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LicenseReciprocity

Transfer Your Physical Therapy License to South Dakota: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) ↗

Yes — South Dakota participates in the PT Compact as an active member. A PT or PTA whose home state is also a member purchases a South Dakota compact privilege rather than a second license, keeping their home credential in place; relocating to South Dakota or coming from a non-member home state means licensure by endorsement through the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) ($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.)), NPTE score moved by FSBPT transfer, processing 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.

Moving to South Dakota from a specific state?

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Verdict

PT Compact member — multistate license honored

Whether South Dakota costs you a full license or just a privilege depends on what you are actually doing. Working in South Dakota while your license and residence stay in another member state — a travel assignment, a satellite clinic, telehealth across the line — means buying a South Dakota compact privilege and keeping your home license; South Dakota charges no full-license fee for that path, though it may require its jurisprudence exam first. Relocating to South Dakota is the other case: your residence changes, South Dakota becomes your home state, and that is licensure by endorsement with the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health), after which South Dakota can anchor privileges of its own.

South Dakota is an ACTIVE PT Compact member, so a PT whose home state is also an active member can work in SD on a compact privilege instead of obtaining an SD license. South Dakota does not publish a separate 'endorsement' application: an out-of-state PT uses the same licensure application and satisfies it by having every prior state verify the license directly to the Board, which is what makes the transfer an endorsement in practice. The Board is administered from Spearfish (810 N. Main St., Suite 298) by an executive secretary, not from Pierre.

South Dakota requirements at a glance

Out-of-state physical therapy license transfer requirements for South Dakota, verified 2026-08-07
ExamNPTE is not retaken; the applicant requests the score through FSBPT and it is sent to the Board (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report). The Board's licensing checklist lists no South Dakota jurisprudence exam.
Additional requirements
  • Submit the Board's notarized application form
  • Have an official transcript sent showing degree completion from a CAPTE-accredited program
  • Obtain license verification from every state where you hold or have held a license, showing licensure dates and disciplinary status
  • Complete a fingerprint-card criminal background check processed through the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation
Fees$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.)
Processing timethe 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

Step by step

  1. Confirm South Dakota's current requirements on the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Submit the Board's notarized application form.
  5. Have an official transcript sent showing degree completion from a CAPTE-accredited program.
  6. Obtain license verification from every state where you hold or have held a license, showing licensure dates and disciplinary status.
  7. Complete a fingerprint-card criminal background check processed through the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
  8. Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 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.

Official links

South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) ↗South Dakota application ↗Physical Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into South Dakota:

Alabama → South DakotaAlaska → South DakotaArizona → South DakotaArkansas → South DakotaCalifornia → South DakotaColorado → South DakotaConnecticut → South DakotaDelaware → South DakotaDistrict of Columbia → South DakotaFlorida → South DakotaGeorgia → South DakotaIllinois → South DakotaIndiana → South DakotaIowa → South DakotaKansas → South DakotaKentucky → South DakotaLouisiana → South DakotaMaryland → South DakotaMichigan → South DakotaMississippi → South Dakota
All 42 origin states
Missouri → South DakotaMontana → South DakotaNebraska → South DakotaNevada → South DakotaNew Hampshire → South DakotaNew Jersey → South DakotaNew York → South DakotaNorth Carolina → South DakotaNorth Dakota → South DakotaOhio → South DakotaOklahoma → South DakotaOregon → South DakotaPennsylvania → South DakotaSouth Carolina → South DakotaTennessee → South DakotaTexas → South DakotaUtah → South DakotaVermont → South DakotaVirginia → South DakotaWashington → South DakotaWest Virginia → South DakotaWisconsin → South Dakota

Frequently asked questions

Does my physical therapy license transfer to South Dakota?

Yes — South Dakota participates in the PT Compact as an active member. A PT or PTA whose home state is also a member purchases a South Dakota compact privilege rather than a second license, keeping their home credential in place; relocating to South Dakota or coming from a non-member home state means licensure by endorsement through the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy (South Dakota Department of Health) ($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.)), NPTE score moved by FSBPT transfer, processing 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.

Do I have to retake the NPTE to get licensed in South Dakota?

No. NPTE is not retaken; the applicant requests the score through FSBPT and it is sent to the Board (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report). The Board's licensing checklist lists no South Dakota jurisprudence exam.. No state requires a second NPTE.

How much does it cost to transfer a PT license to South Dakota by endorsement?

$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.) (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.).

How long does South Dakota take to process an endorsement application?

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 — 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.

Is South Dakota in the PT Compact?

Yes — South Dakota is an active member as of 2026-08-07. A PT or PTA whose home state is also a member can buy a South Dakota compact privilege instead of a full license; relocating to South Dakota still requires licensure by endorsement.

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 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]