Physical Therapy License from New York to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from New York to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA), verify your New York license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is transferred to the Board through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Colorado does not require a separate state jurisprudence or law exam for physical therapists..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
This direction has a payoff. New York is outside the active compact, so you have had no privileges to work with — but Colorado is an active member. Endorse into Colorado with the Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA), establish it as your home state and primary residence, and Colorado becomes your springboard: from there you can buy compact privileges into every other active member state without another full license. Your NPTE score transfers through the FSBPT; you do not re-sit the exam.
What changes, New York → Colorado
| New York (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $294 (combined fee for licensure and first registration as a physical therapist; the same $294 applies whether you qualify by endorsement or by the standard route (PTA is $103). An optional limited permit costs a further $70, is non-refundable, and is valid 6 months. New York is not a PT Compact state, so no privilege fee exists.) | The fee is set administratively by the DORA Director (C.R.S. 12-285-110 provides for 'a fee in an amount determined by the director') and is not stated in the rule; the DORA/DPO fee schedule could not be verified on an accessible official page because dpo.colorado.gov blocks automated access. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee. |
| Processing time | the Office of the Professions publishes no processing timeframe for physical therapy applications | The Division of Professions and Occupations publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications on an accessible page. |
| Licensing authority | New York State Board for Physical Therapy (NYSED Office of the Professions) | Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Colorado sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Colorado's current requirements on the Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Graduate of an accredited (CAPTE) physical therapy program, or a program the Board determines to be substantially equivalent.
- Passed the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).
- Submit fingerprints for an FBI and Colorado Bureau of Investigation criminal history record check.
- Provide license verification from every jurisdiction where you hold or have held a license, with no revoked, suspended, restricted, or conditional license and no pending discipline.
- Pay the fees (The fee is set administratively by the DORA Director (C.R.S. 12-285-110 provides for 'a fee in an amount determined by the director') and is not stated in the rule; the DORA/DPO fee schedule could not be verified on an accessible official page because dpo.colorado.gov blocks automated access. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) and allow The Division of Professions and Occupations publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications on an accessible page..
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Colorado accept a New York physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from New York to Colorado by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA), verify your New York license, and meet Colorado's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is transferred to the Board through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Colorado does not require a separate state jurisprudence or law exam for physical therapists..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from New York to Colorado?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is transferred to the Board through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Colorado does not require a separate state jurisprudence or law exam for physical therapists..
What does the move cost?
The fee is set administratively by the DORA Director (C.R.S. 12-285-110 provides for 'a fee in an amount determined by the director') and is not stated in the rule; the DORA/DPO fee schedule could not be verified on an accessible official page because dpo.colorado.gov blocks automated access. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee. (The fee is set administratively by the DORA Director (C.R.S. 12-285-110 provides for 'a fee in an amount determined by the director') and is not stated in the rule; the DORA/DPO fee schedule could not be verified on an accessible official page because dpo.colorado.gov blocks automated access. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
The Division of Professions and Occupations publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications on an accessible page. — The Division of Professions and Occupations publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications on an accessible page..
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Colorado State Physical Therapy Board — Licensure Rules 4 CCR 732-1.5 (Cornell LII reproduction of the official regulation) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- C.R.S. 12-285-112 — Licensure by endorsement (Colorado Revised Statutes) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- C.R.S. 12-285-110 — Licensure by examination; fee set by the director ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NYSED Office of the Professions - Physical Therapy License Requirements (fees, licensure by endorsement, limited permits) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NYSED Office of the Professions - Physical Therapy License Application Forms ↗ (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]