Physical Therapy License from California to Rhode Island: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Rhode Island Board of Physical Therapy (Rhode Island Department of Health) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Rhode Island by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Rhode Island Board of Physical Therapy (Rhode Island Department of Health), verify your California license, and meet Rhode Island's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the FSBPT-approved national examination scores must be submitted directly to the Board (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report). The Rhode Island PT regulation imposes no separate state jurisprudence exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither California nor Rhode Island is an active member of the PT Compact, so this is a straightforward endorsement move: the Rhode Island Board of Physical Therapy (Rhode Island Department of Health) verifies your California license, your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT, and you complete Rhode Island's jurisprudence exam and background check. Nothing about California speeds up or slows down Rhode Island's standard out-of-state process.
What changes, California → Rhode Island
| California (current) | Rhode Island (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.) | $155 (physical therapist initial application fee (examination or endorsement) per the RI DOH fee structure, 216-RICR-10-05-2; non-refundable. PTA is $50. BCI/background-check costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT a PT Compact privilege fee - Rhode Island does not issue 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) | neither the Board's regulation (216-RICR-40-05-13) nor the DOH fee structure states a processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) | Rhode Island Board of Physical Therapy (Rhode Island Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Rhode Island sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Rhode Island's current requirements on the Rhode Island Board of Physical Therapy (Rhode Island Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Rhode Island Board of Physical Therapy (Rhode Island Department of Health).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Submit a licensure-status statement from the physical therapy board of every state where you hold or have held a license.
- Have your FSBPT-approved national examination scores sent directly to the Board.
- Submit a full Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) report; out-of-state applicants obtain it from their state of residence.
- Do not practice physical therapy in Rhode Island until the endorsement license has actually been issued.
- Pay the fees ($155 (physical therapist initial application fee (examination or endorsement) per the RI DOH fee structure, 216-RICR-10-05-2; non-refundable. PTA is $50. BCI/background-check costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT a PT Compact privilege fee - Rhode Island does not issue privileges.)) and allow neither the Board's regulation (216-RICR-40-05-13) nor the DOH fee structure states a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Rhode Island accept a California physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Rhode Island by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Rhode Island Board of Physical Therapy (Rhode Island Department of Health), verify your California license, and meet Rhode Island's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the FSBPT-approved national examination scores must be submitted directly to the Board (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report). The Rhode Island PT regulation imposes no separate state jurisprudence exam..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from California to Rhode Island?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the FSBPT-approved national examination scores must be submitted directly to the Board (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report). The Rhode Island PT regulation imposes no separate state jurisprudence exam..
What does the move cost?
$155 (physical therapist initial application fee (examination or endorsement) per the RI DOH fee structure, 216-RICR-10-05-2; non-refundable. PTA is $50. BCI/background-check costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT a PT Compact privilege fee - Rhode Island does not issue privileges.) (physical therapist initial application fee (examination or endorsement) per the RI DOH fee structure, 216-RICR-10-05-2; non-refundable. PTA is $50. BCI/background-check costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT a PT Compact privilege fee - Rhode Island does not issue privileges.).
How long will it take?
neither the Board's regulation (216-RICR-40-05-13) nor the DOH fee structure states a processing timeframe for endorsement applications — neither the Board's regulation (216-RICR-40-05-13) nor the DOH fee structure states a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 216-RICR-40-05-13 - Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants (RI Secretary of State, Rules & Regulations) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 216-RICR-10-05-2 - RI Department of Health Fee Structure for Licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - state status list (Physical Therapy Compact Commission) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - Licensing Authorities Contact Information ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (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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