Physical Therapy License from North Dakota to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy ↗
Yes — both North Dakota and Kentucky 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 Kentucky now; if you are moving your residence to Kentucky, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Kentucky your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both North Dakota and Kentucky 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 Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a Kentucky compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Dakota 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 Dakota 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 Dakota → Kentucky
| North Dakota (current) | Kentucky (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.) | $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 | Neither the North Dakota Administrative Code nor the Board's rules state a processing timeframe for endorsement applications. | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy | 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 current license is an active multistate license in good standing.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Kentucky: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy when you move.
- Declare Kentucky as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Kentucky'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 Kentucky accept a North Dakota physical therapy license?
Yes — both North Dakota and Kentucky 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 Kentucky now; if you are moving your residence to Kentucky, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Kentucky your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Dakota 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 Dakota: 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.) (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 (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)
- 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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