Physical Therapy License from Oregon to North Dakota: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in North Dakota — both Oregon and North Dakota are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Oregon is your primary state of residence and your Oregon license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in North Dakota without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to North Dakota, you will need a North Dakota license once North Dakota becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both Oregon and North Dakota are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Oregon is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a North Dakota compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Oregon license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: North Dakota may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Oregon license does. If you are genuinely relocating to North Dakota rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into North Dakota.
What changes, Oregon → North Dakota
| Oregon (current) | North Dakota (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $187 (OAR 848-005-0020(1) sets the PT/PTA Endorsement Application fee at $187.00 plus the actual cost to the Board of conducting a nationwide background verification. Distinct items in the same rule: PT license renewal $200 (plus workforce survey and background verification costs), PTA renewal $130, military spouse temporary permit $99, temporary permit $50. The PT/PTA compact privilege fee of $102.00 in that rule is the PT Compact privilege charge, not the endorsement 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.) |
| Processing time | The Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications in its rules or on its Applying for Licensure page | Neither the North Dakota Administrative Code nor the Board's rules state a processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Oregon Board of Physical Therapy (Oregon Physical Therapist Licensing Board) | North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Dakota 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 North Dakota: purchase a PT Compact privilege for North Dakota through the compact commission and complete any North Dakota jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to North Dakota: apply for a North Dakota license with the North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy; a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does North Dakota accept an Oregon physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in North Dakota — both Oregon and North Dakota are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Oregon is your primary state of residence and your Oregon license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in North Dakota without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to North Dakota, you will need a North Dakota license once North Dakota becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Oregon to North Dakota?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken. For licensure by endorsement from another United States jurisdiction, NDAC 61.5-02-02-02(2)(c) requires a copy of the examination scores transmitted by a score transfer service approved by the Board (the FSBPT Score Transfer Service). North Dakota also requires its own jurisprudence examination, an open-book test on the ND Practice Act and Board rules that is completed inside the online application (NDAC 61.5-02-02-01(1)(e)).
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a North Dakota compact privilege to work while living in Oregon: the commission's uniform fee plus North Dakota's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full North Dakota license by endorsement: $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.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any North Dakota jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs Neither the North Dakota Administrative Code nor the Board's rules state a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- OAR 848-005-0020 Board Fees and Refunds (Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules Database) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Oregon Board of Physical Therapy - Applying for Licensure (OR-JAM, background check, score transfer, license verifications) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]