Physical Therapy License from California to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), verify your California license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; official documentation of your passing NPTE score must be sent to the Board directly from the national board (FSBPT). In place of a proctored jurisprudence exam, Idaho requires a completed open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither California nor Idaho is an active member of the PT Compact, so this is a straightforward endorsement move: the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) verifies your California license, your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT, and you complete Idaho's jurisprudence exam and background check. Nothing about California speeds up or slows down Idaho's standard out-of-state process.
What changes, California → Idaho
| California (current) | Idaho (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $450 (nonrefundable $300 application processing fee + $150 initial license fee (both required to obtain the license) = $450. A $49 fingerprint hard-card fee and the $50 CAL-JAM exam fee (paid to FSBPT) are separate. California is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact-privilege fee.) | $50 (the endorsement checklist states a total of $50.00, made up of the $25.00 application fee plus the $25.00 licensure fee. The extra $20.00 NPTE registration fee applies only to applicants sitting for the exam through Idaho, not to endorsement applicants. Returned checks incur a $20 fee. IDAPA 24.13.01 Section 400 confirms fees are non-refundable but the current schedule is published on the application form rather than in rule.) |
| Processing time | 6–7 weeks (the Board acknowledges receipt within 30 days and states a license is generally issued within 45 days (about 6-7 weeks) after all deficiencies are satisfied and scores are received) | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; it states only that incomplete applications delay licensure and that military applicants may qualify for expedited processing under Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407 |
| Licensing authority | Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) | Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the application form signed and notarized (an acknowledgement is not accepted — it must be a jurat).
- Attach a color copy of a government-issued photo ID as proof of age.
- Complete the Board's open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules.
- Attach a copy of your diploma as evidence of graduation (endorsement applicants).
- Submit two completed professional reference forms.
- Have license certification sent directly to the Board from every state where you have held a license.
- Pay the fees ($50 (the endorsement checklist states a total of $50.00, made up of the $25.00 application fee plus the $25.00 licensure fee. The extra $20.00 NPTE registration fee applies only to applicants sitting for the exam through Idaho, not to endorsement applicants. Returned checks incur a $20 fee. IDAPA 24.13.01 Section 400 confirms fees are non-refundable but the current schedule is published on the application form rather than in rule.)) and allow the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; it states only that incomplete applications delay licensure and that military applicants may qualify for expedited processing under Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho accept a California physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), verify your California license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; official documentation of your passing NPTE score must be sent to the Board directly from the national board (FSBPT). In place of a proctored jurisprudence exam, Idaho requires a completed open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from California to Idaho?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; official documentation of your passing NPTE score must be sent to the Board directly from the national board (FSBPT). In place of a proctored jurisprudence exam, Idaho requires a completed open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules..
What does the move cost?
$50 (the endorsement checklist states a total of $50.00, made up of the $25.00 application fee plus the $25.00 licensure fee. The extra $20.00 NPTE registration fee applies only to applicants sitting for the exam through Idaho, not to endorsement applicants. Returned checks incur a $20 fee. IDAPA 24.13.01 Section 400 confirms fees are non-refundable but the current schedule is published on the application form rather than in rule.) (the endorsement checklist states a total of $50.00, made up of the $25.00 application fee plus the $25.00 licensure fee. The extra $20.00 NPTE registration fee applies only to applicants sitting for the exam through Idaho, not to endorsement applicants. Returned checks incur a $20 fee. IDAPA 24.13.01 Section 400 confirms fees are non-refundable but the current schedule is published on the application form rather than in rule.).
How long will it take?
the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; it states only that incomplete applications delay licensure and that military applicants may qualify for expedited processing under Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407 — the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; it states only that incomplete applications delay licensure and that military applicants may qualify for expedited processing under Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Idaho DOPL — Physical Therapy Board (FAQ, including compact membership statement) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board — Application for Licensure (PT), endorsement checklist and fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- IDAPA 24.13.01 — Rules of the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — States by Category ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Physical Therapy Board of California — US-Educated PT/PTA Applicant (Endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PTBC — Endorsement Application Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PTBC — Endorsement Examination Information (CAL-JAM) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]