Physical Therapy License from Illinois to Georgia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Illinois to Georgia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division), verify your Illinois license, and meet Georgia's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; you request FSBPT to send an official copy of your NPTE score directly to the Board. Georgia additionally requires passing the Georgia Jurisprudence Assessment Module (GA JAM), administered by FSBPT..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a payoff. Illinois is outside the active compact, so you have had no privileges to work with — but Georgia is an active member. Endorse into Georgia with the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division), establish it as your home state and primary residence, and Georgia 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, Illinois → Georgia
| Illinois (current) | Georgia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $100 (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.57(a)(1) sets the application fee for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license at $100. The separate examination-eligibility fee in that subsection applies only to examination applicants, not endorsement applicants. Renewal is calculated at $30 per year.) | $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.) |
| Processing time | neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications | 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) |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) | Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Georgia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Georgia's current requirements on the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold a current license in good standing and have practiced in another jurisdiction within the past 2 years.
- Have an official transcript sent directly from your CAPTE-accredited program showing graduation date and degree conferred.
- Pass the Georgia Jurisprudence Assessment Module (GA JAM) through FSBPT.
- Complete a fingerprint background check through the GAPS Applicant Processing Service (Idemia/Fieldprint).
- Have license verification sent directly to the Board from every state where you have ever been licensed.
- Document 26 hours of continuing education completed within the past 2 years.
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 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).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Georgia accept a Illinois physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Illinois to Georgia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division), verify your Illinois license, and meet Georgia's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; you request FSBPT to send an official copy of your NPTE score directly to the Board. Georgia additionally requires passing the Georgia Jurisprudence Assessment Module (GA JAM), administered by FSBPT..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Illinois to Georgia?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; you request FSBPT to send an official copy of your NPTE score directly to the Board. Georgia additionally requires passing the Georgia Jurisprudence Assessment Module (GA JAM), administered by FSBPT..
What does the move cost?
$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.) ($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.).
How long will it take?
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) — 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.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- IDFPR — Physical Therapy profession page (CORE applications, endorsement link, license look-up) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- IDFPR — Qualifications for Licensure: Physical Therapist (070), effective 03/2026 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1340 — Illinois Physical Therapy Act rules (Sec. 1340.50 Endorsement, Sec. 1340.57 Fees) ↗ (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]