Physical Therapy License from Mississippi to Arkansas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Arkansas — both Mississippi and Arkansas are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Mississippi is your primary state of residence and your Mississippi license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Arkansas without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Arkansas, you will need an Arkansas license once Arkansas becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both Mississippi and Arkansas are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Mississippi is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy (Arkansas Department of Health) — you buy an Arkansas compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Mississippi license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Arkansas may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Mississippi license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Arkansas rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Arkansas.
What changes, Mississippi → Arkansas
| Mississippi (current) | Arkansas (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $275 ($125.00 application fee + $150.00 initial Physical Therapist licence fee per Part 3103 Chapter 10 Rule 10.2; the Board's Steps to Licensure adds a $50.00 fingerprint/criminal-history processing fee, giving a stated PT total of $325.00 (PTA total $300.00). All fees are non-refundable. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) | $100 (PT Endorsement (Reciprocity) fee is $100 per the Board rules fee schedule (Section VII). A statutory 95% fee reduction cut this to $5 for applications from Jul 1, 2023-Jun 30, 2026; that window closed before this verification date, so the $100 standing fee applies. A $10 online jurisprudence-exam fee and the state/FBI background-check fee are separate. NOT the $50 PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | ~1 week (the Board states the review process 'is usually completed within one to two days' — but only once every licensure requirement is already on file, so this excludes the time needed to obtain verifications, transcripts, NPTE score reporting and background-check results. A 60-day temporary licence is available while the file is completed.) | no overall timeframe published; the Board notes criminal background-check results take about 2-6 weeks and no license issues until they are received. A 90-day temporary/provisional license is available on request |
| Licensing authority | Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy | Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy (Arkansas Department of Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arkansas sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Arkansas: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Arkansas through the compact commission and complete any Arkansas jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Arkansas: apply for an Arkansas license with the Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy (Arkansas Department of Health); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas accept a Mississippi physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Arkansas — both Mississippi and Arkansas are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Mississippi is your primary state of residence and your Mississippi license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Arkansas without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Arkansas, you will need an Arkansas license once Arkansas becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Mississippi to Arkansas?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; evidence of the passing score is provided to the Board through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Arkansas also requires passing its online jurisprudence exam (70% to pass; $10).
What does the move cost?
If you are buying an Arkansas compact privilege to work while living in Mississippi: the commission's uniform fee plus Arkansas's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Arkansas license by endorsement: $100 (PT Endorsement (Reciprocity) fee is $100 per the Board rules fee schedule (Section VII). A statutory 95% fee reduction cut this to $5 for applications from Jul 1, 2023-Jun 30, 2026; that window closed before this verification date, so the $100 standing fee applies. A $10 online jurisprudence-exam fee and the state/FBI background-check fee are separate. NOT the $50 PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Arkansas jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs no overall timeframe published; the Board notes criminal background-check results take about 2-6 weeks and no license issues until they are received. A 90-day temporary/provisional license is available on request.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Arkansas State Board of PT — Application Instructions for Licensure by Reciprocity (PT) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Arkansas State Board of PT — Rules (Sec. IV Methods of Licensure; Sec. VII Fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member states map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- MS State Board of Physical Therapy — Steps to Licensure by Endorsement/Reciprocity (application packet, fee breakdown, jurisprudence exam, NPTE scores, temporary permit) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- MS State Board of Physical Therapy — Applying for Licensure, Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Mississippi Administrative Code Part 3103 Chapter 10 — Fees (Rule 10.2 schedule of fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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