Physical Therapy License from North Carolina to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Kentucky — both North Carolina and Kentucky are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If North Carolina is your primary state of residence and your North Carolina license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Kentucky without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Kentucky, you will need a Kentucky license once Kentucky becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both North Carolina and Kentucky 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 Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a Kentucky compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Carolina license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Kentucky 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 Kentucky rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Kentucky.
What changes, North Carolina → Kentucky
| North Carolina (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| 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 | $225 (initial credentialing fee per 201 KAR 22:135 §2; the fee schedule lists no separate 'by endorsement' fee, so endorsement applicants pay this initial credentialing fee. 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 Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners | Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky 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 Kentucky: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Kentucky through the compact commission and complete any Kentucky jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Kentucky: apply for a Kentucky license with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy; a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
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Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Kentucky accept a North Carolina physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Kentucky — both North Carolina and Kentucky are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If North Carolina is your primary state of residence and your North Carolina license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Kentucky without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Kentucky, you will need a Kentucky license once Kentucky becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Carolina to Kentucky?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the applicant registers with the FSBPT Score Transfer Service to have the passing score (criterion-referenced standard of 600) sent to Kentucky. Kentucky also requires completion of the state open-book jurisprudence examination for the current biennium.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Kentucky compact privilege to work while living in North Carolina: the commission's uniform fee plus Kentucky's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Kentucky license by endorsement: $225 (initial credentialing fee per 201 KAR 22:135 §2; the fee schedule lists no separate 'by endorsement' fee, so endorsement applicants pay this initial credentialing fee. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Kentucky jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- 201 KAR 22:020 — Eligibility and credentialing procedure (endorsement, §7) (Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 201 KAR 22:135 — Board of Physical Therapy fees (Cornell LII) ↗ (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)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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