Licensure guide · Minnesota

How to get a Minnesota occupational therapy license

Occupational therapists in Minnesota are licensed by the Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice. Below is what the board requires, from education to renewal, with every requirement linked to the board page it comes from. Checked October 22, 2026.

Step by step

Getting licensed

Education: Applicants educated in the United States must complete all academic and fieldwork requirements of an occupational therapy program approved or accredited by ACOTE; applicants educated abroad must complete a program approved by a member association of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. [2]
National exam: Applicants must achieve a qualifying score on the occupational therapist certification examination, with the qualifying score set by the Board as recommended by NBCOT; applicants arrange and pay for the exam themselves. [2]
State law exam: Minnesota law allows the Board to require occupational therapy practitioners to take an open-book jurisprudence examination on state laws and rules governing occupational therapy practice. [3]
Background check: Applicants for initial licensure must provide evidence of completing a criminal background check. [4]
Fees: Minnesota statute sets the initial licensure fee for occupational therapists at $185; the Board may set licensure fees up to, but not above, the statutory amounts, and all fees are nonrefundable. [5]

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Minnesota is a OT Compact member and is issuing compact privileges: occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants licensed in another member state can obtain a privilege to practice in Minnesota without applying for a new state license.

Licensed in another state: Occupational therapists who hold current NBCOT certification, including those licensed in another state, may be licensed by equivalency by submitting the standard initial application materials. [6]
Interstate compact: The OT Compact Commission lists Minnesota as accepting OT Compact privilege applications since January 12, 2026, with no jurisprudence requirement, a Minnesota state fee of $50 for OTs, and a $75 OT Compact fee. [10]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: The Board issues temporary licenses to eligible new graduates awaiting the certification exam (who must practice under a licensed occupational therapist's supervision) and to applicants credentialed in another state or certified by NBCOT; a temporary license expires six months after issuance or when licensure is granted or denied, and is not renewable. [7]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Occupational therapist licenses must be renewed every two years, on or before the first day of the month after the licensee's birth month. [8]
Continuing education: Occupational therapists must complete at least 24 contact hours of continuing education in each two-year licensure period, and at least half of the required hours must be directly related to occupational therapy practice. [9]

Working in Minnesota

Pay and openings

Occupational therapists in Minnesota earn a mean of $91,450 a year (BLS). Most of our Minnesota searches are confidential and never posted; tell us what you want and we will match you quietly.

Sources

Every requirement above was checked against the official page listed here on October 22, 2026. Boards change fees and rules, so confirm with the Minnesota board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Minnesota licenses

Occupational therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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