The occupational therapy profession in the USA is regulated by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the respective board of state. Occupational therapy is regulated in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. The main purpose of regulation is to protect consumer rights in a state or jurisdiction from unqualified or unscrupulous practitioners. Show
Each state has made its laws which directly affect the practice of occupational therapy. These regulations/laws are developed by regulators, who are appointed public officials of various departments in state government. Both kinds of officials make decisions that directly and indirectly affect occupational therapy practitioners.  Information Regarding Certification or Verification of OT Licensure-An OT license indicates that an individual has met the minimum requirements of the Education Law to enter practice or use a professional title within the issuing State. A license is valid for the life of the holder unless revoked, annulled, or suspended by the Board of Regents. The Education Law requires that individual licensees periodically register with the Department and pay a fee in order to actively practice or use a professional title within the issuing State. How to Get an OT/OTA License-All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico require occupational therapists (OT) and occupational therapy assistants (OTA) to be licensed. States have similar, but not identical requirements and procedures for obtaining a license. For specific state licensure requirements always consult the state occupational therapy regulatory agency or board. General Occupational therapy license requirements-Any use of the titles occupational therapist (OTR) or occupational therapy assistant (COTA) within any state requires licensure as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant. To be licensed as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant in any state you must:
You must submit an Application for Licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. Specific Occupational therapy license requirements-
Many, but not all states allow practitioners to practice on a temporary OT or OTA license or limited permit while waiting to take or receive the results of the certification exam. If you fail the exam, you may not be able to continue to practice. Each state OT regulatory agency should be consulted for specific requirements and procedure. International candidate-If your application is based on credit granted for the completion of courses of study in a country where English is not the principal language spoken, you must demonstrate proficiency in English by passing the TOEFL examination. The minimum TOEFL iBT Scores required is 89 out of 120, which must include a minimum scaled score on Speaking Section of TOEFL iBT: 26. Occupational therapy license verification-Anyone can verify the license of a therapist just by visiting the state regulatory agency or their website. This helps to curb unauthorized or illegal practice. The license verification process is very simple; you can check it just by entering the name or license number in the state authority’s web portal. An OT professional must display a current OT registration certificate; this certificate lists the OT’s name, address, and dates of the registration period. Occupational Therapy professionals must reregister every three years to practice. Occupational therapy License Renewal-To renew your registration as an Occupational therapist or Occupational therapy assistant, you may need to complete some minimum requirement of contact hours of approved continuing competency within each three-year renewal period. (for ex. 36 contact hours of approved CE required in New York State) Requirement of OT license renewal-
Occupational therapy license reciprocity-What is Occupational Therapy license reciprocity?All 50 states practice reciprocity ever since NBCOT became standardized nationally. If your license is valid and you have clean disciplinary/legal record in your state, just apply and pay a fee to be granted another license in the state you desire. OT license reciprocity allows therapists who hold an out-of-state license to earn a license in a receiving state, subject to meeting state-specific requirements. How to transfer occupational therapy license to another state-Each state has their rules and regulation for controlling professional license. Along with the specific OT license requirements, you may have to fulfill some other requirements. But, these requirements are basic in nature, so nothing worries about it. Just follow the guidelines of specific states. The agency may ask you to submit application along with the score of NBCOT exam, Transcripts or continuing education units (CEU). When you apply to the new state for OT license, you have to provide the verification for every license held – current and/or expired. Occupational therapy agency in your previous or current states can provide proof of verification if you send the request to their mailing address with the appropriate fee. Occupational therapy licensure requirements by state-Each state has its own OT rules and regulation for issuing of a license to practice. Please visit the official website of the regulatory body of a specific State. Here is the list of each state’s OT regulatory authority. Occupational Therapy Regulatory Authority Contact List- Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District
of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming What is the best state to be an occupational therapist?Our research put California at no. 1 on the list of best paying states for occupational therapists. Alaska, Nevada, and Hawaii also ranked high on our list.
How long does it take to get Arizona OT license?It typically takes between four and six weeks to receive your occupational therapy license in Arizona. This is average compared to other occupational therapy licenses across the United States.
What state has the highest salary for occupational therapists?The states and districts that pay Occupational Therapists the highest mean salary are Nevada ($111,270), California ($101,080), Arizona ($99,950), New Jersey ($98,750), and District of Columbia ($96,330).
How is Nbcot Certification different than state regulation?Passing the NBCOT certification exam is different from applying for state licensure. Sending a score report to a state regulatory board does not automatically initiate the process to obtain a license or permit to work in that state.
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How to transfer occupational therapy license to another state
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