Physical Therapy License from North Dakota to Indiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Indiana Physical Therapy Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) ↗
Yes — both North Dakota and Indiana are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If North Dakota is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Indiana now; if you are moving your residence to Indiana, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Indiana your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both North Dakota and Indiana are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If North Dakota is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Indiana Physical Therapy Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) — you buy a Indiana compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Dakota license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Indiana may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your North Dakota license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Indiana rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Indiana.
What changes, North Dakota → Indiana
| North Dakota (current) | Indiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $200 (Non-refundable application fee set by NDAC 61.5-02-03-01(1); the same application fee applies to licensure by endorsement. Annual renewal is $100 for physical therapists ($60 for PTAs) and the late renewal fee is $50. The criminal-history background check is billed separately at cost. The $40 'compact fee' in the same rule is North Dakota's PT Compact privilege fee, not the endorsement application fee.) | $100 (the IPLA fee schedule lists 'Physical Therapist License by Reciprocity' at $100.00, the same as licensure by examination; all fees are non-refundable. The criminal background check is paid separately to the vendor. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | Neither the North Dakota Administrative Code nor the Board's rules state a processing timeframe for endorsement applications. | IPLA publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; it states only that an application is abandoned without Board action if all requirements are not submitted within one year of filing |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy | Indiana Physical Therapy Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Indiana 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 Indiana: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Indiana Physical Therapy Board (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) when you move.
- Declare Indiana as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Indiana'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 Indiana accept a North Dakota physical therapy license?
Yes — both North Dakota and Indiana are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If North Dakota is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Indiana now; if you are moving your residence to Indiana, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Indiana your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Dakota to Indiana?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken. Indiana's published reciprocity checklist relies on verification of your existing out-of-state license rather than a submitted NPTE score report. Indiana requires no jurisprudence exam for licensure or for a compact privilege, though 2 of the 22 biennial continuing-competency hours must be in ethics and Indiana jurisprudence..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Indiana compact privilege to work while living in North Dakota: the commission's uniform fee plus Indiana's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Indiana license by endorsement: $100 (the IPLA fee schedule lists 'Physical Therapist License by Reciprocity' at $100.00, the same as licensure by examination; all fees are non-refundable. The criminal background check is paid separately to the vendor. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (the IPLA fee schedule lists 'Physical Therapist License by Reciprocity' at $100.00, the same as licensure by examination; all fees are non-refundable. The criminal background check is paid separately to the vendor. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Indiana jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs IPLA publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; it states only that an application is abandoned without Board action if all requirements are not submitted within one year of filing (IPLA publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; it states only that an application is abandoned without Board action if all requirements are not submitted within one year of filing).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Physical Therapy Licensing Information (reciprocity checklist, fee schedule, PT Compact) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Indiana Professional Licensing Agency — Physical Therapy Home ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — Compact Privilege Fee, Jurisprudence and Waiver Table ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — States by Category ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- North Dakota Administrative Code 61.5-02-03 - Fees (ND Legislative Branch) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- North Dakota Administrative Code 61.5-02-02 - Licensure (general requirements and types of licensure incl. endorsement) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- North Dakota Administrative Code Title 61.5 - ND Board of Physical Therapy (index) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (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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