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LicenseReciprocity

Physical Therapy License from Ohio to Montana: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry ↗

Yes — both Ohio and Montana are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Ohio is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Montana now; if you are moving your residence to Montana, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Montana your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.

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Verdict

Compact multistate — already covered

Both Ohio and Montana 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 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 Ohio 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 Ohio 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, Ohio → Montana

Side-by-side: Ohio vs Montana (Physical Therapy (PT/PTA)), verified 2026-08-07
Ohio (current)Montana (destination)
PT Compact statusPT Compact member — multistate license honoredPT Compact member — multistate license honored
Application fee$100 (OAC 4755-4-01(B)(1) (effective August 21, 2025) caps the initial licensing fee - the fee an endorsement applicant pays - at one hundred dollars, and states that the current amount is published on the Board's website. otptat.ohio.gov and codes.ohio.gov were unreachable from the research environment on 2026-08-07, so only the rule maximum is given rather than an unverified exact figure. Biennial renewal is likewise capped at $100. The BCI/FBI criminal records check is billed separately by the record providers. This is not the PT Compact privilege 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 timeNeither 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.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 authorityOhio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT Board) - Physical Therapy SectionMontana 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

  1. Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing.
  2. If you are moving your primary residence to Montana: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry when you move.
  3. Declare Montana as your new primary state of residence on that application.
  4. Complete Montana's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
  5. Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).

Official links

Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners), Department of Labor & Industry ↗Montana application ↗Physical Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Montana → OhioPhysical Therapy in OhioPhysical Therapy in MontanaAll physical therapy statesThe PT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Montana accept a Ohio physical therapy license?

Yes — both Ohio and Montana are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Ohio is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Montana now; if you are moving your residence to Montana, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Montana your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.

Do I retake the NPTE moving from Ohio 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 Ohio: 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.) ($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 (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.

Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]