Physical Therapy License from Montana to Utah: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Utah Physical Therapy Licensing Board (Utah Division of Professional Licensing, DOPL) ↗
Yes — both Montana and Utah 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 Utah now; if you are moving your residence to Utah, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Utah your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both Montana and Utah 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 Utah Physical Therapy Licensing Board (Utah Division of Professional Licensing, DOPL) — you buy a Utah compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Montana license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Utah 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 Utah rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Utah.
What changes, Montana → Utah
| Montana (current) | Utah (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.) | not verified - dopl.utah.gov and le.utah.gov were both unreachable from the research network on 2026-08-07 (Cloudflare 403 and connection refused respectively), and the Utah Administrative Rules portal returned no R156-24b content, so no Utah endorsement fee is asserted |
| 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 | not verified - the Utah Division of Professional Licensing site could not be retrieved on the access date |
| Licensing authority | Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry | Utah Physical Therapy Licensing Board (Utah Division of Professional Licensing, DOPL) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Utah 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 Utah: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Utah Physical Therapy Licensing Board (Utah Division of Professional Licensing, DOPL) when you move.
- Declare Utah as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Utah'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 Utah accept a Montana physical therapy license?
Yes — both Montana and Utah 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 Utah now; if you are moving your residence to Utah, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Utah your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Montana to Utah?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is moved to the destination board through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service ($90 per report). Whether Utah also requires a state law/jurisprudence examination could not be verified from a Utah source on the access date - see notes..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Utah compact privilege to work while living in Montana: the commission's uniform fee plus Utah's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Utah license by endorsement: not verified - dopl.utah.gov and le.utah.gov were both unreachable from the research network on 2026-08-07 (Cloudflare 403 and connection refused respectively), and the Utah Administrative Rules portal returned no R156-24b content, so no Utah endorsement fee is asserted (not verified - dopl.utah.gov and le.utah.gov were both unreachable from the research network on 2026-08-07 (Cloudflare 403 and connection refused respectively), and the Utah Administrative Rules portal returned no R156-24b content, so no Utah endorsement fee is asserted).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Utah jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs not verified - the Utah Division of Professional Licensing site could not be retrieved on the access date (not verified - the Utah Division of Professional Licensing site could not be retrieved on the access date).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- PT Compact - state status list (Physical Therapy Compact Commission); Utah listed under Member States, actively issuing and accepting privileges ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - Licensing Authorities Contact Information (Utah licensing authority and board URL) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (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)
- PT Compact — member state status map ↗ (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]