Physical Therapy License from North Dakota to Missouri: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts — Advisory Commission for Physical Therapists (Division of Professional Registration) ↗
Yes — both North Dakota and Missouri 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 Missouri now; if you are moving your residence to Missouri, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Missouri your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both North Dakota and Missouri 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 Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts — Advisory Commission for Physical Therapists (Division of Professional Registration) — you buy a Missouri compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Dakota license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Missouri 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 Missouri rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Missouri.
What changes, North Dakota → Missouri
| North Dakota (current) | Missouri (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.) | $25 ($25.00 application fee for the physical therapist application — the same form and fee used by an applicant already licensed in another state. A temporary licence costs an extra $10.00 but is available to first-time examination applicants only. The Board cannot take credit or debit cards for the initial application fee. Fingerprint background-check costs are paid separately to the state vendor. This is 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. | 6–10 weeks (the Board asks applicants to allow a minimum of 4-6 weeks for initial processing once the application and fee are in office, plus a further 2-4 weeks after the file goes to final review for approval; deficiencies or Board backlog lengthen this) |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy | Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts — Advisory Commission for Physical Therapists (Division of Professional Registration) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Missouri 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 Missouri: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts — Advisory Commission for Physical Therapists (Division of Professional Registration) when you move.
- Declare Missouri as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Missouri'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 Missouri accept a North Dakota physical therapy license?
Yes — both North Dakota and Missouri 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 Missouri now; if you are moving your residence to Missouri, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Missouri your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Dakota to Missouri?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. The NPTE is not retaken; the applicant requests an FSBPT score transfer so the passing score is reported to the Board. Missouri additionally requires its own jurisprudence examination, which is included in the application packet, answered from the Missouri statutes and rules, returned with the application and scored by the Board — a score of 75% or higher is required..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Missouri compact privilege to work while living in North Dakota: the commission's uniform fee plus Missouri's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Missouri license by endorsement: $25 ($25.00 application fee for the physical therapist application — the same form and fee used by an applicant already licensed in another state. A temporary licence costs an extra $10.00 but is available to first-time examination applicants only. The Board cannot take credit or debit cards for the initial application fee. Fingerprint background-check costs are paid separately to the state vendor. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) ($25.00 application fee for the physical therapist application — the same form and fee used by an applicant already licensed in another state. A temporary licence costs an extra $10.00 but is available to first-time examination applicants only. The Board cannot take credit or debit cards for the initial application fee. Fingerprint background-check costs are paid separately to the state vendor. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Missouri jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs 6–10 weeks (the Board asks applicants to allow a minimum of 4-6 weeks for initial processing once the application and fee are in office, plus a further 2-4 weeks after the file goes to final review for approval; deficiencies or Board backlog lengthen this) (the Board asks applicants to allow a minimum of 4-6 weeks for initial processing once the application and fee are in office, plus a further 2-4 weeks after the file goes to final review for approval; deficiencies or Board backlog lengthen this).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts — Instructions for the Physical Therapist Application (fees, processing times, jurisprudence exam, background check, FSBPT score transfer) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Missouri Division of Professional Registration — Advisory Commission for Physical Therapists ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — member state status map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT — NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (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)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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