Physical Therapy License from West Virginia to Vermont: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) ↗
Yes — both West Virginia and Vermont are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If West Virginia is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Vermont now; if you are moving your residence to Vermont, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Vermont 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 West Virginia and Vermont are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If West Virginia is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) — you buy a Vermont compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your West Virginia license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Vermont may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your West Virginia license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Vermont rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Vermont.
What changes, West Virginia → Vermont
| West Virginia (current) | Vermont (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | $245 (16 CSR 4 (fee rule effective 5/1/2021) sets a $25 physical therapist application fee plus a $220 physical therapist license fee - $245 total for an endorsement applicant; PTA is $25 + $140 = $165. Biennial renewal is $100 for PTs. The $25 exam processing fee does not apply to endorsement. State Police background-check fees are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) | $120 (physical therapist application fee (code 040) on OPR's Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates schedule updated 7/1/2025; the license then renews at $180 biennially on September 30 of even years. Fingerprint/background-check vendor costs are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | the Board publishes no processing timeframe for endorsement applications | OPR publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it states a 90-day provisional license can issue when everything except the licensure verification or background-check result is complete |
| Licensing authority | West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy | Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Vermont sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your current license is an active multistate license in good standing.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Vermont: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State (Physical Therapists) when you move.
- Declare Vermont as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Vermont'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 Vermont accept a West Virginia physical therapy license?
Yes — both West Virginia and Vermont are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If West Virginia is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Vermont now; if you are moving your residence to Vermont, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Vermont your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from West Virginia to Vermont?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; OPR accepts the passing score through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service (the OPR endorsement instructions link a 'Physical Therapists Score Transfer' step). Vermont imposes no state jurisprudence examination - neither the Physical Therapy Rule nor the PT Compact Commission's state requirements table lists one..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Vermont compact privilege to work while living in West Virginia: the commission's uniform fee plus Vermont's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Vermont license by endorsement: $120 (physical therapist application fee (code 040) on OPR's Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates schedule updated 7/1/2025; the license then renews at $180 biennially on September 30 of even years. Fingerprint/background-check vendor costs are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (physical therapist application fee (code 040) on OPR's Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates schedule updated 7/1/2025; the license then renews at $180 biennially on September 30 of even years. Fingerprint/background-check vendor costs are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Vermont jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs OPR publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it states a 90-day provisional license can issue when everything except the licensure verification or background-check result is complete (OPR publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it states a 90-day provisional license can issue when everything except the licensure verification or background-check result is complete).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Vermont OPR - Physical Therapist Forms & Instructions ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Vermont OPR - Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates (updated 7/1/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- Vermont OPR - Administrative Rules for Physical Therapists (eff. June 1, 2013) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - how to get privileges (state fee and jurisprudence table) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Board of Physical Therapy - PT/PTA Applications ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WV Board of Physical Therapy - PT/PTA Eligibility Requirements ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 16 CSR 4 - Fees for Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant (final file, eff. 5/1/2021) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- 16 CSR 1 - General Provisions for Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant ↗ (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]