Physical Therapy License from North Dakota to Vermont: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) ↗
Yes — both North Dakota and Vermont 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 Vermont now; if you are moving your residence to Vermont, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Vermont your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both North Dakota and Vermont 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 Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) — you buy a Vermont compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Dakota license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Vermont 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 Vermont rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Vermont.
What changes, North Dakota → Vermont
| North Dakota (current) | Vermont (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.) | $120 (physical therapist application fee (code 040) on OPR's Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates schedule updated 7/1/2025; the license then renews at $180 biennially on September 30 of even years. Fingerprint/background-check vendor costs are separate. 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. | OPR publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it states a 90-day provisional license can issue when everything except the licensure verification or background-check result is complete |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Vermont 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 Vermont: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) when you move.
- Declare Vermont as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Vermont'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 Vermont accept a North Dakota physical therapy license?
Yes — both North Dakota and Vermont 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 Vermont now; if you are moving your residence to Vermont, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Vermont your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Dakota to Vermont?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; OPR accepts the passing score through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service (the OPR endorsement instructions link a 'Physical Therapists Score Transfer' step). Vermont imposes no state jurisprudence examination - neither the Physical Therapy Rule nor the PT Compact Commission's state requirements table lists one..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Vermont compact privilege to work while living in North Dakota: the commission's uniform fee plus Vermont's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Vermont license by endorsement: $120 (physical therapist application fee (code 040) on OPR's Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates schedule updated 7/1/2025; the license then renews at $180 biennially on September 30 of even years. Fingerprint/background-check vendor costs are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (physical therapist application fee (code 040) on OPR's Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates schedule updated 7/1/2025; the license then renews at $180 biennially on September 30 of even years. Fingerprint/background-check vendor costs are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Vermont jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs OPR publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it states a 90-day provisional license can issue when everything except the licensure verification or background-check result is complete (OPR publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it states a 90-day provisional license can issue when everything except the licensure verification or background-check result is complete).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Vermont OPR - Physical Therapist Forms & Instructions ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Vermont OPR - Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates (updated 7/1/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Vermont OPR - Administrative Rules for Physical Therapists (eff. June 1, 2013) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - how to get privileges (state fee and jurisprudence table) ↗ (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 Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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