Physical Therapy License from North Carolina to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy ↗
Yes — both North Carolina and Mississippi 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 Mississippi now; if you are moving your residence to Mississippi, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Mississippi your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both North Carolina and Mississippi 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 Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a Mississippi compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Carolina license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Mississippi 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 Mississippi rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Mississippi.
What changes, North Carolina → Mississippi
| North Carolina (current) | Mississippi (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. | $275 ($125.00 application fee + $150.00 initial Physical Therapist licence fee per Part 3103 Chapter 10 Rule 10.2; the Board's Steps to Licensure adds a $50.00 fingerprint/criminal-history processing fee, giving a stated PT total of $325.00 (PTA total $300.00). All fees are non-refundable. This is 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. | ~1 weeks (the Board states the review process 'is usually completed within one to two days' — but only once every licensure requirement is already on file, so this excludes the time needed to obtain verifications, transcripts, NPTE score reporting and background-check results. A 60-day temporary licence is available while the file is completed.) |
| Licensing authority | North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners | Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Mississippi sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to Mississippi: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy when you move.
- Declare Mississippi as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Mississippi'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 Mississippi accept a North Carolina physical therapy license?
Yes — both North Carolina and Mississippi 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 Mississippi now; if you are moving your residence to Mississippi, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Mississippi your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Carolina to Mississippi?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. The NPTE is not retaken; scores must be reported to the Board directly by FSBPT in the standard interstate reporting format (a criterion-referenced scaled score of 600 or higher for exams taken on or after 1 March 1994). Mississippi also requires its own open-book Jurisprudence Exam, taken inside the online application against the Board's law and regulations, with a minimum passing score of 70..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Mississippi compact privilege to work while living in North Carolina: the commission's uniform fee plus Mississippi's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Mississippi license by endorsement: $275 ($125.00 application fee + $150.00 initial Physical Therapist licence fee per Part 3103 Chapter 10 Rule 10.2; the Board's Steps to Licensure adds a $50.00 fingerprint/criminal-history processing fee, giving a stated PT total of $325.00 (PTA total $300.00). All fees are non-refundable. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) ($125.00 application fee + $150.00 initial Physical Therapist licence fee per Part 3103 Chapter 10 Rule 10.2; the Board's Steps to Licensure adds a $50.00 fingerprint/criminal-history processing fee, giving a stated PT total of $325.00 (PTA total $300.00). All fees are non-refundable. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Mississippi jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs ~1 weeks (the Board states the review process 'is usually completed within one to two days' — but only once every licensure requirement is already on file, so this excludes the time needed to obtain verifications, transcripts, NPTE score reporting and background-check results. A 60-day temporary licence is available while the file is completed.) (the Board states the review process 'is usually completed within one to two days' — but only once every licensure requirement is already on file, so this excludes the time needed to obtain verifications, transcripts, NPTE score reporting and background-check results. A 60-day temporary licence is available while the file is completed.).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- MS State Board of Physical Therapy — Steps to Licensure by Endorsement/Reciprocity (application packet, fee breakdown, jurisprudence exam, NPTE scores, temporary permit) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- MS State Board of Physical Therapy — Applying for Licensure, Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Mississippi Administrative Code Part 3103 Chapter 10 — Fees (Rule 10.2 schedule of fees) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — member state status map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 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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