Physical Therapy License from Arkansas to South Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) ↗
Yes — both Arkansas and South 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 South Carolina now; if you are moving your residence to South Carolina, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare South Carolina your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both Arkansas and South 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 South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) — you buy a South Carolina compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Arkansas license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: South 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 South Carolina rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into South Carolina.
What changes, Arkansas → South Carolina
| Arkansas (current) | South 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.) | $110 (Board application fee set by S.C. Code of Regulations 10-30(1); the same application fee applies to endorsement applicants (40-45-240 licenses 'on the payment of the applicable fee'). SLED/FBI fingerprint costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. 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. | no processing timeframe appears in the Board's statute (S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 45) or regulations (Chapter 101); llr.sc.gov was unreachable from the research network on the access date, so the board site could not be checked |
| Licensing authority | Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy (Arkansas Department of Health) | South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing.
- If you are moving your primary residence to South Carolina: apply for licensure by endorsement with the South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation) when you move.
- Declare South Carolina as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete South 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 South Carolina accept a Arkansas physical therapy license?
Yes — both Arkansas and South 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 South Carolina now; if you are moving your residence to South Carolina, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare South Carolina your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Arkansas to South Carolina?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; official examination scores are transferred to the Board (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report) and the Board may license an out-of-state PT without examination on payment of the fee (S.C. Code 40-45-240). South Carolina requires no jurisprudence exam to obtain the license, but 3 contact hours of ethics, professionalism and/or South Carolina jurisprudence are required each biennium as continuing education..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a South Carolina compact privilege to work while living in Arkansas: the commission's uniform fee plus South Carolina's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full South Carolina license by endorsement: $110 (Board application fee set by S.C. Code of Regulations 10-30(1); the same application fee applies to endorsement applicants (40-45-240 licenses 'on the payment of the applicable fee'). SLED/FBI fingerprint costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (Board application fee set by S.C. Code of Regulations 10-30(1); the same application fee applies to endorsement applicants (40-45-240 licenses 'on the payment of the applicable fee'). SLED/FBI fingerprint costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any South Carolina jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs no processing timeframe appears in the Board's statute (S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 45) or regulations (Chapter 101); llr.sc.gov was unreachable from the research network on the access date, so the board site could not be checked (no processing timeframe appears in the Board's statute (S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 45) or regulations (Chapter 101); llr.sc.gov was unreachable from the research network on the access date, so the board site could not be checked).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 101 - State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 10-30 - Board of Physical Therapy Examiners fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 40 Chapter 45 - Physical Therapists (incl. 40-45-240 licensure without examination and the PT Compact, 40-45-510 et seq.) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - state status list (Physical Therapy Compact Commission) ↗ (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)
- PT Compact — member states map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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