Transfer Your Physical Therapy License to Louisiana: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) ↗
Louisiana issues and accepts compact privileges as an active PT Compact member. If your home state is a member, you can practice in Louisiana on a purchased privilege without a Louisiana license; otherwise, or if you are moving to Louisiana, the route is licensure by endorsement with the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) — $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.), no NPTE retake, the score transferred through the FSBPT.
Moving to Louisiana from a specific state?
Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.
Verdict
PT Compact member — multistate license honored
Whether Louisiana costs you a full license or just a privilege depends on what you are actually doing. Working in Louisiana while your license and residence stay in another member state — a travel assignment, a satellite clinic, telehealth across the line — means buying a Louisiana compact privilege and keeping your home license; Louisiana charges no full-license fee for that path, though it may require its jurisprudence exam first. Relocating to Louisiana is the other case: your residence changes, Louisiana becomes your home state, and that is licensure by endorsement with the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), after which Louisiana can anchor privileges of its own.
Louisiana is an ACTIVE PT Compact member; the state PT Compact privilege fee is $95 (LAC 46:LIV §501), distinct from the $250 reciprocity application fee. Reciprocity applicants must transfer the NPTE via FSBPT, pass the free online jurisprudence exam (75%), and verify every license held. The board site (laptboard.org) blocks automated fetches; fee verified in the LAC via Cornell LII (§501), the jurisprudence/background-check requirement via §151, and reciprocity specifics via the board's reciprocity page surfaced in search.
Louisiana requirements at a glance
| Exam | NPTE is not retaken; the passing score must be sent to the Board through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Louisiana also requires all applicants to pass the Board's free online jurisprudence exam (40 questions from the Practice Act and Rules, 75% to pass). |
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| Additional requirements |
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| Fees | $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.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications |
Step by step
- Confirm Louisiana's current requirements on the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) website — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) (application linked on this page).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Graduate of a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program.
- Hold a current, unrestricted license in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction.
- Have the NPTE score transferred to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service.
- Pass the Louisiana online jurisprudence exam (Practice Act and Rules) with at least 75%.
- Submit written verification of licensure for every jurisdiction where ever licensed.
- Fingerprint-based criminal background check.
- Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications.
Official links
Coming from a specific state?
Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Louisiana:
All 42 origin states
Frequently asked questions
Does my physical therapy license transfer to Louisiana?
Louisiana issues and accepts compact privileges as an active PT Compact member. If your home state is a member, you can practice in Louisiana on a purchased privilege without a Louisiana license; otherwise, or if you are moving to Louisiana, the route is licensure by endorsement with the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) — $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.), no NPTE retake, the score transferred through the FSBPT.
Do I have to retake the NPTE to get licensed in Louisiana?
No. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score must be sent to the Board through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Louisiana also requires all applicants to pass the Board's free online jurisprudence exam (40 questions from the Practice Act and Rules, 75% to pass).. No state requires a second NPTE.
How much does it cost to transfer a PT license to Louisiana by endorsement?
$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.) (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.).
How long does Louisiana take to process an endorsement application?
the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications — the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications.
Is Louisiana in the PT Compact?
Yes — Louisiana is an active member as of 2026-07-21. A PT or PTA whose home state is also a member can buy a Louisiana compact privilege instead of a full license; relocating to Louisiana still requires licensure by endorsement.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]