Physical Therapy License from California to Nevada: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Nevada Physical Therapy Board ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Nevada by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nevada Physical Therapy Board, verify your California license, and meet Nevada's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the score must be transferred to the Nevada jurisdiction through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service and the Board states you cannot be licensed until it arrives. Nevada also requires the Nevada Jurisprudence Assessment Module (NV JAM), an open-book exam on NRS/NAC Chapter 640 that must be passed at 80% (16 correct)..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a payoff. California is outside the active compact, so you have had no privileges to work with — but Nevada is an active member. Endorse into Nevada with the Nevada Physical Therapy Board, establish it as your home state and primary residence, and Nevada becomes your springboard: from there you can buy compact privileges into every other active member state without another full license. Your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT; you do not re-sit the exam.
What changes, California → Nevada
| California (current) | Nevada (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| 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.) | $300 (Physical Therapist application fee on the Board's published fee schedule; the $25 exam processing fee applies only to examination candidates, not endorsement candidates. + $39 fingerprint fee, which the Department of Public Safety will only accept as a money order or cashier's check. PT license then renews annually at $150. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| 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 overall processing timeframe; it warns that the fingerprint/background check alone may take up to 2 months and asks applicants to allow 10 days after submission before requesting a status update |
| Licensing authority | Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) | Nevada Physical Therapy Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Nevada sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Nevada's current requirements on the Nevada Physical Therapy Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Nevada Physical Therapy Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active license in a U.S. jurisdiction and a degree from an accredited physical therapy program.
- Transfer your NPTE score to Nevada through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service.
- Pass the Nevada Jurisprudence Assessment Module (NV JAM) at 80% or better.
- Complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check through the Nevada Department of Public Safety.
- Upload a digital photograph taken within the past 12 months (2x2 to 3x3 inches).
- Disclose child support status as required by Nevada law.
- Pay the fees ($300 (Physical Therapist application fee on the Board's published fee schedule; the $25 exam processing fee applies only to examination candidates, not endorsement candidates. + $39 fingerprint fee, which the Department of Public Safety will only accept as a money order or cashier's check. PT license then renews annually at $150. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.)) and allow the Board publishes no overall processing timeframe; it warns that the fingerprint/background check alone may take up to 2 months and asks applicants to allow 10 days after submission before requesting a status update.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Nevada accept a California physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Nevada by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Nevada Physical Therapy Board, verify your California license, and meet Nevada's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the score must be transferred to the Nevada jurisdiction through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service and the Board states you cannot be licensed until it arrives. Nevada also requires the Nevada Jurisprudence Assessment Module (NV JAM), an open-book exam on NRS/NAC Chapter 640 that must be passed at 80% (16 correct)..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from California to Nevada?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the score must be transferred to the Nevada jurisdiction through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service and the Board states you cannot be licensed until it arrives. Nevada also requires the Nevada Jurisprudence Assessment Module (NV JAM), an open-book exam on NRS/NAC Chapter 640 that must be passed at 80% (16 correct)..
What does the move cost?
$300 (Physical Therapist application fee on the Board's published fee schedule; the $25 exam processing fee applies only to examination candidates, not endorsement candidates. + $39 fingerprint fee, which the Department of Public Safety will only accept as a money order or cashier's check. PT license then renews annually at $150. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (Physical Therapist application fee on the Board's published fee schedule; the $25 exam processing fee applies only to examination candidates, not endorsement candidates. + $39 fingerprint fee, which the Department of Public Safety will only accept as a money order or cashier's check. PT license then renews annually at $150. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
the Board publishes no overall processing timeframe; it warns that the fingerprint/background check alone may take up to 2 months and asks applicants to allow 10 days after submission before requesting a status update — the Board publishes no overall processing timeframe; it warns that the fingerprint/background check alone may take up to 2 months and asks applicants to allow 10 days after submission before requesting a status update.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Nevada Physical Therapy Board - Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Nevada Physical Therapy Board - Endorsement Candidate Application Guide ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact Commission - Process and Requirements (Nevada privilege fees and jurisprudence rule) ↗ (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
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