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LicenseReciprocity

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

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

Yes — both Wisconsin and Mississippi 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 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 Wisconsin and Mississippi 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 Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy — you buy a Mississippi compact privilege through the commission and practice on it, with your Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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, Wisconsin → Mississippi

Side-by-side: Wisconsin vs Mississippi (Physical Therapy (PT/PTA)), verified 2026-08-07
Wisconsin (current)Mississippi (destination)
PT Compact statusPT Compact member — multistate license honoredPT Compact member — multistate license honored
Application feenot 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lists $56.00 for a Physical Therapist effective 7/1/2021, but DSPS announced an updated fee schedule on 2025-08-08 that superseded it, and no current initial-credential fee document could be located on dsps.wi.gov.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).$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 timeDSPS publishes no processing timeframe for PT endorsement applications; it warns only that a file with no activity for a year may be withdrawn~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 authorityWisconsin Physical Therapy Examining Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services)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 Wisconsin physical therapy license?

Yes — both Wisconsin and Mississippi 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 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin: 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]