Physical Therapy License from Pennsylvania to Hawaii: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Hawaii's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; Hawaii licenses out-of-state applicants under its 'exam waiver' provision once the FSBPT Score Transfer Service sends the passing score directly to the Board. Hawaii has no separate state jurisprudence exam for licensure..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Pennsylvania into Hawaii leaves the compact behind: Hawaii has not joined the compact, so no Pennsylvania privilege reaches it. You transfer by licensure by endorsement with the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) — your NPTE score moves through the FSBPT rather than being retaken, and Hawaii adds its own jurisprudence exam and background check. Your Pennsylvania license and any privileges you hold elsewhere stay valid as long as your residence remains in Pennsylvania; file Hawaii's application before you rely on income there.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Hawaii
| Pennsylvania (current) | Hawaii (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | Licensure by endorsement |
| Application fee | $30 (49 Pa. Code section 40.5 sets 'Application for licensure by examination/endorsement' at $30 for a physical therapist; initial application for PTA certification by examination or endorsement is also $30. Related items in the same fee rule: biennial PT renewal $90, licensure through foreign training $45, temporary licence $15, verification of licensure $15, certification of examination scores or licensure $25. Criminal history record checks and the 3-hour child abuse training are billed separately by their providers.) | $185–$300 (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.) |
| Processing time | Neither the Board's regulations nor the Department of State's physical therapist licensure snapshot states a processing timeframe. | the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)) |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Hawaii sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Hawaii's current requirements on the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Have a certified transcript sent directly to the Board from your CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program.
- Request the FSBPT Score Transfer Service to forward your NPTE score directly to the Board.
- Have every state or territory where you hold or held a license complete the Board's Verification of License form and send it directly.
- Provide a Social Security Number and be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or alien authorized to work in the United States.
- Mail the completed application and fees to the Board of Physical Therapy, DCCA-PVL Licensing Branch.
- Pay the fees ($185–$300 (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.)) and allow the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Hawaii accept a Pennsylvania physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Hawaii by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Hawaii's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; Hawaii licenses out-of-state applicants under its 'exam waiver' provision once the FSBPT Score Transfer Service sends the passing score directly to the Board. Hawaii has no separate state jurisprudence exam for licensure..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Pennsylvania to Hawaii?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; Hawaii licenses out-of-state applicants under its 'exam waiver' provision once the FSBPT Score Transfer Service sends the passing score directly to the Board. Hawaii has no separate state jurisprudence exam for licensure..
What does the move cost?
$185–$300 (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.) (exam-waiver (endorsement) applicants pay a bundled total that depends on the licensing year: $185 if licensed in an EVEN-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $50 Compliance Resolution Fund) or $300 if licensed in an ODD-numbered year ($50 application + $85 license + $100 CRF + $65 half renewal). The $50 application fee is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $50.).
How long will it take?
the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)) — the Board publishes no processing timeframe; it states only that an application is abandoned and destroyed if the license process is not completed within one year of filing (HAR 16-110-10(d)).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Hawaii DCCA — Board of Physical Therapy ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Hawaii DCCA — Physical Therapy Application Forms and Publications ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Hawaii DCCA — Physical Therapist License Application, Information/Requirements and Instructions (PT-02 0226) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact — States by Category ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code section 40.16 - Licensure by endorsement (Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code section 40.5 - Fees (Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PA Department of State - Physical Therapist Licensure Snapshot (State Board of Physical Therapy) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 40 Subchapter A - Physical Therapists (section list) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 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]