Physical Therapy License from Michigan to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Michigan to Arizona by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy, verify your Michigan license, and meet Arizona's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is verified/transferred to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Arizona also requires passing the AZLAW jurisprudence exam (50 questions; a scaled score of 600 to pass)..
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a payoff. Michigan is outside the active compact, so you have had no privileges to work with — but Arizona is an active member. Endorse into Arizona with the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy, establish it as your home state and primary residence, and Arizona becomes your springboard: from there you can buy compact privileges into every other active member state without another full license. Your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT; you do not re-sit the exam.
What changes, Michigan → Arizona
| Michigan (current) | Arizona (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact enacted — not yet issuing | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $319.75 (single combined charge labelled 'Application Fee + 3 year license fee', identical for a Physical Therapist license by examination OR by endorsement; payable only by Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover. LARA does not publish the application/license split anywhere on its live site, so the two components are not separately stated. The PSI jurisprudence exam fee and criminal background check costs are billed separately and are not published by LARA. Michigan licenses on a 3-year cycle; renewal is $297.75 and relicensure $339.75.) | $190–$260 (original-license application fee per A.A.C. R4-24-107: $260 if applying Sep 1 (even year)-Aug 31 (odd year), $190 if applying in the second half of the biennial cycle; an endorsement is filed as an original-license application. Statutory cap is $300 (A.R.S. 32-2029). AZLAW exam fees (~$65 to FSBPT + ~$29.50 to Prometric) are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | LARA's Physical Therapist Licensing Guide states no processing timeframe for endorsement applications | the Board's statutes and rules do not state a processing timeframe |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional Licensing, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) | Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arizona sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Arizona's current requirements on the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Graduate of a physical therapy program accredited by a board-approved national agency (CAPTE); official transcript required.
- Hold a valid, unrestricted PT license in another U.S. jurisdiction and submit signed verification of each out-of-state license.
- Pass the AZLAW jurisprudence examination on Arizona statutes and rules.
- Submit documentation of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence and a recent passport photo.
- Pay the fees ($190–$260 (original-license application fee per A.A.C. R4-24-107: $260 if applying Sep 1 (even year)-Aug 31 (odd year), $190 if applying in the second half of the biennial cycle; an endorsement is filed as an original-license application. Statutory cap is $300 (A.R.S. 32-2029). AZLAW exam fees (~$65 to FSBPT + ~$29.50 to Prometric) are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.)) and allow the Board's statutes and rules do not state a processing timeframe.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arizona accept a Michigan physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Michigan to Arizona by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy, verify your Michigan license, and meet Arizona's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is verified/transferred to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Arizona also requires passing the AZLAW jurisprudence exam (50 questions; a scaled score of 600 to pass)..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Michigan to Arizona?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is verified/transferred to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Arizona also requires passing the AZLAW jurisprudence exam (50 questions; a scaled score of 600 to pass)..
What does the move cost?
$190–$260 (original-license application fee per A.A.C. R4-24-107: $260 if applying Sep 1 (even year)-Aug 31 (odd year), $190 if applying in the second half of the biennial cycle; an endorsement is filed as an original-license application. Statutory cap is $300 (A.R.S. 32-2029). AZLAW exam fees (~$65 to FSBPT + ~$29.50 to Prometric) are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (original-license application fee per A.A.C. R4-24-107: $260 if applying Sep 1 (even year)-Aug 31 (odd year), $190 if applying in the second half of the biennial cycle; an endorsement is filed as an original-license application. Statutory cap is $300 (A.R.S. 32-2029). AZLAW exam fees (~$65 to FSBPT + ~$29.50 to Prometric) are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
the Board's statutes and rules do not state a processing timeframe — the Board's statutes and rules do not state a processing timeframe.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-24-107 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-24-201 — Application for a Physical Therapist License ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- A.R.S. 32-2029 — Board of Physical Therapy fees (statutory cap) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member states map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Michigan LARA — Physical Therapy Licensing Guide and FAQs, revision date 2026-01-26 (read live from michigan.gov; $319.75 exam-or-endorsement fee, 3-year cycle, human trafficking + implicit bias training) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Michigan LARA — Board of Physical Therapy, licensing information (guide link source) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Michigan LARA — Physical Therapy Examination (Michigan Jurisprudence Exam required of ALL applicants, delivered by PSI) ↗ (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]