Physical Therapy License from Pennsylvania to Idaho: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; official documentation of your passing NPTE score must be sent to the Board directly from the national board (FSBPT). In place of a proctored jurisprudence exam, Idaho requires a completed open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Pennsylvania into Idaho leaves the compact behind: Idaho has not joined the compact, so no Pennsylvania privilege reaches it. You transfer by licensure by endorsement with the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) — your NPTE score moves through the FSBPT rather than being retaken, and Idaho 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 Idaho's application before you rely on income there.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Idaho
| Pennsylvania (current) | Idaho (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.) | $50 (the endorsement checklist states a total of $50.00, made up of the $25.00 application fee plus the $25.00 licensure fee. The extra $20.00 NPTE registration fee applies only to applicants sitting for the exam through Idaho, not to endorsement applicants. Returned checks incur a $20 fee. IDAPA 24.13.01 Section 400 confirms fees are non-refundable but the current schedule is published on the application form rather than in rule.) |
| 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 for endorsement applications; it states only that incomplete applications delay licensure and that military applicants may qualify for expedited processing under Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407 |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Idaho sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Idaho's current requirements on the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Submit the application form signed and notarized (an acknowledgement is not accepted — it must be a jurat).
- Attach a color copy of a government-issued photo ID as proof of age.
- Complete the Board's open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules.
- Attach a copy of your diploma as evidence of graduation (endorsement applicants).
- Submit two completed professional reference forms.
- Have license certification sent directly to the Board from every state where you have held a license.
- Pay the fees ($50 (the endorsement checklist states a total of $50.00, made up of the $25.00 application fee plus the $25.00 licensure fee. The extra $20.00 NPTE registration fee applies only to applicants sitting for the exam through Idaho, not to endorsement applicants. Returned checks incur a $20 fee. IDAPA 24.13.01 Section 400 confirms fees are non-refundable but the current schedule is published on the application form rather than in rule.)) and allow the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; it states only that incomplete applications delay licensure and that military applicants may qualify for expedited processing under Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Idaho accept a Pennsylvania physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Idaho by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Idaho's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; official documentation of your passing NPTE score must be sent to the Board directly from the national board (FSBPT). In place of a proctored jurisprudence exam, Idaho requires a completed open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Pennsylvania to Idaho?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; official documentation of your passing NPTE score must be sent to the Board directly from the national board (FSBPT). In place of a proctored jurisprudence exam, Idaho requires a completed open-book examination on the Idaho physical therapy laws and rules..
What does the move cost?
$50 (the endorsement checklist states a total of $50.00, made up of the $25.00 application fee plus the $25.00 licensure fee. The extra $20.00 NPTE registration fee applies only to applicants sitting for the exam through Idaho, not to endorsement applicants. Returned checks incur a $20 fee. IDAPA 24.13.01 Section 400 confirms fees are non-refundable but the current schedule is published on the application form rather than in rule.) (the endorsement checklist states a total of $50.00, made up of the $25.00 application fee plus the $25.00 licensure fee. The extra $20.00 NPTE registration fee applies only to applicants sitting for the exam through Idaho, not to endorsement applicants. Returned checks incur a $20 fee. IDAPA 24.13.01 Section 400 confirms fees are non-refundable but the current schedule is published on the application form rather than in rule.).
How long will it take?
the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; it states only that incomplete applications delay licensure and that military applicants may qualify for expedited processing under Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407 — the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications; it states only that incomplete applications delay licensure and that military applicants may qualify for expedited processing under Idaho Code 67-9401 to 67-9407.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Idaho DOPL — Physical Therapy Board (FAQ, including compact membership statement) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board — Application for Licensure (PT), endorsement checklist and fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- IDAPA 24.13.01 — Rules of the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board ↗ (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
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