Physical Therapy License from Ohio to District of Columbia: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in District of Columbia — both Ohio and District of Columbia are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Ohio is your primary state of residence and your Ohio license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in District of Columbia without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to District of Columbia, you will need a District of Columbia license once District of Columbia becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both Ohio and District of Columbia are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Ohio is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health) — you buy a District of Columbia compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Ohio license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: District of Columbia may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Ohio license does. If you are genuinely relocating to District of Columbia rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into District of Columbia.
What changes, Ohio → District of Columbia
| Ohio (current) | District of Columbia (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $100 (The Board's current PT/PTA endorsement application instructions - the packet linked from its PT-PTA Endorsement Application page - state a non-refundable application fee of $100.00, paid by card with the online eLicense application. That equals the one-hundred-dollar ceiling OAC 4755-4-01(B)(1) (effective August 21, 2025) sets for the initial licensing fee. Billed separately: the criminal records check ($22 to BCI plus $25.25 to the FBI, and whatever the fingerprinting vendor charges), the FSBPT NPTE score transfer, and the Ohio Jurisprudence Assessment Module ($48, paid to FSBPT). The application fee is waived for an applicant who is a current member of the armed forces - that waiver is imposed by OAC 4755-3-04(G) in the Board's LSC-authenticated laws-and-rules compilation cited in this row, NOT by the endorsement packet, which does not mention it. Biennial renewal is a separate fee, likewise capped at $100 by rule. This is not the PT Compact privilege fee.) | $264 ($264 combined application and license fee paid online (DC Health licensing portal), per the DC endorsement checklist; a separate $50 criminal background check fee is paid online with the application. Licenses run biennially, expiring Jan 31 of odd-numbered years. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | Neither the Ohio Revised Code nor the Board's rules state a processing timeframe; OAC 4755:2-1-01(E) provides only that an application still incomplete one year after filing is abandoned | DC Health does not publish a processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT Board) - Physical Therapy Section | District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia: purchase a PT Compact privilege for District of Columbia through the compact commission and complete any District of Columbia jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to District of Columbia: apply for a District of Columbia license with the District of Columbia Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does District of Columbia accept an Ohio physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in District of Columbia — both Ohio and District of Columbia are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Ohio is your primary state of residence and your Ohio license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in District of Columbia without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to District of Columbia, you will need a District of Columbia license once District of Columbia becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Ohio to District of Columbia?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is verified through FSBPT (via the FSBPT ID on the NPTE score report). DC also requires the District of Columbia Jurisprudence Examination, which is registered for and taken through FSBPT.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a District of Columbia compact privilege to work while living in Ohio: the commission's uniform fee plus District of Columbia's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full District of Columbia license by endorsement: $264 ($264 combined application and license fee paid online (DC Health licensing portal), per the DC endorsement checklist; a separate $50 criminal background check fee is paid online with the application. Licenses run biennially, expiring Jan 31 of odd-numbered years. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any District of Columbia jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs DC Health does not publish a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-09-01.
- DC Health — Physical Therapist New License Application (Endorsement) Checklist ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- D.C. Code § 3-1205.07 — Reciprocity and endorsement ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board - Physical Therapy Laws and Rules, effective April 3, 2026 (LSC-authenticated ORC and OAC text: OAC 4755:2-1-01, 4755:2-1-03, 4755:2-1-04, 4755-3-04, 4755-3-05, 4755-4-01, 4755-4-02; this is the source for the armed-forces application-fee waiver at 4755-3-04(G) and the prioritised military processing at 4755-3-04(H)(2)) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board - Physical Therapist/Physical Therapist Assistant Endorsement Application Instructions (the application packet linked from the Board's PT-PTA Endorsement Application page; source of the $100 application fee; otptat.ohio.gov blocks automated clients and returns HTTP 404 to every automated fetch - open in a browser) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-01)
- Ohio OTPTAT Board - PT-PTA Endorsement Application page (otptat.ohio.gov blocks automated clients and returns HTTP 404 to every automated fetch - open in a browser) ↗ (accessed 2026-09-01)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-09-01
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