Physical Therapy License from Nebraska to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Mississippi — both Nebraska and Mississippi are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Nebraska is your primary state of residence and your Nebraska license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Mississippi without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Mississippi, you will need a Mississippi license once Mississippi becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both Nebraska and Mississippi are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Nebraska is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a Mississippi compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Nebraska license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Mississippi may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Nebraska license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Mississippi rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Mississippi.
What changes, Nebraska → Mississippi
| Nebraska (current) | Mississippi (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $133 (initial license fee stated on the DHHS Physical Therapist application; it drops to $33.25 for licenses issued May-October of odd-numbered years (the tail of the biennium) and is waived entirely for applicants under 26, low-income applicants, and military family members. + $55 Nebraska State Patrol criminal background check fee, which is never waived. NOT the PT Compact privilege 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.) |
| Processing time | DHHS publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that applications are reviewed in the order received and that verification of non-citizenship documents through Homeland Security may take up to 30 days | ~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.) |
| Licensing authority | Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit (Board of Physical Therapy) | Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi 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 Mississippi: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Mississippi through the compact commission and complete any Mississippi jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Mississippi: apply for a Mississippi license with the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy; a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Mississippi accept a Nebraska physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Mississippi — both Nebraska and Mississippi are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Nebraska is your primary state of residence and your Nebraska license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Mississippi without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Mississippi, you will need a Mississippi license once Mississippi becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Nebraska to Mississippi?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. The NPTE is not retaken; scores must be reported to the Board directly by FSBPT in the standard interstate reporting format (a criterion-referenced scaled score of 600 or higher for exams taken on or after 1 March 1994). Mississippi also requires its own open-book Jurisprudence Exam, taken inside the online application against the Board's law and regulations, with a minimum passing score of 70.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Mississippi compact privilege to work while living in Nebraska: the commission's uniform fee plus Mississippi's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Mississippi license by endorsement: $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.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Mississippi jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs ~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.).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 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)
- PT Compact — member state status map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Nebraska DHHS - Physical Therapist Application Information and Application (exams, fees, background check) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact Commission - Process and Requirements (Nebraska privilege fees and jurisprudence rule) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]