Physical Therapy License from Wisconsin to Arizona: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy ↗
Yes — both Wisconsin and Arizona are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Wisconsin is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Arizona now; if you are moving your residence to Arizona, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Arizona 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 Wisconsin and Arizona are active PT Compact members, so this is a privilege move, not a license move. If Wisconsin is your home state and primary residence and your license there is active, you do not apply to the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a Arizona compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Wisconsin license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Arizona may require its jurisprudence exam before the privilege issues, and the privilege lapses the moment your Wisconsin license does. If you are genuinely relocating to Arizona rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Arizona.
What changes, Wisconsin → Arizona
| Wisconsin (current) | Arizona (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | PT Compact member — multistate license honored | PT Compact member — multistate license honored |
| Application fee | not verifiable on an official page on 2026-08-07. DSPS sets initial credential fees administratively under Wis. Stat. 440.03(9)(a); the last per-profession initial-fee schedule DSPS publishes online lists $56.00 for a Physical Therapist effective 7/1/2021, but DSPS announced an updated fee schedule on 2025-08-08 that superseded it, and no current initial-credential fee document could be located on dsps.wi.gov. The current PT renewal fee is documented: $68 biennially, due 02/28 of odd years (RDAF rev. 08/07/2025). | $190–$260 (original-license application fee per A.A.C. R4-24-107: $260 if applying Sep 1 (even year)-Aug 31 (odd year), $190 if applying in the second half of the biennial cycle; an endorsement is filed as an original-license application. Statutory cap is $300 (A.R.S. 32-2029). AZLAW exam fees (~$65 to FSBPT + ~$29.50 to Prometric) are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) |
| Processing time | DSPS publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it warns only that a file with no activity for a year may be withdrawn | the Board's statutes and rules do not state a processing timeframe |
| Licensing authority | Wisconsin Physical Therapy Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) | Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Arizona 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 Arizona: apply for licensure by endorsement with the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy when you move.
- Declare Arizona as your new primary state of residence on that application.
- Complete Arizona'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 Arizona accept a Wisconsin physical therapy license?
Yes — both Wisconsin and Arizona are members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Wisconsin is your primary state of residence and you hold a multistate license, you can practice in Arizona now; if you are moving your residence to Arizona, apply for licensure by endorsement there and declare Arizona your new primary state of residence — your multistate privilege continues.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Wisconsin to Arizona?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score is verified/transferred to the Board via the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Arizona also requires passing the AZLAW jurisprudence exam (50 questions; a scaled score of 600 to pass)..
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Arizona compact privilege to work while living in Wisconsin: the commission's uniform fee plus Arizona's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Arizona license by endorsement: $190–$260 (original-license application fee per A.A.C. R4-24-107: $260 if applying Sep 1 (even year)-Aug 31 (odd year), $190 if applying in the second half of the biennial cycle; an endorsement is filed as an original-license application. Statutory cap is $300 (A.R.S. 32-2029). AZLAW exam fees (~$65 to FSBPT + ~$29.50 to Prometric) are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.) (original-license application fee per A.A.C. R4-24-107: $260 if applying Sep 1 (even year)-Aug 31 (odd year), $190 if applying in the second half of the biennial cycle; an endorsement is filed as an original-license application. Statutory cap is $300 (A.R.S. 32-2029). AZLAW exam fees (~$65 to FSBPT + ~$29.50 to Prometric) are separate. NOT the PT Compact privilege fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Arizona jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs the Board's statutes and rules do not state a processing timeframe (the Board's statutes and rules do not state a processing timeframe).
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-24-107 — Fees ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Ariz. Admin. Code R4-24-201 — Application for a Physical Therapist License ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- A.R.S. 32-2029 — Board of Physical Therapy fees (statutory cap) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- PT Compact — member states map ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- WI DSPS - Physical Therapist profession page ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WI DSPS Form #3195 - Credentialing Information for PT/PTA Applicants (Rev. 4/2022) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WI DSPS - Renewal Dates and Fees (RDAF, rev. 08/07/2025) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WI DSPS - 2021-2023 Initial Application Fee Changes (superseded) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- WI DSPS news release - fee adjustment, August 8, 2025 ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - how to get privileges (state fee and jurisprudence table) ↗ (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]