Physical Therapy License from Idaho to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Idaho to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), verify your Idaho license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken. Under 49 Pa. Code section 40.16 an applicant licensed or registered as a physical therapist in another state, territory or the District of Columbia is licensed by endorsement on evidence that the requirements there were substantially equal to Pennsylvania's at the date of that licensure, together with the professional credentials required by section 40.11. No separate Pennsylvania jurisprudence examination appears in section 40.16 or on the Board's physical therapist licensure snapshot..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a payoff. Idaho is outside the active compact, so you have had no privileges to work with — but Pennsylvania is an active member. Endorse into Pennsylvania with the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), establish it as your home state and primary residence, and Pennsylvania becomes your springboard: from there you can buy compact privileges into every other active member state without another full license. Your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT; you do not re-sit the exam.
What changes, Idaho → Pennsylvania
| Idaho (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $50 (the endorsement checklist states a total of $50.00, made up of the $25.00 application fee plus the $25.00 licensure fee. The extra $20.00 NPTE registration fee applies only to applicants sitting for the exam through Idaho, not to endorsement applicants. Returned checks incur a $20 fee. IDAPA 24.13.01 Section 400 confirms fees are non-refundable but the current schedule is published on the application form rather than in rule.) | $30 (49 Pa. Code section 40.5 sets 'Application for licensure by examination/endorsement' at $30 for a physical therapist; initial application for PTA certification by examination or endorsement is also $30. Related items in the same fee rule: biennial PT renewal $90, licensure through foreign training $45, temporary licence $15, verification of licensure $15, certification of examination scores or licensure $25. Criminal history record checks and the 3-hour child abuse training are billed separately by their providers.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; it states only that incomplete applications delay licensure and that military applicants may qualify for expedited processing under Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407 | Neither the Board's regulations nor the Department of State's physical therapist licensure snapshot states a processing timeframe. |
| Licensing authority | Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) | Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Pennsylvania's current requirements on the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Submit a written application on Board forms with the professional credentials required by 49 Pa. Code section 40.11.
- Provide evidence satisfactory to the Board that you are licensed or registered as a physical therapist elsewhere under requirements substantially equal to Pennsylvania's.
- Complete at least 3 hours of Board-approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting for initial licensure.
- Pay the licensure-by-endorsement fee prescribed in 49 Pa. Code section 40.5.
- Pay the fees ($30 (49 Pa. Code section 40.5 sets 'Application for licensure by examination/endorsement' at $30 for a physical therapist; initial application for PTA certification by examination or endorsement is also $30. Related items in the same fee rule: biennial PT renewal $90, licensure through foreign training $45, temporary licence $15, verification of licensure $15, certification of examination scores or licensure $25. Criminal history record checks and the 3-hour child abuse training are billed separately by their providers.)) and allow Neither the Board's regulations nor the Department of State's physical therapist licensure snapshot states a processing timeframe..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a Idaho physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Idaho to Pennsylvania by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State), verify your Idaho license, and meet Pennsylvania's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken. Under 49 Pa. Code section 40.16 an applicant licensed or registered as a physical therapist in another state, territory or the District of Columbia is licensed by endorsement on evidence that the requirements there were substantially equal to Pennsylvania's at the date of that licensure, together with the professional credentials required by section 40.11. No separate Pennsylvania jurisprudence examination appears in section 40.16 or on the Board's physical therapist licensure snapshot..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Idaho to Pennsylvania?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken. Under 49 Pa. Code section 40.16 an applicant licensed or registered as a physical therapist in another state, territory or the District of Columbia is licensed by endorsement on evidence that the requirements there were substantially equal to Pennsylvania's at the date of that licensure, together with the professional credentials required by section 40.11. No separate Pennsylvania jurisprudence examination appears in section 40.16 or on the Board's physical therapist licensure snapshot..
What does the move cost?
$30 (49 Pa. Code section 40.5 sets 'Application for licensure by examination/endorsement' at $30 for a physical therapist; initial application for PTA certification by examination or endorsement is also $30. Related items in the same fee rule: biennial PT renewal $90, licensure through foreign training $45, temporary licence $15, verification of licensure $15, certification of examination scores or licensure $25. Criminal history record checks and the 3-hour child abuse training are billed separately by their providers.) (49 Pa. Code section 40.5 sets 'Application for licensure by examination/endorsement' at $30 for a physical therapist; initial application for PTA certification by examination or endorsement is also $30. Related items in the same fee rule: biennial PT renewal $90, licensure through foreign training $45, temporary licence $15, verification of licensure $15, certification of examination scores or licensure $25. Criminal history record checks and the 3-hour child abuse training are billed separately by their providers.).
How long will it take?
Neither the Board's regulations nor the Department of State's physical therapist licensure snapshot states a processing timeframe. — Neither the Board's regulations nor the Department of State's physical therapist licensure snapshot states a processing timeframe..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 49 Pa. Code section 40.16 - Licensure by endorsement (Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code section 40.5 - Fees (Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PA Department of State - Physical Therapist Licensure Snapshot (State Board of Physical Therapy) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 40 Subchapter A - Physical Therapists (section list) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Idaho DOPL — Physical Therapy Board (FAQ, including compact membership statement) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board — Application for Licensure (PT), endorsement checklist and fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- IDAPA 24.13.01 — Rules of the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board ↗ (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]