Physical Therapy License from Wisconsin to Louisiana: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Yes, for working in Louisiana — both Wisconsin and Louisiana are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Wisconsin is your primary state of residence and your Wisconsin license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Louisiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Louisiana, you will need a Louisiana license once Louisiana becomes your home state.
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Verdict
Compact privilege — work there without a second license
Both Wisconsin and Louisiana 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 Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) — you buy a Louisiana compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Wisconsin license staying in place. Two caveats worth planning around: Louisiana 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 Louisiana rather than working there temporarily, the privilege model doesn't fit — you would change your home state by endorsing into Louisiana.
What changes, Wisconsin → Louisiana
| Wisconsin (current) | Louisiana (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| PT Compact status | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) | Licensure by endorsement · PT Compact privilege (not a license) |
| 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lists $56.00 for a Physical Therapist effective 7/1/2021, but DSPS announced an updated fee schedule on 2025-08-08 that superseded it, and no current initial-credential fee document could be located on dsps.wi.gov.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) | $250 (PT license application fee per LAC 46:LIV §501, paid by domestic cashier's check or money order only (personal checks are returned). The $95 'compact state fee' in the same rule is the PT Compact privilege fee, NOT the reciprocity application 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 publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications |
| Licensing authority | Wisconsin Physical Therapy Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services) | Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Louisiana sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered and that your home state is your primary state of residence.
- To work in Louisiana: purchase a PT Compact privilege for Louisiana through the compact commission and complete any Louisiana jurisprudence requirement.
- Keep your home-state license active — every privilege lapses with it.
- If you are moving your primary residence to Louisiana: apply for a Louisiana license with the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (Louisiana State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners); a privilege does not follow you when your home state changes.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does Louisiana accept a Wisconsin physical therapy license?
Yes, for working in Louisiana — both Wisconsin and Louisiana are active members of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact (PT Compact). If Wisconsin is your primary state of residence and your Wisconsin license is active and unencumbered, you can buy a compact privilege to practice in Louisiana without a second license. A privilege is not a license transfer: if you are moving your residence to Louisiana, you will need a Louisiana license once Louisiana becomes your home state.
Do I retake the NPTE moving from Wisconsin to Louisiana?
No — the NPTE is taken once and your score transfers through the FSBPT. NPTE is not retaken; the passing score must be sent to the Board through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service. Louisiana also requires all applicants to pass the Board's free online jurisprudence exam (40 questions from the Practice Act and Rules, 75% to pass).
What does the move cost?
If you are buying a Louisiana compact privilege to work while living in Wisconsin: the commission's uniform fee plus Louisiana's privilege fee. If you are relocating and taking a full Louisiana license by endorsement: $250 (PT license application fee per LAC 46:LIV §501, paid by domestic cashier's check or money order only (personal checks are returned). The $95 'compact state fee' in the same rule is the PT Compact privilege fee, NOT the reciprocity application fee.).
How long will it take?
A compact privilege issues quickly once your eligibility and any Louisiana jurisprudence exam are cleared — usually faster than a full license. A relocation endorsement runs the Board publishes no processing timeframe for reciprocity applications.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.
- LAC 46:LIV §501 — Louisiana physical therapy fees (Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- LAC 46:LIV §151 — Application (jurisprudence exam + background check) (Cornell LII) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Louisiana PT Board — Reciprocity for PTs and PTAs (Non-Foreign Educated) ↗ (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 - member state map ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
- PT Compact - how to get privileges (state fee and jurisprudence table) ↗ (accessed 2026-08-07)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07
How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]