Transfer Your Physical Therapy License to Illinois: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) ↗
Illinois has not joined the PT Compact, so no compact privilege — yours or anyone's — authorizes practice there. Every incoming PT or PTA applies to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) for licensure by endorsement: $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.), processing neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications, with the NPTE score transferred through the FSBPT rather than retaken.
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Plan the timeline first, because Illinois recognizes no compact privilege at all. You cannot legally treat a single Illinois patient — in person or by telehealth — until the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) 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 Illinois.
Illinois is not a PT Compact member, so no compact privilege can be used here — an endorsement license is the only route (the Compact Commission currently lists Illinois under 'Introduced Legislation,' meaning a bill exists but has not been enacted). Illinois offers a second endorsement pathway under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.50(d): an applicant who can show at least 10 consecutive years of licensure in another jurisdiction without discipline may qualify on that basis, submitting certified verification of that practice history instead of the standard substantial-equivalence review. The Division reviews endorsement applications to confirm the original jurisdiction's requirements were substantially equivalent to Illinois requirements at the date of licensing. Since 30 October 2024 all new physical therapy applications are filed in IDFPR's CORE system.
Illinois requirements at a glance
| Exam | NPTE is not retaken; a report of the applicant's examination record is forwarded directly from the test reporting service (FSBPT) to the Division. Illinois has no state jurisprudence exam for physical therapists. |
|---|---|
| Additional requirements |
|
| Fees | $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.) |
| Processing time | neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Be actively licensed as a physical therapist in the United States or its territories at the time of application.
- Submit certification of successful completion of an approved physical therapist program under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.20.
- Have license certification sent from the state of original licensure and from the state where you are currently licensed and practicing.
- Have your NPTE examination record forwarded directly from the test reporting service.
- If your first language is not English, submit passage of the TOEFL (waived if licensed and actively practicing in a U.S. jurisdiction for the 3 years before applying).
- File the application through the IDFPR CORE online licensing system.
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Official links
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Frequently asked questions
Does my physical therapy license transfer to Illinois?
Illinois has not joined the PT Compact, so no compact privilege — yours or anyone's — authorizes practice there. Every incoming PT or PTA applies to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) for licensure by endorsement: $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.), processing neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications, with the NPTE score transferred through the FSBPT rather than retaken.
Do I have to retake the NPTE to get licensed in Illinois?
No. NPTE is not retaken; a report of the applicant's examination record is forwarded directly from the test reporting service (FSBPT) to the Division. Illinois has no state jurisprudence exam for physical therapists.. No state requires a second NPTE.
How much does it cost to transfer a PT license to Illinois by endorsement?
$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.) (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.).
How long does Illinois take to process an endorsement application?
neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications — neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Is Illinois in the PT Compact?
No. Illinois 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.
- 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)
- 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]