Physical Therapy License from South Dakota to Pennsylvania: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Pennsylvania — both South Dakota and Pennsylvania are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If South Dakota is your primary state of residence and your South Dakota license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Pennsylvania without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Pennsylvania, you will need a Pennsylvania license once Pennsylvania becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both South Dakota and Pennsylvania are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If South Dakota is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) — you buy a Pennsylvania compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your South Dakota license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Pennsylvania may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your South Dakota license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Pennsylvania rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Pennsylvania.
What changes, South Dakota → Pennsylvania
| South Dakota (current) | Pennsylvania (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| Application fee | $120 (application fee payable to the SD Board of Physical Therapy per the Board's published licensing-requirements checklist; fingerprint/DCI background-check costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege 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.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no overall processing timeframe; it states only that DCI background-check processing averages 3-4 weeks and is outside the Board's control, and that late fingerprint submission delays application review | Neither the Board's regulations nor the Department of State's physical therapist licensure snapshot states a processing timeframe |
| Licensing authority | South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) | Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Pennsylvania through the compact commission and complete any Pennsylvania jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Pennsylvania: apply for a Pennsylvania license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy (Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Department of State); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a South Dakota physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Pennsylvania — both South Dakota and Pennsylvania are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If South Dakota is your primary state of residence and your South Dakota license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Pennsylvania without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Pennsylvania, you will need a Pennsylvania license once Pennsylvania becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from South Dakota to Pennsylvania?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken. Under 49 Pa. Code section 40.16 an applicant licensed or registered as a physical therapist in another state, territory or the District of Columbia is licensed by endorsement on evidence that the requirements there were substantially equal to Pennsylvania's at the date of that licensure, together with the professional credentials required by section 40.11. No separate Pennsylvania jurisprudence examination appears in section 40.16 or on the Board's physical therapist licensure snapshot.
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Pennsylvania compact privilege to work while living in South Dakota: the commission's uniform fee plus Pennsylvania's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Pennsylvania license by endorsement: $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.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Pennsylvania jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs Neither the Board's regulations nor the Department of State's physical therapist licensure snapshot states a processing timeframe.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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)
- SD Board of Physical Therapy - Licensing Requirements (application checklist and fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- SD Board of Physical Therapy - board home page ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - state status list (Physical Therapy Compact Commission) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
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