Physical Therapy License from New Hampshire to Delaware: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Delaware — both New Hampshire and Delaware are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If New Hampshire is your primary state of residence and your New Hampshire license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Delaware without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Delaware, you will need a Delaware license once Delaware becomes your home state.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both New Hampshire and Delaware are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If New Hampshire is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Delaware Examining Board of Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers (Division of Professional Regulation) — you buy a Delaware compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your New Hampshire license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Delaware may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your New Hampshire license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Delaware rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Delaware.
What changes, New Hampshire → Delaware
| New Hampshire (current) | Delaware (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $121 (Physical Therapy Governing Board application fee (identical for PT and PTA); renewal and reinstatement are also $121. Paper reciprocity applications must be paid by check or money order to 'Treasurer, State of New Hampshire'. Excludes the applicant's own cost of the FBI criminal history records check. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) | $193 ($193 Physical Therapist application fee per the Board fee schedule (the same application fee applies to reciprocity applicants); paid through the DELPROS online portal. The criminal background-check fee is separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | OPLC publishes no processing timeframe; under Plc 313.07(c) it may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license to an endorsement-qualified applicant who has filed everything and submitted fingerprints while the criminal history results are still outstanding | The Board does not publish a processing timeframe for reciprocity applications |
| Licensing authority | New Hampshire Governing Board of Physical Therapists (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) | Delaware Examining Board of Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers (Division of Professional Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Delaware 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 Delaware: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Delaware through the compact commission and complete any Delaware jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Delaware: apply for a Delaware license with the Delaware Examining Board of Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers (Division of Professional Regulation); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Delaware accept a New Hampshire physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Delaware — both New Hampshire and Delaware are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If New Hampshire is your primary state of residence and your New Hampshire license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Delaware without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Delaware, you will need a Delaware license once Delaware becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from New Hampshire to Delaware?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is sent to the Board directly by FSBPT or by the original state of licensure. Delaware has no state jurisprudence exam but requires two hours of training in physical therapy ethics.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Delaware compact privilege to work while living in New Hampshire: the commission's uniform fee plus Delaware's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Delaware license by endorsement: $193 ($193 Physical Therapist application fee per the Board fee schedule (the same application fee applies to reciprocity applicants); paid through the DELPROS online portal. The criminal background-check fee is separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Delaware jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs The Board does not publish a processing timeframe for reciprocity applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Delaware DPR — Physical Therapist (New Therapist / reciprocity) requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Delaware DPR — Board of Physical Therapy Fee Schedule ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC - Physical Therapy License Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC - Physical Therapist Initial Application Checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC - New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (RSA 310:17 qualifying jurisdictions, Plc 313.47) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NH OPLC - Physical Therapy Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact Commission - Process and Requirements (New Hampshire 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]