Physical Therapy License from District of Columbia to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Indiana — both District of Columbia and Indiana are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If District of Columbia is your primary state of residence and your District of Columbia license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Indiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Indiana, you will need an Indiana license once Indiana becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both District of Columbia and Indiana are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If District of Columbia is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Indiana Physical Therapy Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) — you buy an Indiana compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your District of Columbia license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Indiana may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your District of Columbia license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Indiana rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Indiana.
What changes, District of Columbia → Indiana
| District of Columbia (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $264 ($264 combined application and license fee paid online (DC Health licensing portal), per the DC endorsement checklist; a separate $50 criminal background check fee is paid online with the application. Licenses run biennially, expiring Jan 31 of odd-numbered years. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) | $100 (the IPLA fee schedule lists 'Physical Therapist License by Reciprocity' at $100.00, the same as licensure by examination; all fees are non-refundable. The criminal background check is paid separately to the vendor. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | DC Health does not publish a processing timeframe for endorsement applications | IPLA publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; it states only that an application is abandoned without Board action if all requirements are not submitted within one year of filing |
| Licensing authority | District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health) | Indiana Physical Therapy Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Indiana: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Indiana through the compact commission and complete any Indiana jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Indiana: apply for an Indiana license with the Indiana Physical Therapy Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Indiana accept a District of Columbia physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Indiana — both District of Columbia and Indiana are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If District of Columbia is your primary state of residence and your District of Columbia license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Indiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Indiana, you will need an Indiana license once Indiana becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from District of Columbia to Indiana?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken. Indiana's published reciprocity checklist relies on verification of your existing out-of-state license rather than a submitted NPTE score report. Indiana requires no jurisprudence exam for licensure or for a compact privilege, though 2 of the 22 biennial continuing-competency hours must be in ethics and Indiana jurisprudence.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying an Indiana compact privilege to work while living in District of Columbia: the commission's uniform fee plus Indiana's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Indiana license by endorsement: $100 (the IPLA fee schedule lists 'Physical Therapist License by Reciprocity' at $100.00, the same as licensure by examination; all fees are non-refundable. The criminal background check is paid separately to the vendor. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Indiana jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs IPLA publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; it states only that an application is abandoned without Board action if all requirements are not submitted within one year of filing.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Physical Therapy Licensing Information (reciprocity checklist, fee schedule, PT Compact) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Physical Therapy Home ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — Compact Privilege Fee, Jurisprudence and Waiver Table ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — States by Category ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- DC Health — Physical Therapist New License Application (Endorsement) Checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- D.C. Code § 3-1205.07 — Reciprocity and endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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