Physical Therapy License from Arkansas to North Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners ↗
Yes — both Arkansas and North Carolina are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in North Carolina now; if you are moving your residence to North Carolina, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare North Carolina your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both Arkansas and North Carolina 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 North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners — you buy a North Carolina compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Arkansas license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: North Carolina 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 North Carolina rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into North Carolina.
What changes, Arkansas → North Carolina
| Arkansas (current) | North Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| 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.) | The Board's fee rule is 21 NCAC 48F .0102 (readopted eff. May 1, 2019), but on 2026-08-07 neither the rule text nor the Board's published Schedule of Fees could be retrieved from an official source - the Board's application host (www2.ncptboard.org) returned 403 and the NC OAH / NC Rules code servers were unreachable. No amount is stated rather than guess. Confirm the current endorsement application fee directly with the Board. |
| 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. | The Board publishes no processing timeframe; 21 NCAC 48B .0102(a) provides only that each endorsement application is considered on an individual basis. |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy (Arkansas Department of Health) | North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to North Carolina: apply for licensure by endorsement with the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners when you move.
- Declare North Carolina as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete North Carolina's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does North Carolina accept a Arkansas physical therapy license?
Yes — both Arkansas and North Carolina are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Arkansas is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in North Carolina now; if you are moving your residence to North Carolina, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare North Carolina your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Arkansas to North Carolina?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken. Under 21 NCAC 48B .0102(b) the Board accepts the examination on which the out-of-state license was granted, in a format approved by the Board (the FSBPT Score Transfer Service); if the scores are unavailable from the other state the applicant must have them issued by the testing agency, and if the total score does not meet the North Carolina passing level in 21 NCAC 48D .0105 the exam must be repeated at the applicant's cost. Every endorsement applicant must also complete the North Carolina Jurisprudence Exercise (21 NCAC 48B .0102(d))..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a North Carolina compact privilege to work while living in Arkansas: the commission's uniform fee plus North Carolina's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full North Carolina license by endorsement: The Board's fee rule is 21 NCAC 48F .0102 (readopted eff. May 1, 2019), but on 2026-08-07 neither the rule text nor the Board's published Schedule of Fees could be retrieved from an official source - the Board's application host (www2.ncptboard.org) returned 403 and the NC OAH / NC Rules code servers were unreachable. No amount is stated rather than guess. Confirm the current endorsement application fee directly with the Board. (The Board's fee rule is 21 NCAC 48F .0102 (readopted eff. May 1, 2019), but on 2026-08-07 neither the rule text nor the Board's published Schedule of Fees could be retrieved from an official source - the Board's application host (www2.ncptboard.org) returned 403 and the NC OAH / NC Rules code servers were unreachable. No amount is stated rather than guess. Confirm the current endorsement application fee directly with the Board.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any North Carolina jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs The Board publishes no processing timeframe; 21 NCAC 48B .0102(a) provides only that each endorsement application is considered on an individual basis. (The Board publishes no processing timeframe; 21 NCAC 48B .0102(a) provides only that each endorsement application is considered on an individual basis.).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- NC Office of Administrative Hearings - rule text, 21 NCAC 48B .0102 Licenses by Endorsement (with 48E .0104, 48F .0101, 48G .0105, 48G .0203) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC OAH - G.S. 150B-21.3A periodic review report for 21 NCAC 48, Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (rule inventory incl. 48E .0105, 48E .0113, 48F .0102) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC Board of Physical Therapy Examiners - official site ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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