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LicenseReciprocity

Physical Therapy License from Michigan to Maryland: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Maryland Department of Health) ↗

A physical therapy license transfers from Michigan to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Maryland Department of Health), verify your Michigan license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; you request FSBPT to send your exam score to the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, and a passing score is required for full licensure. Maryland additionally requires passing the Maryland Jurisprudence Assessment Module (MD JAM) with a score of 90% or better..

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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 Maryland is an active member. Endorse into Maryland with the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Maryland Department of Health), establish it as your home state and primary residence, and Maryland 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 → Maryland

Side-by-side: Michigan vs Maryland (Physical Therapy (PT/PTA)), verified 2026-08-07
Michigan (current)Maryland (destination)
PT Compact statusPT Compact enacted — not yet issuingPT 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.)$150 (non-refundable $150 application fee for Licensure by Endorsement (both U.S.-graduate and foreign-educated tracks), payable by credit or debit card only. The MD JAM fee is paid separately to FSBPT and the criminal history records check is paid separately to DPSCS. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.)
Processing timeLARA's Physical Therapist Licensing Guide states no processing timeframe for endorsement applications~14 weeks (the Board states the application process can take up to 60 business days (~12 weeks) because of response times from outside organizations, plus up to 10 business days (~2 weeks) to complete full licensure once all criteria are met; no minimum is published. Only Licensure by Examination applicants may request a temporary 90-day license.)
Licensing authorityMichigan Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional Licensing, Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs)Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Maryland Department of Health)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maryland sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Maryland's current requirements on the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Maryland Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Maryland Department of Health) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. File through the Board's online applicant portal and pay the non-refundable fee by credit or debit card.
  5. Complete a criminal history records check through the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
  6. Take and pass the Maryland Jurisprudence Assessment Module (MD JAM) with a score of 90% or better.
  7. Have FSBPT send your NPTE score directly to the Board.
  8. Have your physical therapy program send an official transcript directly to the Board.
  9. Submit a head-and-shoulder photograph, a copy of your current license, and official verification of that license.
  10. Pay the fees ($150 (non-refundable $150 application fee for Licensure by Endorsement (both U.S.-graduate and foreign-educated tracks), payable by credit or debit card only. The MD JAM fee is paid separately to FSBPT and the criminal history records check is paid separately to DPSCS. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.)) and allow ~14 weeks (the Board states the application process can take up to 60 business days (~12 weeks) because of response times from outside organizations, plus up to 10 business days (~2 weeks) to complete full licensure once all criteria are met; no minimum is published. Only Licensure by Examination applicants may request a temporary 90-day license.).

Official links

Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Maryland Department of Health) ↗Maryland application ↗License verification ↗Physical Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Maryland → MichiganPhysical Therapy in MichiganPhysical Therapy in MarylandAll physical therapy statesThe PT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Maryland accept a Michigan physical therapy license?

A physical therapy license transfers from Michigan to Maryland by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Maryland Department of Health), verify your Michigan license, and meet Maryland's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; you request FSBPT to send your exam score to the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, and a passing score is required for full licensure. Maryland additionally requires passing the Maryland Jurisprudence Assessment Module (MD JAM) with a score of 90% or better..

Do I retake the NPTE moving from Michigan to Maryland?

No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; you request FSBPT to send your exam score to the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, and a passing score is required for full licensure. Maryland additionally requires passing the Maryland Jurisprudence Assessment Module (MD JAM) with a score of 90% or better..

What does the move cost?

$150 (non-refundable $150 application fee for Licensure by Endorsement (both U.S.-graduate and foreign-educated tracks), payable by credit or debit card only. The MD JAM fee is paid separately to FSBPT and the criminal history records check is paid separately to DPSCS. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (non-refundable $150 application fee for Licensure by Endorsement (both U.S.-graduate and foreign-educated tracks), payable by credit or debit card only. The MD JAM fee is paid separately to FSBPT and the criminal history records check is paid separately to DPSCS. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).

How long will it take?

~14 weeks (the Board states the application process can take up to 60 business days (~12 weeks) because of response times from outside organizations, plus up to 10 business days (~2 weeks) to complete full licensure once all criteria are met; no minimum is published. Only Licensure by Examination applicants may request a temporary 90-day license.) — the Board states the application process can take up to 60 business days (~12 weeks) because of response times from outside organizations, plus up to 10 business days (~2 weeks) to complete full licensure once all criteria are met; no minimum is published. Only Licensure by Examination applicants may request a temporary 90-day license..

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]