Physical Therapy License from Michigan to District of Columbia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Michigan to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health), verify your Michigan license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is verified through FSBPT (via the FSBPT ID on the NPTE score report). DC also requires the District of Columbia Jurisprudence Examination, which is registered for and taken through FSBPT..
Verify this exact pair in the checker
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 District of Columbia is an active member. Endorse into District of Columbia with the District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health), establish it as your home state and primary residence, and District of Columbia 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 → District of Columbia
| Michigan (current) | District of Columbia (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.) | $264 ($264 combined application and license fee paid online (DC Health licensing portal), per the DC endorsement checklist; a separate $50 criminal background check fee is paid online with the application. Licenses run biennially, expiring Jan 31 of odd-numbered years. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | LARA's Physical Therapist Licensing Guide states no processing timeframe for endorsement applications | DC Health does not publish a processing timeframe for endorsement applications. |
| Licensing authority | Michigan Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional Licensing, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) | District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — District of Columbia sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm District of Columbia's current requirements on the District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Graduate of a physical therapy program (official transcript; foreign-educated applicants must complete an FCCPT Type 1 review).
- Register for and complete the District of Columbia Jurisprudence Examination through FSBPT.
- Complete a criminal background check (CBC) submitted with the online application.
- Submit license verification from every jurisdiction where you have ever held a professional license.
- Submit the completed online application with a passport-style photo and government-issued photo ID via the DC Health licensing portal.
- Pay the fees ($264 ($264 combined application and license fee paid online (DC Health licensing portal), per the DC endorsement checklist; a separate $50 criminal background check fee is paid online with the application. Licenses run biennially, expiring Jan 31 of odd-numbered years. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.)) and allow DC Health does not publish a processing timeframe for endorsement applications..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does District of Columbia accept a Michigan physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Michigan to District of Columbia by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health), verify your Michigan license, and meet District of Columbia's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is verified through FSBPT (via the FSBPT ID on the NPTE score report). DC also requires the District of Columbia Jurisprudence Examination, which is registered for and taken through FSBPT..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Michigan to District of Columbia?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is verified through FSBPT (via the FSBPT ID on the NPTE score report). DC also requires the District of Columbia Jurisprudence Examination, which is registered for and taken through FSBPT..
What does the move cost?
$264 ($264 combined application and license fee paid online (DC Health licensing portal), per the DC endorsement checklist; a separate $50 criminal background check fee is paid online with the application. Licenses run biennially, expiring Jan 31 of odd-numbered years. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) ($264 combined application and license fee paid online (DC Health licensing portal), per the DC endorsement checklist; a separate $50 criminal background check fee is paid online with the application. Licenses run biennially, expiring Jan 31 of odd-numbered years. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
DC Health does not publish a processing timeframe for endorsement applications. — DC Health does not publish a processing timeframe for endorsement applications..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- DC Health — Physical Therapist New License Application (Endorsement) Checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- D.C. Code § 3-1205.07 — Reciprocity and endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member state 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]