Physical Therapy License from Indiana to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Kentucky — both Indiana and Kentucky are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Indiana is your primary state of residence and your Indiana license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Kentucky without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Kentucky, you will need a Kentucky license once Kentucky becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both Indiana and Kentucky are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Indiana is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a Kentucky compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Indiana license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Kentucky may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Indiana license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Kentucky rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Kentucky.
What changes, Indiana → Kentucky
| Indiana (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $100 (the IPLA fee schedule lists 'Physical Therapist License by Reciprocity' at $100.00, the same as licensure by examination; all fees are non-refundable. The criminal background check is paid separately to the vendor. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) | $225 (initial credentialing fee per 201 KAR 22:135 §2; the fee schedule lists no separate 'by endorsement' fee, so endorsement applicants pay this initial credentialing fee. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | IPLA publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; it states only that an application is abandoned without Board action if all requirements are not submitted within one year of filing | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Indiana Physical Therapy Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) | Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Kentucky: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Kentucky through the compact commission and complete any Kentucky jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Kentucky: apply for a Kentucky license with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy; a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kentucky accept an Indiana physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Kentucky — both Indiana and Kentucky are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Indiana is your primary state of residence and your Indiana license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Kentucky without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Kentucky, you will need a Kentucky license once Kentucky becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Indiana to Kentucky?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the applicant registers with the FSBPT Score Transfer Service to have the passing score (criterion-referenced standard of 600) sent to Kentucky. Kentucky also requires completion of the state open-book jurisprudence examination for the current biennium.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Kentucky compact privilege to work while living in Indiana: the commission's uniform fee plus Kentucky's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Kentucky license by endorsement: $225 (initial credentialing fee per 201 KAR 22:135 §2; the fee schedule lists no separate 'by endorsement' fee, so endorsement applicants pay this initial credentialing fee. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Kentucky jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 201 KAR 22:020 — Eligibility and credentialing procedure (endorsement, §7) (Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 201 KAR 22:135 — Board of Physical Therapy fees (Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Physical Therapy Licensing Information (reciprocity checklist, fee schedule, PT Compact) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Physical Therapy Home ↗ (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)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]