The Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact allows OTs and COTAs to activate practice privileges in the member states that issue them (the OT Compact Commission lists the states accepting applications) — streamlining multi-state licensing for travel occupational therapists.
The Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact is an agreement between member states that allows occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants to practice in member states through compact privilege — without a full state application in each state.
Important: Unlike the PT Compact, the OT Compact requires active NBCOT certification — not just passing the exam. Keep your NBCOT certification current.
Confirm your NBCOT certification is active and current at NBCOT.org.
Submit compact privilege applications at otcompact.gov.
Fees are lower than full state applications. Check current fee schedule at otcompact.gov.
For current processing times, check the OT Compact Commission before you plan a start date.
Being a member state and issuing privileges are different things — 3 jurisdictions have enacted the PT Compact without issuing any yet. The Compact Eligibility Checker takes your home state and your destination and tells you whether a privilege is available today: 38 PT, 8 OT and 4 ASLP-IC jurisdictions are issuing as of 2026-08-27.
Status from the OT Compact Commission, verified September 30, 2026. Only the states in the first list are issuing OT Compact privileges today. Always verify at otcompact.gov.
The Commission's own pages disagree about this state (its map lists compact legislation as enacted; its application page does not list the state), so confirm with the Commission before you plan on a privilege.
Active NBCOT certification is required for OT Compact privilege — not just having passed the exam years ago. NBCOT certification must be renewed every 3 years. If your NBCOT lapses, you lose compact privilege until it's reinstated.
Yes — the OT Compact covers both OTs (OTR) and COTAs. Both must hold active NBCOT certification and a license in a compact member home state to qualify for compact privilege.
If your NBCOT certification is not current, you cannot apply for or maintain OT Compact privilege. You would need to reinstate your NBCOT certification before compact privileges can be activated or maintained. This is a key difference from the PT Compact.
Both allow multi-state practice through compact privilege. The key difference: the OT Compact requires active NBCOT certification, while the PT Compact requires only an active home state license (passing NPTE was required for the license, but ongoing FSBPT certification is not required). OTs must keep NBCOT current for compact purposes.