Physical Therapy License from Louisiana to Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Virginia — both Louisiana and Virginia are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Louisiana is your primary state of residence and your Louisiana license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Virginia without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Virginia, you will need a Virginia license once Virginia becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both Louisiana and Virginia 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 Virginia Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Health Professions) — you buy a Virginia compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Louisiana license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Virginia 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 Virginia rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Virginia.
What changes, Louisiana → Virginia
| Louisiana (current) | Virginia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| 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.) | $140 (licensure-by-endorsement application fee for a physical therapist under 18VAC112-20-27 (most recently amended June 18, 2025); the PTA endorsement fee is $100. Active PT renewal is $135 biennially. The $50 compact privilege fee and the $75 direct access certification fee in the same section are separate charges. Criminal background check costs are not included.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications | the Board publishes no processing timeframe; its FAQ states only that an application remains valid for one year before a new application and fee are required |
| Licensing authority | Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) | Virginia Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Health Professions) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Virginia 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 Virginia: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Virginia through the compact commission and complete any Virginia jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Virginia: apply for a Virginia license with the Virginia Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Health Professions); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Virginia accept a Louisiana physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Virginia — both Louisiana and Virginia are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Louisiana is your primary state of residence and your Louisiana license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Virginia without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Virginia, you will need a Virginia license once Virginia becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Louisiana to Virginia?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; 18VAC112-20-65 requires documentation that the board-prescribed national examination was passed, and FSBPT transfers the score to the licensing authority. Virginia's endorsement regulation imposes no state jurisprudence examination, and the PT Compact Commission lists no Virginia jurisprudence requirement.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Virginia compact privilege to work while living in Louisiana: the commission's uniform fee plus Virginia's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Virginia license by endorsement: $140 (licensure-by-endorsement application fee for a physical therapist under 18VAC112-20-27 (most recently amended June 18, 2025); the PTA endorsement fee is $100. Active PT renewal is $135 biennially. The $50 compact privilege fee and the $75 direct access certification fee in the same section are separate charges. Criminal background check costs are not included.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Virginia jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs the Board publishes no processing timeframe; its FAQ states only that an application remains valid for one year before a new application and fee are required.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 18VAC112-20-27 - Fees (Virginia Board of Physical Therapy) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 18VAC112-20-65 - Requirements for licensure by endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Virginia Board of Physical Therapy - Licensure FAQ ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - how to get privileges (state fee and jurisprudence table) ↗ (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 the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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