Physical Therapy License from Georgia to Vermont: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) ↗
Yes — both Georgia and Vermont are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Georgia is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Vermont now; if you are moving your residence to Vermont, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Vermont your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both Georgia and Vermont are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Georgia is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) — you buy a Vermont compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Georgia license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Vermont may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Georgia license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Vermont rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Vermont.
What changes, Georgia → Vermont
| Georgia (current) | Vermont (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $85 ($75 physical therapist application fee plus the $10 paper-application processing fee; the Board states the online application is NOT available to endorsement/reciprocity applicants, so the $5 online processing fee does not apply. Fingerprint/background-check costs are paid separately to the vendor, and the GA JAM is $65 paid to FSBPT. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) | $120 (physical therapist application fee (code 040) on OPR's Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates schedule updated 7/1/2025; the license then renews at $180 biennially on September 30 of even years. Fingerprint/background-check vendor costs are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | 3–5 weeks (the Board states individual application documents are generally reviewed within 15 business days (~3 weeks), and up to 25 business days (~5 weeks) when deficiencies are found; applications requiring full Board review take longer and must be complete two weeks before a meeting) | OPR publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it states a 90-day provisional license can issue when everything except the licensure verification or background-check result is complete |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Vermont 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 Vermont: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) when you move.
- Declare Vermont as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Vermont'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 Vermont accept a Georgia physical therapy license?
Yes — both Georgia and Vermont are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Georgia is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Vermont now; if you are moving your residence to Vermont, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Vermont your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Georgia to Vermont?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; OPR accepts the passing score through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service (the OPR endorsement instructions link a 'Physical Therapists Score Transfer' step). Vermont imposes no state jurisprudence examination - neither the Physical Therapy Rule nor the PT Compact Commission's state requirements table lists one..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Vermont compact privilege to work while living in Georgia: the commission's uniform fee plus Vermont's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Vermont license by endorsement: $120 (physical therapist application fee (code 040) on OPR's Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates schedule updated 7/1/2025; the license then renews at $180 biennially on September 30 of even years. Fingerprint/background-check vendor costs are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (physical therapist application fee (code 040) on OPR's Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates schedule updated 7/1/2025; the license then renews at $180 biennially on September 30 of even years. Fingerprint/background-check vendor costs are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Vermont jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs OPR publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it states a 90-day provisional license can issue when everything except the licensure verification or background-check result is complete (OPR publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it states a 90-day provisional license can issue when everything except the licensure verification or background-check result is complete).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Vermont OPR - Physical Therapist Forms & Instructions ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Vermont OPR - Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates (updated 7/1/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Vermont OPR - Administrative Rules for Physical Therapists (eff. June 1, 2013) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - how to get privileges (state fee and jurisprudence table) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy — Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy — Instruction Sheet for Application for Licensure ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy — FAQ (reciprocity, processing, CE, background check) ↗ (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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]