Physical Therapy License from California to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your California license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the FSBPT forwards the passing score directly to the Board (Score Transfer Service). The Board may waive the examination requirement for an applicant currently licensed in another state who previously passed an equivalent qualifying examination. No state jurisprudence exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither California nor Maine is an active member of the PT Compact, so this is a straightforward endorsement move: the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) verifies your California license, your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT, and you complete Maine's jurisprudence exam and background check. Nothing about California speeds up or slows down Maine's standard out-of-state process.
What changes, California → Maine
| California (current) | Maine (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | PT Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| 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.) | $30 (PT license fee for the endorsement applicant; + $21 criminal-background-check fee (in notes, not the range). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee — Maine is not yet issuing privileges.) |
| 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 |
| Licensing authority | Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) | Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Graduate of a board-approved, CAPTE-accredited physical therapy educational program.
- Submit the Application by Endorsement (for applicants currently licensed in another state).
- Have the NPTE passing score transferred to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service.
- Submit verification of every license ever held, even if not currently active.
- Submit a reference form and an official transcript (if not previously on file).
- Criminal background check.
- Pay the fees ($30 (PT license fee for the endorsement applicant; + $21 criminal-background-check fee (in notes, not the range). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee — Maine is not yet issuing privileges.)) and allow the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept a California physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your California license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the FSBPT forwards the passing score directly to the Board (Score Transfer Service). The Board may waive the examination requirement for an applicant currently licensed in another state who previously passed an equivalent qualifying examination. No state jurisprudence exam..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from California to Maine?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the FSBPT forwards the passing score directly to the Board (Score Transfer Service). The Board may waive the examination requirement for an applicant currently licensed in another state who previously passed an equivalent qualifying examination. No state jurisprudence exam..
What does the move cost?
$30 (PT license fee for the endorsement applicant; + $21 criminal-background-check fee (in notes, not the range). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee — Maine is not yet issuing privileges.) (PT license fee for the endorsement applicant; + $21 criminal-background-check fee (in notes, not the range). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee — Maine is not yet issuing privileges.).
How long will it take?
the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications — the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Maine Board of Physical Therapy — Licensing (PT/PTA) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine Board of Physical Therapy — Applications & Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 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 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]