Transfer Your Physical Therapy License to Hawaii: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) ↗
No compact privilege reaches Hawaii: it is a non-member state, so the only route is licensure by endorsement through the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division). Expect $185–$300 (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.) and processing of the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)); your NPTE passing score transfers via the FSBPT, so the exam is not repeated.
Moving to Hawaii from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Plan the timeline first, because Hawaii recognizes no compact privilege at all. You cannot legally treat a single Hawaii patient — in person or by telehealth — until the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) issues your license, and there is no travel or telehealth shortcut around that. The steps below are the endorsement path, which is the only path into Hawaii.
Hawaii has NOT joined the PT Compact, so no compact privilege can be used here — a PT moving to Hawaii must obtain a Hawaii license. The Board's own application states: 'Hawaii does not reciprocate with any other state or country. Each applicant is required to meet the education and national examination requirements according to Hawaii laws and rules.' The transfer path is therefore the 'exam waiver' provision rather than a named reciprocity or endorsement program, and the application form's checkbox for it is labelled 'Applying for endorsement.' Fees are unusual: the amount owed depends on whether you are licensed in an even- or odd-numbered year because Hawaii licenses renew biennially on December 31 of even-numbered years. No fingerprint background check is required for the general applicant; a criminal history record check is required only when an applicant answers 'yes' to the disciplinary/criminal questions.
Hawaii requirements at a glance
| Exam | NPTE is not retaken; Hawaii licenses out-of-state applicants under its 'exam waiver' provision once the FSBPT Score Transfer Service sends the passing score directly to the Board. Hawaii has no separate state jurisprudence exam for licensure. |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $185–$300 (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)) |
Step by step
- Confirm Hawaii's current requirements on the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Have a certified transcript sent directly to the Board from your CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program.
- Request the FSBPT Score Transfer Service to forward your NPTE score directly to the Board.
- Have every state or territory where you hold or held a license complete the Board's Verification of License form and send it directly.
- Provide a Social Security Number and be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or alien authorized to work in the United States.
- Mail the completed application and fees to the Board of Physical Therapy, DCCA-PVL Licensing Branch.
- Pay the fees ($185–$300 (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.)) and allow the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)).
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Hawaii:
Frequently asked questions
Does my physical therapy license transfer to Hawaii?
No compact privilege reaches Hawaii: it is a non-member state, so the only route is licensure by endorsement through the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division). Expect $185–$300 (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.) and processing of the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)); your NPTE passing score transfers via the FSBPT, so the exam is not repeated.
Do I have to retake the NPTE to get licensed in Hawaii?
No. NPTE is not retaken; Hawaii licenses out-of-state applicants under its 'exam waiver' provision once the FSBPT Score Transfer Service sends the passing score directly to the Board. Hawaii has no separate state jurisprudence exam for licensure.. No state requires a second NPTE.
How much does it cost to transfer a PT license to Hawaii by endorsement?
$185–$300 (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.) (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.).
How long does Hawaii take to process an endorsement application?
the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)) — the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)).
Is Hawaii in the PT Compact?
No. Hawaii has not joined the compact as of 2026-08-07, so no compact privilege authorizes practice there and endorsement is the only route.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Hawaii DCCA — Board of Physical Therapy ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Hawaii DCCA — Physical Therapy Application Forms and Publications ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Hawaii DCCA — Physical Therapist License Application, Information/Requirements and Instructions (PT-02 0226) ↗ (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]