Physical Therapy License from Kansas to California: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Kansas to California by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs), verify your Kansas license, and meet California's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the Federation electronically submits the applicant's NPTE Score Transfer Report to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. California additionally requires passing the California Jurisprudence Assessment Module (CAL-JAM), a 50-question law exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Kansas into California leaves the compact behind: California has not joined the compact, so no Kansas privilege reaches it. You transfer by licensure by endorsement with the Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) — your NPTE score moves through the FSBPT rather than being retaken, and California adds its own jurisprudence exam and background check. Your Kansas license and any privileges you hold elsewhere stay valid as long as your residence remains in Kansas; file California's application before you rely on income there.
What changes, Kansas → California
| Kansas (current) | California (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $80 ('application based on certificate of prior examination' (endorsement) fee per K.A.R. 100-29-7; + ~$57 KBI fingerprint-based background-check fee (in notes, not the range). The $65 'compact privilege' fee in the same rule is the PT Compact privilege fee, NOT the endorsement fee.) | $450 (nonrefundable $300 application processing fee + $150 initial license fee (both required to obtain the license) = $450. A $49 fingerprint hard-card fee and the $50 CAL-JAM exam fee (paid to FSBPT) are separate. California is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact-privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications | 6–7 weeks (the Board acknowledges receipt within 30 days and states a license is generally issued within 45 days (about 6-7 weeks) after all deficiencies are satisfied and scores are received) |
| Licensing authority | Kansas State Board of Healing Arts | Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — California sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm California's current requirements on the Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Graduate of a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program.
- Already hold a PT license in another U.S. jurisdiction (apply via the endorsement pathway).
- Pass the California Jurisprudence Assessment Module (CAL-JAM).
- Fingerprint/background check through the California DOJ and FBI (Live Scan in-state, or fingerprint hard cards for out-of-state applicants).
- Submit license and exam verification from every other jurisdiction where licensed.
- Pay the fees ($450 (nonrefundable $300 application processing fee + $150 initial license fee (both required to obtain the license) = $450. A $49 fingerprint hard-card fee and the $50 CAL-JAM exam fee (paid to FSBPT) are separate. California is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact-privilege fee.)) and allow 6–7 weeks (the Board acknowledges receipt within 30 days and states a license is generally issued within 45 days (about 6-7 weeks) after all deficiencies are satisfied and scores are received).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does California accept a Kansas physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Kansas to California by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Physical Therapy Board of California (Department of Consumer Affairs), verify your Kansas license, and meet California's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the Federation electronically submits the applicant's NPTE Score Transfer Report to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. California additionally requires passing the California Jurisprudence Assessment Module (CAL-JAM), a 50-question law exam..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Kansas to California?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the Federation electronically submits the applicant's NPTE Score Transfer Report to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. California additionally requires passing the California Jurisprudence Assessment Module (CAL-JAM), a 50-question law exam..
What does the move cost?
$450 (nonrefundable $300 application processing fee + $150 initial license fee (both required to obtain the license) = $450. A $49 fingerprint hard-card fee and the $50 CAL-JAM exam fee (paid to FSBPT) are separate. California is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact-privilege fee.) (nonrefundable $300 application processing fee + $150 initial license fee (both required to obtain the license) = $450. A $49 fingerprint hard-card fee and the $50 CAL-JAM exam fee (paid to FSBPT) are separate. California is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact-privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
6–7 weeks (the Board acknowledges receipt within 30 days and states a license is generally issued within 45 days (about 6-7 weeks) after all deficiencies are satisfied and scores are received) — the Board acknowledges receipt within 30 days and states a license is generally issued within 45 days (about 6-7 weeks) after all deficiencies are satisfied and scores are received.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Physical Therapy Board of California — US-Educated PT/PTA Applicant (Endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PTBC — Endorsement Application Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PTBC — Endorsement Examination Information (CAL-JAM) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- K.A.R. 100-29-7 — Kansas physical therapist fees (Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- FSBPT — Jurisprudence Assessment Module (JAM), Kansas ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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