Licensure guide · Missouri

How to get a Missouri occupational therapy license

Occupational therapists in Missouri are licensed by the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy. 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 must be certified by a board-approved certifying entity, whose certification of an occupational therapist requires a degree or certificate from an ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy program, completion of the required fieldwork, and a passing examination score. [2]
National exam: Applicants apply to NBCOT for the national exam, and the certifying entity must send verification of the applicant's credentials directly to the Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy. [3]
State law exam: All applicants must pass the open-book Missouri Jurisprudence Examination, taken from the rules and statutes, with a score no lower than 80% and return it with the application. [3]
Background check: All applications received on or after June 30, 2012 require fingerprinting. [4]
Fees: The application fee is $40 for an occupational therapist license and $20 for a limited permit; fees are nonrefundable. [5]
Where to apply: Applicants apply through the state's MOPRO online system, which the board's home page lists as the place for applying for a license; paper forms are on the board's Applications page. [1] Open the application →

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Missouri has enacted the OT Compact but is not yet issuing compact privileges, so occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants licensed elsewhere still need a Missouri license for now.

Licensed in another state: A person who holds a valid current license from another state, U.S. territory or the District of Columbia and has been licensed there for at least one year may apply for a Missouri license by reciprocity in the same profession and at the same practice level. [6]
Interstate compact: The Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy's site points eligible licensees to the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact as an alternative method for providing services in other member states. [1]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: The board may issue a limited permit to a person eligible to sit for the first available certification examination; it allows practice under the supervision of a Missouri-licensed occupational therapist and ends when second-exam results are received, or stays valid an additional sixty days after the person passes. [7]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Missouri occupational therapy licenses are renewed on June 30 of odd-numbered years. [3]
Continuing education: At license renewal, licensees must verify completion of 24 Continuing Competency Credits (CCC) and keep documentation for two years after renewal; licensees new to a cycle complete a prorated number. [8]

Working in Missouri

Pay and openings

Occupational therapists in Missouri earn a mean of $95,200 a year (BLS). We have 1 public occupational therapy opening in Missouri right now, and more searches that are never posted.

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 Missouri board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Missouri licenses

Occupational therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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