Physical Therapy License from Colorado to South Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) ↗
Yes — both Colorado and South Dakota are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Colorado is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in South Dakota now; if you are moving your residence to South Dakota, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare South Dakota your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both Colorado and South Dakota are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Colorado is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) — you buy a South Dakota compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Colorado license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: South Dakota may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Colorado license does. If you are genuinely relocating to South Dakota rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into South Dakota.
What changes, Colorado → South Dakota
| Colorado (current) | South Dakota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | The fee is set administratively by the DORA Director (C.R.S. 12-285-110 provides for 'a fee in an amount determined by the director') and is not stated in the rule; the DORA/DPO fee schedule could not be verified on an accessible official page because dpo.colorado.gov blocks automated access. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee. | $120 (application fee payable to the SD Board of Physical Therapy per the Board's published licensing-requirements checklist; fingerprint/DCI background-check costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | The Division of Professions and Occupations publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications on an accessible page. | the Board publishes no overall processing timeframe; it states only that DCI background-check processing averages 3-4 weeks and is outside the Board's control, and that late fingerprint submission delays application review |
| Licensing authority | Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) | South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — South Dakota sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing.
- If you are moving your primary residence to South Dakota: apply for licensure by endorsement with the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) when you move.
- Declare South Dakota as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete South Dakota's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does South Dakota accept a Colorado physical therapy license?
Yes — both Colorado and South Dakota are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Colorado is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in South Dakota now; if you are moving your residence to South Dakota, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare South Dakota your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Colorado to South Dakota?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the applicant requests the score through FSBPT and it is sent to the Board (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report). The Board's licensing checklist lists no South Dakota jurisprudence exam..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a South Dakota compact privilege to work while living in Colorado: the commission's uniform fee plus South Dakota's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full South Dakota license by endorsement: $120 (application fee payable to the SD Board of Physical Therapy per the Board's published licensing-requirements checklist; fingerprint/DCI background-check costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (application fee payable to the SD Board of Physical Therapy per the Board's published licensing-requirements checklist; fingerprint/DCI background-check costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any South Dakota jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs the Board publishes no overall processing timeframe; it states only that DCI background-check processing averages 3-4 weeks and is outside the Board's control, and that late fingerprint submission delays application review (the Board publishes no overall processing timeframe; it states only that DCI background-check processing averages 3-4 weeks and is outside the Board's control, and that late fingerprint submission delays application review).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- SD Board of Physical Therapy - Licensing Requirements (application checklist and fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SD Board of Physical Therapy - board home page ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - state status list (Physical Therapy Compact Commission) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Colorado State Physical Therapy Board — Licensure Rules 4 CCR 732-1.5 (Cornell LII reproduction of the official regulation) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- C.R.S. 12-285-112 — Licensure by endorsement (Colorado Revised Statutes) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- C.R.S. 12-285-110 — Licensure by examination; fee set by the director ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member state map ↗ (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]