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LicenseReciprocity

Physical Therapy License from Texas to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)

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

A physical therapy license transfers from Texas to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health), verify your Texas license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is moved to Florida via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service (a $90 FSBPT fee). Florida also requires the Florida Laws and Rules (jurisprudence) Examination, taken through FSBPT at a Prometric testing center..

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Verdict

Licensure by endorsement

Moving from Texas into Florida leaves the compact behind: Florida has not joined the compact, so no Texas privilege reaches it. You transfer by licensure by endorsement with the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health) — your NPTE score moves through the FSBPT rather than being retaken, and Florida adds its own jurisprudence exam and background check. Your Texas license and any privileges you hold elsewhere stay valid as long as your residence remains in Texas; file Florida's application before you rely on income there.

What changes, Texas → Florida

Side-by-side: Texas vs Florida (Physical Therapy (PT/PTA)), verified 2026-08-07
Texas (current)Florida (destination)
PT Compact statusPT Compact member — multistate license honoredLicensure by endorsement
Application feethe non-refundable application fee is set by the Executive Council in 22 TAC 651.2 (Physical Therapy Board Fees); ECPTOTE publishes no amount on its own pages and links out to the Texas Secretary of State TAC viewer, which is a JavaScript portal that could not be retrieved on 2026-08-07, so no figure is asserted here. The fee is WAIVED for military service members, military spouses and military veterans. Separate from this: the PT Compact privilege costs $50 to Texas plus the Commission's fee, and the FSBPT score transfer costs $90.$180 ($180 total to the Board = $100 endorsement application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed-activity fee (FAC 64B17-2.001). A separate $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee and the electronic-fingerprint fee are additional. Florida is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact privilege alternative.)
Processing timeECPTOTE states it is not publishing current processing times because of high application volume; the only fixed period in rule is that an application for licensure is valid for one year after the board receives it2–3 weeks (The Board conducts initial review within 10 business days of receipt and issues the license within about 7 days once all requirements are met; this excludes time for NPTE score transfer, license verifications, and fingerprint results.)
Licensing authorityTexas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners)Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health)

The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.

Step by step

  1. Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health) website (linked below) — rules change.
  2. Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health) (application linked below).
  3. Arrange license verification from your current state.
  4. Hold an active, unencumbered PT license from another state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory.
  5. Pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) and transfer the score via FSBPT.
  6. Pass the Florida Laws and Rules Examination (Chapters 456 and 486, F.S.) through FSBPT.
  7. Complete electronic fingerprinting for a criminal background screening.
  8. Under the MOBILE endorsement pathway, have actively practiced at least two years during the preceding four years with no disciplinary action in the prior five years.
  9. Submit license verification from each state where a license is or has ever been held.
  10. Pay the fees ($180 ($180 total to the Board = $100 endorsement application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed-activity fee (FAC 64B17-2.001). A separate $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee and the electronic-fingerprint fee are additional. Florida is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact privilege alternative.)) and allow 2–3 weeks (The Board conducts initial review within 10 business days of receipt and issues the license within about 7 days once all requirements are met; this excludes time for NPTE score transfer, license verifications, and fingerprint results.).

Official links

Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health) ↗Florida application ↗

Related guides

Reverse: Florida → TexasPhysical Therapy in TexasPhysical Therapy in FloridaAll physical therapy statesThe PT Compact explained

Frequently asked questions

Does Florida accept a Texas physical therapy license?

A physical therapy license transfers from Texas to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice (Department of Health), verify your Texas license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is moved to Florida via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service (a $90 FSBPT fee). Florida also requires the Florida Laws and Rules (jurisprudence) Examination, taken through FSBPT at a Prometric testing center..

Do I retake the NPTE moving from Texas to Florida?

No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is moved to Florida via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service (a $90 FSBPT fee). Florida also requires the Florida Laws and Rules (jurisprudence) Examination, taken through FSBPT at a Prometric testing center..

What does the move cost?

$180 ($180 total to the Board = $100 endorsement application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed-activity fee (FAC 64B17-2.001). A separate $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee and the electronic-fingerprint fee are additional. Florida is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact privilege alternative.) ($180 total to the Board = $100 endorsement application fee + $75 initial license fee + $5 unlicensed-activity fee (FAC 64B17-2.001). A separate $90 FSBPT score-transfer fee and the electronic-fingerprint fee are additional. Florida is not a PT Compact state, so there is no compact privilege alternative.).

How long will it take?

2–3 weeks (The Board conducts initial review within 10 business days of receipt and issues the license within about 7 days once all requirements are met; this excludes time for NPTE score transfer, license verifications, and fingerprint results.) — The Board conducts initial review within 10 business days of receipt and issues the license within about 7 days once all requirements are met; this excludes time for NPTE score transfer, license verifications, and fingerprint results..

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]