About

The Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (OT Compact) is an interstate compact, or formal agreement among states, that facilitates interstate practice of occupational therapy.

Under the OT Compact, Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) who are licensed in good standing in a Compact member state may practice in other Compact member states via a “compact privilege,” which is equivalent to a license.

The OT Compact establishes a licensure data system allowing for instantaneous verification of licensure information. The Compact also establishes an interstate commission, composed of member state officials, to carry out the Compact’s purposes.

The OT Compact Commission (OTCC) convened in August 2022 to begin the process of establishing rules and implementing the data system in order to begin issuing compact privileges. See this page for more information on the OTCC. See this page for information on upcoming meetings.

The OT Compact is a joint initiative of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®).

AOTA and NBCOT have executed Memoranda of Understanding with the OT Compact Commission stating that they will provide funding to assist the Commission in its initial years. Since 2019,  NBCOT has provided significant funding support for development costs related to the OT Licensure Compact Initiative. State associations, with assistance from AOTA and NBCOT, have successfully enacted OT compact legislation in 22 states. Ten to fifteen states are expected to introduce OT compact legislation in 2023.

Funding from AOTA and NBCOT does not include the cost of the data system. When information about data system funding is available, it will be posted here.

The OT Compact Commission is grateful for the continued assistance of these two organizations in support of the implementation of the OT Compact.

 

Technical support for the project is provided by the National Center for Interstate Compacts (NCIC) at The Council of State Governments (CSG).

Informational Webinar

Learn more about the OT Compact in this webinar from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®) 2020 State Regulatory Leadership Forum.

Further Reading

Developing the OT Compact
(OT Practice Magazine)

This article provides an introduction to the OT Compact development process and highlights some key provisions of the document.