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LicenseReciprocity

Physical Therapy License from Virginia to Mississippi: Does It Transfer? (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy ↗

Yes — both Virginia and Mississippi are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Virginia is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Mississippi now; if you are moving your residence to Mississippi, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Mississippi your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.

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Verdict

Compact multistate — already covered

Both Virginia and Mississippi are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Virginia is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a Mississippi compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Virginia license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Mississippi may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Virginia license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Mississippi rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Mississippi.

What changes, Virginia → Mississippi

Side-by-side: Virginia vs Mississippi (Physical Therapy (PT/PTA)), verified 2026-08-07
Virginia (current)Mississippi (destination)
PT Compact statusPT Compact member — multistate license honoredPT Compact member — multistate license honored
Application fee$140 (licensure-by-endorsement application fee for a physical therapist under 18VAC112-20-27 (most recently amended June 18, 2025); the PTA endorsement fee is $100. Active PT renewal is $135 biennially. The $50 compact privilege fee and the $75 direct access certification fee in the same section are separate charges. Criminal background check costs are not included.)$275 ($125.00 application fee + $150.00 initial Physical Therapist licence fee per Part 3103 Chapter 10 Rule 10.2; the Board's Steps to Licensure adds a $50.00 fingerprint/criminal-history processing fee, giving a stated PT total of $325.00 (PTA total $300.00). All fees are non-refundable. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.)
Processing timethe Board publishes no processing timeframe; its FAQ states only that an application remains valid for one year before a new application and fee are required~1 weeks (the Board states the review process 'is usually completed within one to two days' — but only once every licensure requirement is already on file, so this excludes the time needed to obtain verifications, transcripts, NPTE score reporting and background-check results. A 60-day temporary licence is available while the file is completed.)
Licensing authorityVirginia Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Health Professions)Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy

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

Step by step

  1. Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing (check it in the verification system).
  2. If you are moving your primary residence to Mississippi: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy when you move.
  3. Declare Mississippi as your new primary state of residence on that application.
  4. Complete Mississippi's fingerprint/background check requirement if requested.
  5. 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 Mississippi accept a Virginia physical therapy license?

Yes — both Virginia and Mississippi are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Virginia is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Mississippi now; if you are moving your residence to Mississippi, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Mississippi your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.

Do I retake the NPTE moving from Virginia to Mississippi?

No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. The NPTE is not retaken; scores must be reported to the Board directly by FSBPT in the standard interstate reporting format (a criterion-referenced scaled score of 600 or higher for exams taken on or after 1 March 1994). Mississippi also requires its own open-book Jurisprudence Exam, taken inside the online application against the Board's law and regulations, with a minimum passing score of 70..

What does the move cost?

If you are buying a Mississippi compact privilege to work while living in Virginia: the commission's uniform fee plus Mississippi's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Mississippi license by endorsement: $275 ($125.00 application fee + $150.00 initial Physical Therapist licence fee per Part 3103 Chapter 10 Rule 10.2; the Board's Steps to Licensure adds a $50.00 fingerprint/criminal-history processing fee, giving a stated PT total of $325.00 (PTA total $300.00). All fees are non-refundable. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) ($125.00 application fee + $150.00 initial Physical Therapist licence fee per Part 3103 Chapter 10 Rule 10.2; the Board's Steps to Licensure adds a $50.00 fingerprint/criminal-history processing fee, giving a stated PT total of $325.00 (PTA total $300.00). All fees are non-refundable. This is NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).

How long will it take?

A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Mississippi jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs ~1 weeks (the Board states the review process 'is usually completed within one to two days' — but only once every licensure requirement is already on file, so this excludes the time needed to obtain verifications, transcripts, NPTE score reporting and background-check results. A 60-day temporary licence is available while the file is completed.) (the Board states the review process 'is usually completed within one to two days' — but only once every licensure requirement is already on file, so this excludes the time needed to obtain verifications, transcripts, NPTE score reporting and background-check results. A 60-day temporary licence is available while the file is completed.).

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]