Physical Therapy License from Pennsylvania to Illinois: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; a report of the applicant's examination record is forwarded directly from the test reporting service (FSBPT) to the Division. Illinois has no state jurisprudence exam for physical therapists..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Pennsylvania into Illinois leaves the compact behind: Illinois has not joined the compact, so no Pennsylvania privilege reaches it. You transfer by licensure by endorsement with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) — your NPTE score moves through the FSBPT rather than being retaken, and Illinois 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 Illinois's application before you rely on income there.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Illinois
| Pennsylvania (current) | Illinois (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.) | $100 (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.57(a)(1) sets the application fee for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license at $100. The separate examination-eligibility fee in that subsection applies only to examination applicants, not endorsement applicants. Renewal is calculated at $30 per year.) |
| Processing time | Neither the Board's regulations nor the Department of State's physical therapist licensure snapshot states a processing timeframe. | neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Illinois sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Illinois's current requirements on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Be actively licensed as a physical therapist in the United States or its territories at the time of application.
- Submit certification of successful completion of an approved physical therapist program under 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.20.
- Have license certification sent from the state of original licensure and from the state where you are currently licensed and practicing.
- Have your NPTE examination record forwarded directly from the test reporting service.
- If your first language is not English, submit passage of the TOEFL (waived if licensed and actively practicing in a U.S. jurisdiction for the 3 years before applying).
- File the application through the IDFPR CORE online licensing system.
- Pay the fees ($100 (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.57(a)(1) sets the application fee for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license at $100. The separate examination-eligibility fee in that subsection applies only to examination applicants, not endorsement applicants. Renewal is calculated at $30 per year.)) and allow neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Illinois accept a Pennsylvania physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Illinois by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Illinois Physical Therapy Board), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Illinois's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; a report of the applicant's examination record is forwarded directly from the test reporting service (FSBPT) to the Division. Illinois has no state jurisprudence exam for physical therapists..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Pennsylvania to Illinois?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; a report of the applicant's examination record is forwarded directly from the test reporting service (FSBPT) to the Division. Illinois has no state jurisprudence exam for physical therapists..
What does the move cost?
$100 (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.57(a)(1) sets the application fee for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license at $100. The separate examination-eligibility fee in that subsection applies only to examination applicants, not endorsement applicants. Renewal is calculated at $30 per year.) (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340.57(a)(1) sets the application fee for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license at $100. The separate examination-eligibility fee in that subsection applies only to examination applicants, not endorsement applicants. Renewal is calculated at $30 per year.).
How long will it take?
neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications — neither IDFPR nor 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1340 publishes a processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- IDFPR — Physical Therapy profession page (CORE applications, endorsement link, license look-up) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- IDFPR — Qualifications for Licensure: Physical Therapist (070), effective 03/2026 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code Part 1340 — Illinois Physical Therapy Act rules (Sec. 1340.50 Endorsement, Sec. 1340.57 Fees) ↗ (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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