Physical Therapy License from Tennessee to North Carolina: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners ↗
Yes — both Tennessee and North Carolina are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Tennessee is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in North Carolina now; if you are moving your residence to North Carolina, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare North Carolina your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Compact multistate — already covered
Both Tennessee and North Carolina are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Tennessee is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners — you buy a North Carolina compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Tennessee license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: North Carolina may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Tennessee license does. If you are genuinely relocating to North Carolina rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into North Carolina.
What changes, Tennessee → North Carolina
| Tennessee (current) | North Carolina (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $260–$305 (Rule 1150-01-.06 fee schedule for a PT: $150 application fee + $100 reciprocity fee + $10 biennial state regulatory fee are due when the application is filed ($260); a $45 license fee is then due before the license is issued, for $305 total. PTA equivalents are $140 + $100 + $10 + $45. Background-check vendor costs and the $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) | The Board's fee rule is 21 NCAC 48F .0102 (readopted eff. May 1, 2019), but on 2026-08-07 neither the rule text nor the Board's published Schedule of Fees could be retrieved from an official source - the Board's application host (www2.ncptboard.org) returned 403 and the NC OAH / NC Rules code servers were unreachable. No amount is stated rather than guess. Confirm the current endorsement application fee directly with the Board. |
| Processing time | the Board's rules set no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications; they only require the $45 license fee to be received within 30 days of notification that it is due, or the application file is closed | The Board publishes no processing timeframe; 21 NCAC 48B .0102(a) provides only that each endorsement application is considered on an individual basis. |
| Licensing authority | Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health) | North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — North Carolina sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
- If you are moving your primary residence to North Carolina: apply for licensure by endorsement with the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners when you move.
- Declare North Carolina as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete North Carolina's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
- Keep practicing — your multistate privilege remains valid during the transition (do not let the old license lapse before the new one issues).
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does North Carolina accept a Tennessee physical therapy license?
Yes — both Tennessee and North Carolina are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Tennessee is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in North Carolina now; if you are moving your residence to North Carolina, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare North Carolina your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Tennessee to North Carolina?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken. Under 21 NCAC 48B .0102(b) the Board accepts the examination on which the out-of-state license was granted, in a format approved by the Board (the FSBPT Score Transfer Service); if the scores are unavailable from the other state the applicant must have them issued by the testing agency, and if the total score does not meet the North Carolina passing level in 21 NCAC 48D .0105 the exam must be repeated at the applicant's cost. Every endorsement applicant must also complete the North Carolina Jurisprudence Exercise (21 NCAC 48B .0102(d))..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a North Carolina compact privilege to work while living in Tennessee: the commission's uniform fee plus North Carolina's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full North Carolina license by endorsement: The Board's fee rule is 21 NCAC 48F .0102 (readopted eff. May 1, 2019), but on 2026-08-07 neither the rule text nor the Board's published Schedule of Fees could be retrieved from an official source - the Board's application host (www2.ncptboard.org) returned 403 and the NC OAH / NC Rules code servers were unreachable. No amount is stated rather than guess. Confirm the current endorsement application fee directly with the Board. (The Board's fee rule is 21 NCAC 48F .0102 (readopted eff. May 1, 2019), but on 2026-08-07 neither the rule text nor the Board's published Schedule of Fees could be retrieved from an official source - the Board's application host (www2.ncptboard.org) returned 403 and the NC OAH / NC Rules code servers were unreachable. No amount is stated rather than guess. Confirm the current endorsement application fee directly with the Board.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any North Carolina jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs The Board publishes no processing timeframe; 21 NCAC 48B .0102(a) provides only that each endorsement application is considered on an individual basis. (The Board publishes no processing timeframe; 21 NCAC 48B .0102(a) provides only that each endorsement application is considered on an individual basis.).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- NC Office of Administrative Hearings - rule text, 21 NCAC 48B .0102 Licenses by Endorsement (with 48E .0104, 48F .0101, 48G .0105, 48G .0203) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC OAH - G.S. 150B-21.3A periodic review report for 21 NCAC 48, Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (rule inventory incl. 48E .0105, 48E .0113, 48F .0102) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- NC Board of Physical Therapy Examiners - official site ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- FSBPT - NPTE Score Transfer Service ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy, Chapter 1150-01 (December 2025 revision) - Rules 1150-01-.04 Qualifications, .05 Procedures, .06 Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Tennessee Department of Health - Board of Physical Therapy ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - state status list (Physical Therapy Compact Commission) ↗ (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]