Physical Therapy License from California to Wyoming: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Wyoming Board of Physical Therapy ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Wyoming by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Wyoming Board of Physical Therapy, verify your California license, and meet Wyoming's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; a Wyoming endorsement applicant must already have passed the NPTE in another jurisdiction, and FSBPT sends the score to the licensing authority through its Score Transfer Service. Wyoming also requires its own open-book jurisprudence exam, passed at 75% or better and submitted with the application..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither California nor Wyoming is an active member of the PT Compact, so this is a straightforward endorsement move: the Wyoming Board of Physical Therapy verifies your California license, your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT, and you complete Wyoming's jurisprudence exam and background check. Nothing about California speeds up or slows down Wyoming's standard out-of-state process.
What changes, California → Wyoming
| California (current) | Wyoming (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.) | $289 (single non-refundable payment stated on the Board's PT/PTA Application by Endorsement, covering both the license application and the background check; the PTA endorsement payment is $239. There is no PT Compact privilege fee for Wyoming because Wyoming is not a compact member.) |
| 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) | 5–8 weeks (derived from the Board's own statements: allow 5-7 business days for the office to confirm receipt and list missing items, background investigations take 4-6 weeks, and after the file is complete and the background report arrives expect approximately 7-10 additional business days) |
| Licensing authority | Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) | Wyoming Board of Physical Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Wyoming sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Wyoming's current requirements on the Wyoming Board of Physical Therapy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Wyoming Board of Physical Therapy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Pass the Board's open-book jurisprudence exam (75% minimum) and submit it with the application.
- Submit verification of licensure in good standing from every jurisdiction in which you are or have ever been licensed.
- Submit two completed FD-258 fingerprint cards for the state and federal background check.
- Document 15 continuing competence hours completed within the past year (recent graduates exempt).
- Pay by cashier's check or money order made payable to the State of Wyoming - fees are non-refundable.
- Pay the fees ($289 (single non-refundable payment stated on the Board's PT/PTA Application by Endorsement, covering both the license application and the background check; the PTA endorsement payment is $239. There is no PT Compact privilege fee for Wyoming because Wyoming is not a compact member.)) and allow 5–8 weeks (derived from the Board's own statements: allow 5-7 business days for the office to confirm receipt and list missing items, background investigations take 4-6 weeks, and after the file is complete and the background report arrives expect approximately 7-10 additional business days).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Wyoming accept a California physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from California to Wyoming by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Wyoming Board of Physical Therapy, verify your California license, and meet Wyoming's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; a Wyoming endorsement applicant must already have passed the NPTE in another jurisdiction, and FSBPT sends the score to the licensing authority through its Score Transfer Service. Wyoming also requires its own open-book jurisprudence exam, passed at 75% or better and submitted with the application..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from California to Wyoming?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; a Wyoming endorsement applicant must already have passed the NPTE in another jurisdiction, and FSBPT sends the score to the licensing authority through its Score Transfer Service. Wyoming also requires its own open-book jurisprudence exam, passed at 75% or better and submitted with the application..
What does the move cost?
$289 (single non-refundable payment stated on the Board's PT/PTA Application by Endorsement, covering both the license application and the background check; the PTA endorsement payment is $239. There is no PT Compact privilege fee for Wyoming because Wyoming is not a compact member.) (single non-refundable payment stated on the Board's PT/PTA Application by Endorsement, covering both the license application and the background check; the PTA endorsement payment is $239. There is no PT Compact privilege fee for Wyoming because Wyoming is not a compact member.).
How long will it take?
5–8 weeks (derived from the Board's own statements: allow 5-7 business days for the office to confirm receipt and list missing items, background investigations take 4-6 weeks, and after the file is complete and the background report arrives expect approximately 7-10 additional business days) — derived from the Board's own statements: allow 5-7 business days for the office to confirm receipt and list missing items, background investigations take 4-6 weeks, and after the file is complete and the background report arrives expect approximately 7-10 additional business days.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Wyoming Board of Physical Therapy - Forms (applications, processing timeline) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Wyoming Board of Physical Therapy - PT and PTA Application by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map (Wyoming listed as non-member) ↗ (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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