Physical Therapy License from Montana to Connecticut: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Connecticut Department of Public Health — Physical Therapist Licensure ↗
Yes — both Montana and Connecticut are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Montana is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Connecticut now; if you are moving your residence to Connecticut, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Connecticut your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both Montana and Connecticut are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Montana is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Connecticut Department of Public Health — Physical Therapist Licensure — you buy a Connecticut compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Montana license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Connecticut may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Montana license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Connecticut rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Connecticut.
What changes, Montana → Connecticut
| Montana (current) | Connecticut (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $225 ($100.00 physical therapist application fee (all applicants) + $125.00 out-of-state licence application fee, per the Board's application form (rev. 2025-03-14) and licensing checklist. The department also charges an extra $5.00 litigation-fund fee to applicants and licensees of qualifying boards from 1 July 2025 (HB 227). Jurisprudence re-examination is $25 per retake and a pre-exam temporary licence is $100. Fingerprint background-check costs are separate. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) | $285 ($285.00 online application fee stated on the DPH Physical Therapist Licensing Requirements page; this is the fee for a PT licensed elsewhere applying by endorsement (licensure without examination under C.G.S. Sec. 20-71). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for out-of-state applications; it notes only that if all other requirements are met it can issue a provisional licence with a reservation of rights, valid for 60 days, while outstanding licence verifications are completed | DPH does not publish a processing timeframe for physical therapist applications. |
| Licensing authority | Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry | Connecticut Department of Public Health — Physical Therapist Licensure |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Connecticut sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Connecticut: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Connecticut Department of Public Health — Physical Therapist Licensure when you move.
- Declare Connecticut as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Connecticut's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Connecticut accept a Montana physical therapy license?
Yes — both Montana and Connecticut are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Montana is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Connecticut now; if you are moving your residence to Connecticut, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Connecticut your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Montana to Connecticut?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; Connecticut requires proof of passing the NPTE (administered by FSBPT), and the score is verified to the Department. Connecticut does not administer a separate state jurisprudence or law exam..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Connecticut compact privilege to work while living in Montana: the commission's uniform fee plus Connecticut's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Connecticut license by endorsement: $285 ($285.00 online application fee stated on the DPH Physical Therapist Licensing Requirements page; this is the fee for a PT licensed elsewhere applying by endorsement (licensure without examination under C.G.S. Sec. 20-71). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee.) ($285.00 online application fee stated on the DPH Physical Therapist Licensing Requirements page; this is the fee for a PT licensed elsewhere applying by endorsement (licensure without examination under C.G.S. Sec. 20-71). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Connecticut jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs DPH does not publish a processing timeframe for physical therapist applications. (DPH does not publish a processing timeframe for physical therapist applications.).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- CT DPH — Physical Therapist Licensing Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 376, Sec. 20-71 — licensure without examination ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member state map (Connecticut listed as actively issuing/accepting privileges) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana Board of Physical Therapy Examiners — Physical Therapist Licensing Requirements and Application Checklist (fees, jurisprudence exam, NPTE 600, fingerprint check) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana Board of Physical Therapy Examiners — Application for Licensure, rev. 2025-03-14 ($100 PT + $125 out-of-state licence condition) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana DLI — Physical Therapy Licensing (HB 227 $5 fee notice; redirect to the consolidated board) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals — License Information (PT renewal 1 April; 60-day provisional licence) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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