Physical Therapy License from Illinois to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Illinois to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), verify your Illinois license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; official documentation of your passing NPTE score must be sent to the Board directly from the national board (FSBPT). In place of a proctored jurisprudence exam, Idaho requires a completed open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Illinois nor Idaho is an active member of the PT Compact, so this is a straightforward endorsement move: the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) verifies your Illinois license, your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT, and you complete Idaho's jurisprudence exam and background check. Nothing about Illinois speeds up or slows down Idaho's standard out-of-state process.
What changes, Illinois → Idaho
| Illinois (current) | Idaho (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| 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.) | $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.) |
| Processing time | neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications | 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 |
| Licensing authority | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) | Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the application form signed and notarized (an acknowledgement is not accepted — it must be a jurat).
- Attach a color copy of a government-issued photo ID as proof of age.
- Complete the Board's open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules.
- Attach a copy of your diploma as evidence of graduation (endorsement applicants).
- Submit two completed professional reference forms.
- Have license certification sent directly to the Board from every state where you have held a license.
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 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.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho accept a Illinois physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Illinois to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), verify your Illinois license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; official documentation of your passing NPTE score must be sent to the Board directly from the national board (FSBPT). In place of a proctored jurisprudence exam, Idaho requires a completed open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Illinois to Idaho?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; official documentation of your passing NPTE score must be sent to the Board directly from the national board (FSBPT). In place of a proctored jurisprudence exam, Idaho requires a completed open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules..
What does the move cost?
$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.) (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.).
How long will it take?
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 — 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.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- 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
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