and jurisprudence rule) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Arkansas State Board of PT — Application Instructions for Licensure by Reciprocity (PT) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas State Board of PT — Rules (Sec. IV Methods of Licensure; Sec. VII Fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member states map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]