Physical Therapy License from Louisiana to Kansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Kansas State Board of Healing Arts ↗
Yes — both Louisiana and Kansas are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Louisiana is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Kansas now; if you are moving your residence to Kansas, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Kansas your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both Louisiana and Kansas are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Louisiana is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts — you buy a Kansas compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Louisiana license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Kansas may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Louisiana license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Kansas rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Kansas.
What changes, Louisiana → Kansas
| Louisiana (current) | Kansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $250 (PT license application fee per LAC 46:LIV §501, paid by domestic cashier's check or money order only (personal checks are returned). The $95 'compact state fee' in the same rule is the PT Compact privilege fee, NOT the reciprocity 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.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) | Kansas State Board of Healing Arts |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to Kansas: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts when you move.
- Declare Kansas as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Kansas's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas accept a Louisiana physical therapy license?
Yes — both Louisiana and Kansas are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Louisiana is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Kansas now; if you are moving your residence to Kansas, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Kansas your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Louisiana to Kansas?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score transfers via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Kansas does NOT require a jurisprudence exam for initial licensure by endorsement — the Kansas Jurisprudence Assessment Module (JAM) applies only to biennial renewal in odd-numbered years and to PT Compact privileges (per FSBPT)..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Kansas compact privilege to work while living in Louisiana: the commission's uniform fee plus Kansas's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Kansas license by endorsement: $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.) ('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.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Kansas jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications (the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- LAC 46:LIV §501 — Louisiana physical therapy fees (Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LAC 46:LIV §151 — Application (jurisprudence exam + background check) (Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Louisiana PT Board — Reciprocity for PTs and PTAs (Non-Foreign Educated) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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