Physical Therapy License from New Hampshire to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry ↗
Yes — both New Hampshire and Montana are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If New Hampshire is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Montana now; if you are moving your residence to Montana, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Montana your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both New Hampshire and Montana 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 Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry — you buy a Montana compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your New Hampshire license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Montana 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 Montana rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Montana.
What changes, New Hampshire → Montana
| New Hampshire (current) | Montana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| 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.) | $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.) |
| 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 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 |
| Licensing authority | New Hampshire Governing Board of Physical Therapists (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) | Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Montana 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 Montana: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry when you move.
- Declare Montana as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Montana'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 Montana accept a New Hampshire physical therapy license?
Yes — both New Hampshire and Montana are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If New Hampshire is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Montana now; if you are moving your residence to Montana, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Montana your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from New Hampshire to Montana?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. The NPTE is not retaken; FSBPT must verify a passing NPTE score of 600 or higher directly to the Board. Montana also requires a completed open-book state jurisprudence examination (ARM 24.177.501), with a $25 fee for each retake..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Montana compact privilege to work while living in New Hampshire: the commission's uniform fee plus Montana's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Montana license by endorsement: $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.) ($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.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Montana jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs 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 (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).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- 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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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