Licensure guide · South Dakota

How to get a South Dakota occupational therapy license

Occupational therapists in South Dakota are licensed by the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners. 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 complete the academic requirements of an accredited occupational therapy educational program recognized by the board, plus at least six months of supervised fieldwork experience. [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the certification examination of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), which is the examination approved by the board. [3]
Background check: Applicants must submit a full set of fingerprints for a state and federal criminal background check by the Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI and pay the background check fees; the board may not issue a license before receiving the results. [4]
Fees: The fee for an initial occupational therapist license is $50. [5]
Where to apply: Applicants start the application by creating or logging in to a MySD Account, as directed on the board's occupational therapist page. [9] Open the application →

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

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

Licensed in another state: The board may waive the examination, education or experience requirements for an applicant who proves current OT licensure in another state, the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory whose licensure standards the board considers equivalent. [6]
Interstate compact: South Dakota is an OT Compact member state but is listed as not yet accepting OT Compact privilege applications; the listed South Dakota state fee is $50 for OTs, plus the $75 compact fee. [10]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: The board may grant a limited permit to a person who has completed the education and experience requirements, allowing practice under the supervision of or in consultation with a licensed OT until licensure or until exam results are available; the permit expires if the person fails the exam. [7]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Occupational therapist licenses are renewed each year: a license expires on the first day of January following issuance, and failure to renew on or before the first day of March forfeits the license. [8]
Continuing education: To renew, occupational therapists must complete 12 continuing competency points in a one-year period in professional education activities related to occupational therapy. [9]

Working in South Dakota

Pay and openings

Occupational therapists in South Dakota earn a mean of $88,150 a year (BLS). Most of our South Dakota 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 South Dakota board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other South Dakota licenses

Occupational therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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