Physical Therapy License from North Dakota to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Montana — both North Dakota and Montana are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If North Dakota is your primary state of residence and your North Dakota license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Montana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Montana, you will need a Montana license once Montana becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both North Dakota and Montana 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 Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry — you buy a Montana compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Dakota license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Montana 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 Montana rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Montana.
What changes, North Dakota → Montana
| North Dakota (current) | Montana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| 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 ($100.00 physical therapist application fee (all applicants) + $125.00 out-of-state licence application fee, per the Board's application form (rev. 2025-03-14) and licensing checklist. The department also charges an extra $5.00 litigation-fund fee to applicants and licensees of qualifying boards from 1 July 2025 (HB 227). Jurisprudence re-examination is $25 per retake and a pre-exam temporary licence is $100. Fingerprint background-check costs are separate. 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 | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for out-of-state applications; it notes only that if all other requirements are met it can issue a provisional licence with a reservation of rights, valid for 60 days, while outstanding licence verifications are completed |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy | Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Montana 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 Montana: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Montana through the compact commission and complete any Montana jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Montana: apply for a Montana license with the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry; a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Montana accept a North Dakota physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Montana — both North Dakota and Montana are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If North Dakota is your primary state of residence and your North Dakota license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Montana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Montana, you will need a Montana license once Montana becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Dakota to Montana?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. The NPTE is not retaken; FSBPT must verify a passing NPTE score of 600 or higher directly to the Board. Montana also requires a completed open-book state jurisprudence examination (ARM 24.177.501), with a $25 fee for each retake.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Montana compact privilege to work while living in North Dakota: the commission's uniform fee plus Montana's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Montana license by endorsement: $225 ($100.00 physical therapist application fee (all applicants) + $125.00 out-of-state licence application fee, per the Board's application form (rev. 2025-03-14) and licensing checklist. The department also charges an extra $5.00 litigation-fund fee to applicants and licensees of qualifying boards from 1 July 2025 (HB 227). Jurisprudence re-examination is $25 per retake and a pre-exam temporary licence is $100. Fingerprint background-check costs are separate. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Montana jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs the Board publishes no processing timeframe for out-of-state applications; it notes only that if all other requirements are met it can issue a provisional licence with a reservation of rights, valid for 60 days, while outstanding licence verifications are completed.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Montana Board of Physical Therapy Examiners — Physical Therapist Licensing Requirements and Application Checklist (fees, jurisprudence exam, NPTE 600, fingerprint check) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana Board of Physical Therapy Examiners — Application for Licensure, rev. 2025-03-14 ($100 PT + $125 out-of-state licence condition) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana DLI — Physical Therapy Licensing (HB 227 $5 fee notice; redirect to the consolidated board) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals — License Information (PT renewal 1 April; 60-day provisional licence) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — member state status map ↗ (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)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]