Skip to content
LicenseReciprocity

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

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

Tennessee issues and accepts compact privileges as an active PT Compact member. If your home state is a member, you can practice in Tennessee on a purchased privilege without a Tennessee license; otherwise, or if you are moving to Tennessee, the route is licensure by endorsement with the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health) — $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.), no NPTE retake, the score transferred through the FSBPT.

Moving to Tennessee from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

Run the Reciprocity Checker →

Verdict

PT Compact member — multistate license honored

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

Tennessee is an ACTIVE PT Compact member, so a PT whose home state is also an active member can work in TN on a compact privilege instead of applying for a TN license. Tennessee calls the endorsement route 'licensure by reciprocity' and charges a separate $100 reciprocity fee on top of the ordinary application fee - the total cash outlay is higher than the headline application fee, which is why the fee range here is $260-$305. Note that the rules use 'Endorsement/Verification' ($25) for the different purpose of the Board verifying a Tennessee license to another state; that is not the transfer-in fee.

Tennessee requirements at a glance

Out-of-state physical therapy license transfer requirements for Tennessee, verified 2026-08-07
ExamNPTE is not retaken; passing scores must be sent directly from the examining service to the Board's administrative office (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report), and reciprocity candidates must have passed the licensing examination at a criterion-referenced passing point. Tennessee requires no jurisprudence exam to obtain the license, but every renewal cycle 4 of the required continuing-competence hours must be ethics and jurisprudence courses of at least 2 hours each.
Additional requirements
  • Hold a current, unrestricted PT license in another U.S. jurisdiction and have verification sent from every state where you hold or have held a license
  • Have an official transcript sent directly from the CAPTE-accredited degree-granting institution showing the degree was conferred
  • Have the result of a criminal background check sent to the Board directly from the Board's designated vendor
  • Submit an original letter of recommendation from a licensed PT or PTA attesting to good moral character (not from a relative)
  • Submit a passport-style photograph taken within the preceding 12 months
Fees$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.)
Processing timethe 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

Step by step

  1. Confirm Tennessee's current requirements on the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health) website — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health) (application linked on this page).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
  4. Hold a current, unrestricted PT license in another U.S. jurisdiction and have verification sent from every state where you hold or have held a license.
  5. Have an official transcript sent directly from the CAPTE-accredited degree-granting institution showing the degree was conferred.
  6. Have the result of a criminal background check sent to the Board directly from the Board's designated vendor.
  7. Submit an original letter of recommendation from a licensed PT or PTA attesting to good moral character (not from a relative).
  8. Submit a passport-style photograph taken within the preceding 12 months.
  9. Pay the fees ($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.)) and allow 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.

Official links

Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health) ↗Tennessee application ↗License verification ↗Physical Therapy Licensure Compact ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Tennessee:

Alabama → TennesseeAlaska → TennesseeArizona → TennesseeArkansas → TennesseeCalifornia → TennesseeColorado → TennesseeConnecticut → TennesseeDelaware → TennesseeDistrict of Columbia → TennesseeFlorida → TennesseeGeorgia → TennesseeIllinois → TennesseeIndiana → TennesseeIowa → TennesseeKansas → TennesseeKentucky → TennesseeLouisiana → TennesseeMaryland → TennesseeMichigan → TennesseeMississippi → Tennessee
All 42 origin states
Missouri → TennesseeMontana → TennesseeNebraska → TennesseeNevada → TennesseeNew Hampshire → TennesseeNew Jersey → TennesseeNew York → TennesseeNorth Carolina → TennesseeNorth Dakota → TennesseeOhio → TennesseeOklahoma → TennesseeOregon → TennesseePennsylvania → TennesseeSouth Carolina → TennesseeSouth Dakota → TennesseeTexas → TennesseeUtah → TennesseeVermont → TennesseeVirginia → TennesseeWashington → TennesseeWest Virginia → TennesseeWisconsin → Tennessee

Frequently asked questions

Does my physical therapy license transfer to Tennessee?

Tennessee issues and accepts compact privileges as an active PT Compact member. If your home state is a member, you can practice in Tennessee on a purchased privilege without a Tennessee license; otherwise, or if you are moving to Tennessee, the route is licensure by endorsement with the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy (Tennessee Department of Health) — $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.), no NPTE retake, the score transferred through the FSBPT.

Do I have to retake the NPTE to get licensed in Tennessee?

No. NPTE is not retaken; passing scores must be sent directly from the examining service to the Board's administrative office (FSBPT Score Transfer Service, $90 per report), and reciprocity candidates must have passed the licensing examination at a criterion-referenced passing point. Tennessee requires no jurisprudence exam to obtain the license, but every renewal cycle 4 of the required continuing-competence hours must be ethics and jurisprudence courses of at least 2 hours each.. No state requires a second NPTE.

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

$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.) (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.).

How long does Tennessee take to process an endorsement application?

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'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.

Is Tennessee in the PT Compact?

Yes — Tennessee is an active member as of 2026-08-07. A PT or PTA whose home state is also a member can buy a Tennessee compact privilege instead of a full license; relocating to Tennessee 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]