Physical Therapy License from Massachusetts to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Massachusetts to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health), verify your Massachusetts license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is moved to Florida via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service (a $90 FSBPT fee). Florida also requires the Florida Laws and Rules (jurisprudence) Examination, taken through FSBPT at a Prometric testing center..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Massachusetts nor Florida is an active member of the PT Compact, so this is a straightforward endorsement move: the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health) verifies your Massachusetts license, your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT, and you complete Florida's jurisprudence exam and background check. Nothing about Massachusetts speeds up or slows down Florida's standard out-of-state process.
What changes, Massachusetts → Florida
| Massachusetts (current) | Florida (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $226 (Physical Therapist Initial License by Reciprocity = $126.00 PCS vendor fee + $100.00 Board fee = $226.00, per the Board's published fee table. Fees are non-refundable and an additional processing fee may apply depending on payment method. Massachusetts is NOT a PT Compact state, so no compact privilege fee exists here.) | $180 ($180 total to the Board = $100 endorsement application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed-activity fee (FAC 64B17-2.001). A separate $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee and the electronic-fingerprint fee are additional. Florida is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact privilege alternative.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; the initial application process is administered by its vendor, PCS | 2–3 weeks (The Board conducts initial review within 10 business days of receipt and issues the license within about 7 days once all requirements are met; this excludes time for NPTE score transfer, license verifications, and fingerprint results.) |
| Licensing authority | Massachusetts Board of Allied Health Professions (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health) | Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Hold an active, unencumbered PT license from another state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
- Pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) and transfer the score via FSBPT.
- Pass the Florida Laws and Rules Examination (Chapters 456 and 486, F.S.) through FSBPT.
- Complete electronic fingerprinting for a criminal background screening.
- Under the MOBILE endorsement pathway, have actively practiced at least two years during the preceding four years with no disciplinary action in the prior five years.
- Submit license verification from each state where a license is or has ever been held.
- Pay the fees ($180 ($180 total to the Board = $100 endorsement application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed-activity fee (FAC 64B17-2.001). A separate $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee and the electronic-fingerprint fee are additional. Florida is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact privilege alternative.)) and allow 2–3 weeks (The Board conducts initial review within 10 business days of receipt and issues the license within about 7 days once all requirements are met; this excludes time for NPTE score transfer, license verifications, and fingerprint results.).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Florida accept a Massachusetts physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Massachusetts to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health), verify your Massachusetts license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is moved to Florida via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service (a $90 FSBPT fee). Florida also requires the Florida Laws and Rules (jurisprudence) Examination, taken through FSBPT at a Prometric testing center..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Massachusetts to Florida?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is moved to Florida via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service (a $90 FSBPT fee). Florida also requires the Florida Laws and Rules (jurisprudence) Examination, taken through FSBPT at a Prometric testing center..
What does the move cost?
$180 ($180 total to the Board = $100 endorsement application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed-activity fee (FAC 64B17-2.001). A separate $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee and the electronic-fingerprint fee are additional. Florida is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact privilege alternative.) ($180 total to the Board = $100 endorsement application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed-activity fee (FAC 64B17-2.001). A separate $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee and the electronic-fingerprint fee are additional. Florida is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact privilege alternative.).
How long will it take?
2–3 weeks (The Board conducts initial review within 10 business days of receipt and issues the license within about 7 days once all requirements are met; this excludes time for NPTE score transfer, license verifications, and fingerprint results.) — The Board conducts initial review within 10 business days of receipt and issues the license within about 7 days once all requirements are met; this excludes time for NPTE score transfer, license verifications, and fingerprint results..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Florida Board of Physical Therapy — Physical Therapist (MOBILE endorsement) licensing ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Florida Board of Physical Therapy — Florida PT/PTA Laws and Rules Exam ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Fla. Stat. Ch. 486 (486.031, 486.081) — Physical Therapy Practice Act ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Mass.gov — Apply for a license from the Board of Allied Health Professionals (fee table + requirements; mass.gov blocks automated access, page read via Internet Archive snapshot 2026-04-15) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure — Fees and License Renewal Schedules for Allied Health Professionals (board code AH) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT — NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]