Physical Therapy License from Louisiana to Ohio: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT Board) - Physical Therapy Section ↗
Yes — both Louisiana and Ohio 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 Ohio now; if you are moving your residence to Ohio, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Ohio your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both Louisiana and Ohio 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 Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT Board) - Physical Therapy Section — you buy a Ohio compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Louisiana license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Ohio 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 Ohio rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Ohio.
What changes, Louisiana → Ohio
| Louisiana (current) | Ohio (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.) | $100 (OAC 4755-4-01(B)(1) (effective August 21, 2025) caps the initial licensing fee - the fee an endorsement applicant pays - at one hundred dollars, and states that the current amount is published on the Board's website. otptat.ohio.gov and codes.ohio.gov were unreachable from the research environment on 2026-08-07, so only the rule maximum is given rather than an unverified exact figure. Biennial renewal is likewise capped at $100. The BCI/FBI criminal records check is billed separately by the record providers. This is not the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications | Neither the Ohio Revised Code nor the Board's rules state a processing timeframe; OAC 4755:2-1-01(E) provides only that an application still incomplete one year after filing is abandoned. |
| Licensing authority | Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) | Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT Board) - Physical Therapy Section |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Ohio sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Ohio: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT Board) - Physical Therapy Section when you move.
- Declare Ohio as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Ohio'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 Ohio accept a Louisiana physical therapy license?
Yes — both Louisiana and Ohio 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 Ohio now; if you are moving your residence to Ohio, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Ohio your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Louisiana to Ohio?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken for a routine transfer; FSBPT's Score Transfer Service sends the existing passing score to the physical therapy section. Ohio has one exception: under OAC 4755:2-1-04(C) an endorsement applicant who has been out of practice five or more years - defined as fewer than 500 practice hours in the prior five years - must either retake and pass the NPTE or complete an action plan approved by the physical therapy section. Note that the Ohio laws-and-rules examination is imposed by rule on licensure by EXAMINATION (OAC 4755:2-1-03(A)(2)); the endorsement rule does not itself impose it, so confirm with the Board whether the Ohio Jurisprudence Assessment Module is required on your endorsement application..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Ohio compact privilege to work while living in Louisiana: the commission's uniform fee plus Ohio's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Ohio license by endorsement: $100 (OAC 4755-4-01(B)(1) (effective August 21, 2025) caps the initial licensing fee - the fee an endorsement applicant pays - at one hundred dollars, and states that the current amount is published on the Board's website. otptat.ohio.gov and codes.ohio.gov were unreachable from the research environment on 2026-08-07, so only the rule maximum is given rather than an unverified exact figure. Biennial renewal is likewise capped at $100. The BCI/FBI criminal records check is billed separately by the record providers. This is not the PT Compact privilege fee.) (OAC 4755-4-01(B)(1) (effective August 21, 2025) caps the initial licensing fee - the fee an endorsement applicant pays - at one hundred dollars, and states that the current amount is published on the Board's website. otptat.ohio.gov and codes.ohio.gov were unreachable from the research environment on 2026-08-07, so only the rule maximum is given rather than an unverified exact figure. Biennial renewal is likewise capped at $100. The BCI/FBI criminal records check is billed separately by the record providers. This is not the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Ohio jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs Neither the Ohio Revised Code nor the Board's rules state a processing timeframe; OAC 4755:2-1-01(E) provides only that an application still incomplete one year after filing is abandoned. (Neither the Ohio Revised Code nor the Board's rules state a processing timeframe; OAC 4755:2-1-01(E) provides only that an application still incomplete one year after filing is abandoned.).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Ohio OTPTAT Board - Physical Therapy Laws and Rules, effective April 3, 2026 (LSC-authenticated ORC and OAC text: OAC 4755:2-1-01, 4755:2-1-03, 4755:2-1-04, 4755-3-05, 4755-4-01, 4755-4-02) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 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 2026-08-07
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