Physical Therapy License from Pennsylvania to Maine: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) ↗
A physical therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the FSBPT forwards the passing score directly to the Board (Score Transfer Service). The Board may waive the examination requirement for an applicant currently licensed in another state who previously passed an equivalent qualifying examination. No state jurisprudence exam..
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Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Moving from Pennsylvania into Maine leaves the compact behind: Maine has enacted the compact but is not yet issuing or accepting privileges, so no Pennsylvania privilege reaches it. You transfer by licensure by endorsement with the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) — your NPTE score moves through the FSBPT rather than being retaken, and Maine 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 Maine's application before you rely on income there.
What changes, Pennsylvania → Maine
| Pennsylvania (current) | Maine (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact enacted — not yet issuing |
| 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.) | $30 (PT license fee for the endorsement applicant; + $21 criminal-background-check fee (in notes, not the range). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee — Maine is not yet issuing privileges.) |
| 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 |
| Licensing authority | Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) | Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Maine sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Maine's current requirements on the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Graduate of a board-approved, CAPTE-accredited physical therapy educational program.
- Submit the Application by Endorsement (for applicants currently licensed in another state).
- Have the NPTE passing score transferred to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service.
- Submit verification of every license ever held, even if not currently active.
- Submit a reference form and an official transcript (if not previously on file).
- Criminal background check.
- Pay the fees ($30 (PT license fee for the endorsement applicant; + $21 criminal-background-check fee (in notes, not the range). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee — Maine is not yet issuing privileges.)) and allow the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine accept a Pennsylvania physical therapy license?
A physical therapy license transfers from Pennsylvania to Maine by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation), verify your Pennsylvania license, and meet Maine's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the FSBPT forwards the passing score directly to the Board (Score Transfer Service). The Board may waive the examination requirement for an applicant currently licensed in another state who previously passed an equivalent qualifying examination. No state jurisprudence exam..
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Pennsylvania to Maine?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the FSBPT forwards the passing score directly to the Board (Score Transfer Service). The Board may waive the examination requirement for an applicant currently licensed in another state who previously passed an equivalent qualifying examination. No state jurisprudence exam..
What does the move cost?
$30 (PT license fee for the endorsement applicant; + $21 criminal-background-check fee (in notes, not the range). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee — Maine is not yet issuing privileges.) (PT license fee for the endorsement applicant; + $21 criminal-background-check fee (in notes, not the range). NOT a PT Compact privilege fee — Maine is not yet issuing privileges.).
How long will it take?
the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications — the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Maine Board of Physical Therapy — Licensing (PT/PTA) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Maine Board of Physical Therapy — Applications & Forms ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 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]