Physical Therapy License from North Dakota to West Virginia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy ↗
Yes — both North Dakota and West Virginia 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 West Virginia now; if you are moving your residence to West Virginia, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare West Virginia your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
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Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both North Dakota and West Virginia 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 West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a West Virginia compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your North Dakota license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: West Virginia 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 West Virginia rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into West Virginia.
What changes, North Dakota → West Virginia
| North Dakota (current) | West Virginia (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.) | $245 (16 CSR 4 (fee rule effective 5/1/2021) sets a $25 physical therapist application fee plus a $220 physical therapist license fee - $245 total for an endorsement applicant; PTA is $25 + $140 = $165. Biennial renewal is $100 for PTs. The $25 exam processing fee does not apply to endorsement. State Police background-check fees 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. | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy | West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — West Virginia 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 West Virginia: apply for licensure by endorsement with the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy when you move.
- Declare West Virginia as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete West Virginia'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 West Virginia accept a North Dakota physical therapy license?
Yes — both North Dakota and West Virginia 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 West Virginia now; if you are moving your residence to West Virginia, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare West Virginia your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from North Dakota to West Virginia?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the applicant transfers the NPTE score report from FSBPT to the Board. Neither the Board's general-provisions rule (16 CSR 1) nor the PT Compact Commission's state requirements table lists a West Virginia jurisprudence examination..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a West Virginia compact privilege to work while living in North Dakota: the commission's uniform fee plus West Virginia's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full West Virginia license by endorsement: $245 (16 CSR 4 (fee rule effective 5/1/2021) sets a $25 physical therapist application fee plus a $220 physical therapist license fee - $245 total for an endorsement applicant; PTA is $25 + $140 = $165. Biennial renewal is $100 for PTs. The $25 exam processing fee does not apply to endorsement. State Police background-check fees are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (16 CSR 4 (fee rule effective 5/1/2021) sets a $25 physical therapist application fee plus a $220 physical therapist license fee - $245 total for an endorsement applicant; PTA is $25 + $140 = $165. Biennial renewal is $100 for PTs. The $25 exam processing fee does not apply to endorsement. State Police background-check fees are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any West Virginia 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.
- WV Board of Physical Therapy - PT/PTA Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Board of Physical Therapy - PT/PTA Eligibility Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 16 CSR 4 - Fees for Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant (final file, eff. 5/1/2021) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 16 CSR 1 - General Provisions for Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant ↗ (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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