FAQs

You can update your name and permanent address by logging in to your PT Compact account, then click "Edit Profile."

No, you do not need to purchase a compact privilege for your home state since you already have a license in that state.

A Compact Privilege is the authorization to work in a Compact member state other than your home state. It is the legal equivalent to a state-issued license. As a result, the compact privilege holder is responsible for following the scope of practice where the patient is located. Compact privileges do not confer any additional authority or ability to practice or work in a state beyond that of a regular license.

Compact privileges expire on the same date of an individual’s home state license that was in effect on the date the individual purchased the compact privilege. There are no prorations, therefore the full fee will always be charged. The date shown on your dashboard at the time of purchase will be the date the compact privilege will expire. Therefore, in some cases, it may make sense to first renew the home state license before purchasing compact privileges and waiting approximately a week to make sure the PT Compact database has received the updated expiration date.

No. You cannot practice in your home state through a compact privilege. A license issued by your home state's physical therapy board is required to practice/work in a home state.

If you have compact privileges and subsequently change your permanent residence/home state to a new state you must report the change to the PT Compact Commission within 60 days. The best way to report the change is to login to your PT Compact dashboard and change the address information. Note that changing a home state to a non-compact member state will terminate compact privileges. If changing a home state to another compact member state, you must have a regular PT/PTA license AND a driver's license in that state in order to maintain any current compact privileges. Please refer to the Changing Home State Residency Fact Sheet for more information.

As long as an individual meets the eligibility criteria, in most cases, Compact Privileges will be issued within minutes of purchase. Note that states may require the successful completion of its jurisprudence exam prior to purchasing a compact privilege which may impact the time needed to complete the process.

Yes. A compact privilege is not a multi-state license. You will need to have a compact privilege (or a state-issued license) in each state in which you want to provide physical therapy services. You may have either a compact privilege or a state-issued license to work legally in a member state. You need to hold a state-issued license to practice/work in states that are not active members of the PT Compact.

In order to purchase and maintain a Compact Privilege, you must meet each of these requirements:

1. Hold a current, valid PT or PTA license in your home state, as defined in Commission Rules.

2. Your home state must be a member of the PT Compact and actively issuing compact privileges.

3. You cannot have any active encumbrances against any PT or PTA license.

4. You cannot have any disciplinary action against any PT or PTA license for a period of two years.

5. The state where you are seeking a Compact Privilege must be a member of the PT Compact and actively issuing compact privileges.

The earliest you can renew a compact privilege is 60 days before the expiration date of the compact privilege.

You must first renew your home state PT/PTA license and the PT Compact Commission must receive the updated expiration date from the state board. It can take up to seven (7) days for the Commission to get the updated expiration date. You can also email database@ptcompact.org and ask to have your expiration date manually updated. Please provide your full name, date of birth, home state, and FSBPT ID in your email.

Once we have received the updated expiration date, you will see a "Renew" button on your customer dashboard. This will guide you through the renewal process. Please make sure your review any jurisprudence requirements the remote state has for renewing a compact privilege.

Yes. Ineligibility for a Compact Privilege does not prohibit an individual from seeking a license. Licensing decisions are determined by the respective licensing board of each jurisdiction.

There is no requirement regarding the length of time a PT or PTA must hold a license or be practicing/working to be eligible to obtain Compact Privileges.

As defined by Commission Rules, a licensee’s home state means the person’s true, fixed, and permanent home and is the place where the person intends to remain indefinitely, and to which the person expects to return if absent without intending to establish domicile elsewhere. Special exceptions this rule is provided for active duty military and their spouses.

People seeking a compact privileges will be required to provide their driver’s license information as primary confirmation of home state residence. Additional proof of residency may also be requested by the Commission.

The fee to purchase Compact Privilege varies from state to state. There is a $45 Commission fee and an optional state fee charged for each Compact Privilege. A list of state fees is available here. Please note: Additional fees may be charged by the jurisdiction to take their state jurisprudence exam.

Continuing competence requirements vary from state to state. You only need to meet the continuing competency requirements of your home state license. You do not need to meet the continuing competence requirements for the state(s) in which you hold a Compact Privilege.

Each member state may require individuals seeking a Compact Privilege to pass a jurisprudence requirement, typically an exam, before applying for compact privileges. These requirements vary from state to state. It is recommended that you review the requirements of each member state prior to purchasing a Compact Privilege since failure to adhere to jurisprudence requirements may lead to loss of all Compact Privileges. A list of the jurisprudence requirements for compact states is available here. Please note: additional fees may be charged by the jurisdiction to take their state jurisprudence exam.

Your FSBPT ID and Password can be retrieved here. If you receive an error message, please email your name, date of birth, and home state PT/PTA license number to info@ptcompact.org.

All compact privileges expire on the same date as the home state license that was in effect on the date the individual purchased the compact privilege. The licensee must renew their home state license before they can renew the Compact Privilege if they want to continue practicing in that remote state.

The Commission does not provide certificates or wallet cards associated with a compact privilege. Purchase confirmation information can be printed after purchase is completed and an email will be sent to the email on file. Public verification of compact privilege holders can be done at https://purchase.ptcompact.org/Verify. The verification page is considered primary source verification of a compact privilege and can be saved as an electronic copy or printed.

A remote state is a PT Compact member state other than the licensee's home state, where the individual is using or seeking to use the Compact Privilege.

Yes, eligible PTs and PTAs can purchase Compact Privileges.

The online system will require PTs and PTAs to login using their Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy Identification (FSBPT ID) number and password. The system will verify eligibility and ask registrants to complete and/or update basic contact information, etc. Respective license information provided by state boards of physical therapy will be automatically connected to the corresponding individual's account.

Mary is a PT licensed in Tennessee. She lives in Tennessee and wants to take a travel therapy assignment in Utah for 13 weeks. Would Mary be required to obtain a license in the state of Utah or would her current license allow her to obtain a Compact Privilege to practice in Utah?

In order for Mary to obtain a Compact Privilege, her home state (Tennessee) must be a member of the PT Compact and issuing compact privileges. Mary will need a license in her home state, no encumbrances on any license or compact privilege, and have not had any adverse actions against any license or compact privilege within the previous 2 years. Since Tennessee and Utah are both members of the Compact and actively issuing and accepting compact privileges, Mary could purchase a Compact Privilege for Utah and legally practice physical therapy in Utah. If Utah was not a Compact member state, Mary would need to get a state-issued license in Utah to legally practice in Utah.

Chris is PT licensed in Tennessee. He lives in Tennessee and works in Mississippi using a Compact Privilege. If Chris moves his permanent residence to California, what does Chris need to do in order to continue practicing in Mississippi?

Since California is not a Compact member state and is now his permanent residence/home state, Chris must apply for a regular Mississippi license. Chris was only eligible for a Compact Privilege in Mississippi because his previous home state (Tennessee) was a member of the Compact. He must also therefore report to the PT Compact Commission the change in his permanent residence by logging in to his PT Compact account and updating his profile information.

Cameron is a PTA licensed in Tennessee. He lives in Tennessee and works in Mississippi using a Compact Privilege. If Cameron moves to Oregon, what does Cameron need to do in order to keep working in Mississippi?

Because his new home state (Oregon) is also a member of the Compact, Cameron must be licensed in the new home state to be eligible for Compact Privileges. Therefore, Cameron must apply for and receive an Oregon PTA license and driver's license to maintain the current Compact Privilege for Mississippi. The license in the new home state must be obtained before notifying the PT Compact Commission of the new home state.

Pat is licensed in Missouri and lives in Missouri. She currently has Compact Privileges in North Dakota, Utah, and Tennessee. What happens if Pat’s Missouri license is disciplined for failure to complete the required continuing competence?

If Pat receives a disciplinary action on her Missouri license, her Compact Privileges in North Dakota, Utah, and Tennessee would all be immediately revoked and she would be ineligible for any Compact Privileges for two years after the effective date of the last disciplinary action. Pat must obtain a state-issued license in North Dakota, Utah, and/or Tennessee to continue to legally practice in those states. Each state would follow its own process to determine eligibility for a license when determining if Pat could obtain a license in those 3 states.

Ryan is a military spouse whose only PTA license is in Idaho, which is not a Compact member state. Ryan’s spouse’s most recent Permanent Change of Station (PCS) post is Texas, and his spouse’s home of record is Missouri. What must Ryan do in order to practice in Texas?

In this case, Ryan has two options as a military spouse: (1) Since Missouri is a member of the Compact, Ryan can get a PTA license in Missouri and then use Missouri as his home state, since it is his military spouse’s home of record. This would allow him to obtain Compact Privileges in any other active Compact state, including Texas. (2) Ryan can obtain a state-issued Texas PTA license. He should contact the state licensing board for information on any expedited licensure processes or exemptions for military members and their spouses.

Dylan is a PT whose home state license is in North Dakota. Dylan has Compact Privileges in Arizona, Missouri, and Utah. Utah takes disciplinary action against Dylan’s Utah Compact Privilege for submitting false claims. Dylan’s Compact Privileges in Arizona, Missouri, and Utah are immediately revoked. Upon notification of the Utah action, North Dakota decides to suspend Dylan’s North Dakota license for 3 years. When can Dylan get a Compact Privilege again?

Although the Compact language states that licensees are ineligible for a Compact Privilege for two years after the effective date of the disciplinary action, Dylan must wait until the North Dakota license is no longer encumbered (3 years) before being eligible for Compact Privileges again. Dylan would still be able to apply for a license in Arizona, Missouri, and Utah in order to practice in each state. Each state would follow its own process to determine eligibility for a license when determining if Dylan could obtain a license in those 3 states.

Jamie has a PT license in Tennessee but lives in New York. Is Jamie eligible to obtain Compact Privileges?

Jamie is not eligible for Compact Privileges because her permanent residence/home state (New York) is not a member of the Compact, even though she is licensed in a Compact member state (Tennessee). Jamie must live in a PT Compact member state and hold a license in that state to be eligible to purchase a Compact Privilege.

Jessie has a PT and PTA license in Mississippi and lives in Mississippi. Does Jessie need to get separate Compact Privileges to practice as a PT and PTA in remote states?

Yes. Compact Privileges are associated with the specific license. Therefore, in order to practice as a physical therapist in a remote state, Jessie must obtain a compact privilege for the PT license. She must obtain a different Compact Privilege for the PTA license in order to work as a physical therapist assistant in a remote state.

A Compact Privilege allows the privilege holder to practice physical therapy in a remote state under the scope of practice of the state where the patient/client is located. Links to resources to assist in learning the different laws, rules, and regulations for member states is available here. Compact privilege holders are responsible for knowing and following the state laws and rules where they practice/work.

A Compact Privilege allows the privilege holder to practice physical therapy in a remote state under the scope of practice of the state where the patient/client is located, whether the practice is in-person or via telehealth. Compact privilege holders should consult the rules and laws for the state they wish to practice in to determine the specific telehealth requirements.

An individual immediately loses any and all Compact Privilege(s) upon the effective date of either of the following actions taken by a Licensing Board:

• Adverse action taken against a license or Compact Privilege; or
• Encumbrance placed upon the individual's license or Compact Privilege.

More details regarding the effect of encumbrances and adverse actions on compact privileges are provided in Rule 3.3.

An adverse action is a publicly available disciplinary action taken against a license or compact privilege by a Licensing Board. Adverse action does not include non-disciplinary remediation required by the Licensing Board.

An encumbrance is any action taken by the Licensing Board that limits the practice or work of the physical therapist or physical therapist assistant. An encumbrance may be disciplinary or non-disciplinary in nature.

A Compact Privilege holder must report to the Commission any encumbrance or adverse action placed upon any physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license held by the compact privilege holder in a non-member state within two (2) business days of the effective date of the action by sending an email to info@ptcompact.org.

In order to support military members and their families, alternatives to the home state definition are specified in the Commission Rules. For the purposes of the PT Compact only, active duty military and military spouses may define their home state as one of the following:

1. Home of record means the state in which the military member entered the military.
2. Permanent Change of Station or "PCS" means the state of the duty station to which the active-duty military member and/or spouse is most recently assigned.
3. State of current residence means the state in which the active duty military member or spouse is maintaining legal residency.

If active duty military or spouse is selected during the online purchase process, the individual will be required to submit proof of military status and home state to the Commission at https://ptcompact.org/military. See the Guidance for Active Duty Military and Spouses Regarding Flexibility in Selecting Home State.

Some member states have chosen to waive their state fees for active members of the military, spouses of active military, and former members of the military. Individuals who indicate they are active duty military, spouses of active duty military, or veterans and provide required proof will have the state fees waived in the states where it is applicable. There is no waiver of the Commission fee. A list of member states waiving fees is available here.

The PT Compact Commission is the national administrative body whose membership consists of all states that have joined the PT Compact. The Commission's purpose is to increase consumer access to physical therapy services by reducing regulatory barriers to interstate mobility and cross-state practice.

The Commission Rules, Bylaws, and Policies and Procedures are available here.

You can sign up for the PT Compact email distribution list here.

The interactive state map lists the states that have enacted PT Compact legislation, member states that are actively issuing and accepting compact privileges, and other states that have introduced legislation to join the PT Compact.

The PT Compact Commission is a governmental entity established through the PT Compact language. The Commission consists of Delegates from each member state, led by an Executive Board, and staffed by a Compact Administrator.

The PT Compact Commission Executive Board consists of nine (9) members. Seven (7) members are elected by the full PT Compact Commission and two non-voting ex officio members are appointed by and represent the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). A list of Executive Board members is available on the About the Compact page.

Each member state appoints a Delegate to represent the state on the PT Compact Commission. A list of all Commission Delegates is available on the About the Compact page.

Information about Commission meetings is available here.

Contact the PT Compact Commission through the contact form, by calling 703-562-8500, or emailing info@ptcompact.org

Each state's legislature must adopt the PT Compact language to join the PT Compact.