Physical Therapy License from North Dakota to Texas: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Texas — both North Dakota and Texas 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 Texas without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Texas, you will need a Texas license once Texas becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both North Dakota and Texas 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 Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) — you buy a Texas compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Dakota license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Texas 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 Texas rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Texas.
What changes, North Dakota → Texas
| North Dakota (current) | Texas (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.) | the non-refundable application fee is set by the Executive Council in 22 TAC 651.2 (Physical Therapy Board Fees); ECPTOTE publishes no amount on its own pages and links out to the Texas Secretary of State TAC viewer, which is a JavaScript portal that could not be retrieved on 2026-08-07, so no figure is asserted here. The fee is WAIVED for military service members, military spouses and military veterans. Separate from this: the PT Compact privilege costs $50 to Texas plus the Commission's fee, and the FSBPT score transfer costs $90 |
| Processing time | Neither the North Dakota Administrative Code nor the Board's rules state a processing timeframe for endorsement applications | ECPTOTE states it is not publishing current processing times because of high application volume; the only fixed period in rule is that an application for licensure is valid for one year after the board receives it |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy | Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Texas 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 Texas: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Texas through the compact commission and complete any Texas jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Texas: apply for a Texas license with the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas accept a North Dakota physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Texas — both North Dakota and Texas 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 Texas without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Texas, you will need a Texas license once Texas becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Dakota to Texas?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; a score report must be sent directly to the board by the board-approved reporting service (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report), and the reported score must have satisfied licensure requirements in a state at the time the exam was taken. Texas additionally requires a passing score on the board's jurisprudence exam, the Texas Jurisprudence Assessment Module (TX JAM), before a license is issued.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Texas compact privilege to work while living in North Dakota: the commission's uniform fee plus Texas's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Texas license by endorsement: the non-refundable application fee is set by the Executive Council in 22 TAC 651.2 (Physical Therapy Board Fees); ECPTOTE publishes no amount on its own pages and links out to the Texas Secretary of State TAC viewer, which is a JavaScript portal that could not be retrieved on 2026-08-07, so no figure is asserted here. The fee is WAIVED for military service members, military spouses and military veterans. Separate from this: the PT Compact privilege costs $50 to Texas plus the Commission's fee, and the FSBPT score transfer costs $90.
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Texas jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs ECPTOTE states it is not publishing current processing times because of high application volume; the only fixed period in rule is that an application for licensure is valid for one year after the board receives it.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners Rules (November 2025) - 22 TAC 329.1 General Licensure Requirements and 329.6 Licensure by Endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- ECPTOTE - PT Apply by Endorsement (application steps) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- ECPTOTE - PT Compact page (Texas privilege fee and TX JAM requirement) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - state status list (Physical Therapy Compact Commission) ↗ (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)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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