Physical Therapy License from Massachusetts to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Massachusetts to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board), verify your Massachusetts license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; a report of the applicant's examination record is forwarded directly from the test reporting service (FSBPT) to the Division. Illinois has no state jurisprudence exam for physical therapists..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Neither Massachusetts nor Illinois is an active member of the PT Compact, so this is a straightforward endorsement move: the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) verifies your Massachusetts license, your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT, and you complete Illinois's jurisprudence exam and background check. Nothing about Massachusetts speeds up or slows down Illinois's standard out-of-state process.
What changes, Massachusetts → Illinois
| Massachusetts (current) | Illinois (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.) | $100 (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.57(a)(1) sets the application fee for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license at $100. The separate examination-eligibility fee in that subsection applies only to examination applicants, not endorsement applicants. Renewal is calculated at $30 per year.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; the initial application process is administered by its vendor, PCS | neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Massachusetts Board of Allied Health Professions (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure, Department of Public Health) | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Be actively licensed as a physical therapist in the United States or its territories at the time of application.
- Submit certification of successful completion of an approved physical therapist program under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.20.
- Have license certification sent from the state of original licensure and from the state where you are currently licensed and practicing.
- Have your NPTE examination record forwarded directly from the test reporting service.
- If your first language is not English, submit passage of the TOEFL (waived if licensed and actively practicing in a U.S. jurisdiction for the 3 years before applying).
- File the application through the IDFPR CORE online licensing system.
- Pay the fees ($100 (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.57(a)(1) sets the application fee for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license at $100. The separate examination-eligibility fee in that subsection applies only to examination applicants, not endorsement applicants. Renewal is calculated at $30 per year.)) and allow neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Illinois accept a Massachusetts physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Massachusetts to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board), verify your Massachusetts license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; a report of the applicant's examination record is forwarded directly from the test reporting service (FSBPT) to the Division. Illinois has no state jurisprudence exam for physical therapists..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Massachusetts to Illinois?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; a report of the applicant's examination record is forwarded directly from the test reporting service (FSBPT) to the Division. Illinois has no state jurisprudence exam for physical therapists..
What does the move cost?
$100 (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.57(a)(1) sets the application fee for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license at $100. The separate examination-eligibility fee in that subsection applies only to examination applicants, not endorsement applicants. Renewal is calculated at $30 per year.) (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.57(a)(1) sets the application fee for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license at $100. The separate examination-eligibility fee in that subsection applies only to examination applicants, not endorsement applicants. Renewal is calculated at $30 per year.).
How long will it take?
neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications — neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- IDFPR — Physical Therapy profession page (CORE applications, endorsement link, license look-up) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- IDFPR — Qualifications for Licensure: Physical Therapist (070), effective 03/2026 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1340 — Illinois Physical Therapy Act rules (Sec. 1340.50 Endorsement, Sec. 1340.57 Fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — States by Category ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 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)
- PT Compact — member state status map ↗ (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]