Licensure guide · Texas

How to get a Texas occupational therapy license

Occupational therapists in Texas are licensed by the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy 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: Completion of the academic and supervised fieldwork requirements of an accredited occupational therapy program. The OT rules define an accredited program as one accredited or approved by ACOTE. Foreign-trained applicants must show substantially equivalent education. [2]
National exam: Pass the NBCOT certification exam, with the passing score report sent to the Board by NBCOT directly. [3]
State law exam: Required: a 20-question, open-book online Texas Jurisprudence Exam (JP) on the OT Act and Rules. There is no fee and it can be retaken until passed. [3]
Background check: Fingerprinting for a state and national criminal history check is required before a license is issued, using the agency's service code. [3]
Fees: $140 for an OT ($100 for an OTA), and it is non-refundable. A temporary license costs an extra $70 for an OT. [4]
Where to apply: Apply online through the ECPTOTE Online Licensing System after creating an account. A paper application is also available. [3] Open the application →

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Texas is not a member of the OT Compact: occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants licensed in another state need a full Texas license before starting.

Licensed in another state: OTs who passed NBCOT and hold a current license in another U.S. state or territory apply by endorsement. Applicants from the military or from a non-licensing jurisdiction can instead show two years of OT work just before applying. They submit the same items as exam applicants (application, fee, photo, fingerprints, NBCOT score report, JP exam), plus license verification for any license the Board cannot check online. [3]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: A temporary license is available only to applicants by exam who are taking the NBCOT exam for the first time. It requires a separate application, a $70 fee for an OT, NBCOT eligibility documents and on-premises supervision by an OT with a regular license. It becomes void if the applicant fails the exam or does not take it, and it lasts no longer than 180 days. [5]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: OT licenses are renewed every two years, by the end of the licensee's birth month. Renewal can start up to three months before expiration. [6]
Continuing education: 24 contact hours of CE per two-year renewal period. These must include a human trafficking prevention course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). The OT jurisprudence exam is also retaken at each renewal. [7]

Working in Texas

Pay and openings

Occupational therapists in Texas earn a mean of $107,630 a year (BLS). Most of our Texas 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 Texas board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Texas licenses

Occupational therapy licenses in other states

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