Physical Therapy License from North Carolina to Colorado: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) ↗
Yes — both North Carolina and Colorado are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If North Carolina is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Colorado now; if you are moving your residence to Colorado, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Colorado your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both North Carolina and Colorado are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If North Carolina is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) — you buy a Colorado compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Carolina license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Colorado may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your North Carolina license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Colorado rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Colorado.
What changes, North Carolina → Colorado
| North Carolina (current) | Colorado (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | The Board's fee rule is 21 NCAC 48F .0102 (readopted eff. May 1, 2019), but on 2026-08-07 neither the rule text nor the Board's published Schedule of Fees could be retrieved from an official source - the Board's application host (www2.ncptboard.org) returned 403 and the NC OAH / NC Rules code servers were unreachable. No amount is stated rather than guess. Confirm the current endorsement application fee directly with the Board. | 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 Board publishes no processing timeframe; 21 NCAC 48B .0102(a) provides only that each endorsement application is considered on an individual basis. | The Division of Professions and Occupations publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications on an accessible page. |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners | 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 your current license is an active multistate license in good standing.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Colorado: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Colorado State Physical Therapy Board (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA) when you move.
- Declare Colorado as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Colorado'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 Colorado accept a North Carolina physical therapy license?
Yes — both North Carolina and Colorado are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If North Carolina is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Colorado now; if you are moving your residence to Colorado, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Colorado your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Carolina 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?
If you are buying a Colorado compact privilege to work while living in North Carolina: the commission's uniform fee plus Colorado's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Colorado license by endorsement: 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?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Colorado jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs 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)
- NC Office of Administrative Hearings - rule text, 21 NCAC 48B .0102 Licenses by Endorsement (with 48E .0104, 48F .0101, 48G .0105, 48G .0203) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC OAH - G.S. 150B-21.3A periodic review report for 21 NCAC 48, Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (rule inventory incl. 48E .0105, 48E .0113, 48F .0102) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC Board of Physical Therapy Examiners - official site ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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