Methodology & sources

How official sources are used on OT/PT Scope. Figures and compact status quoted on other pages were checked November 9, 2026.

What we quote, and what we don’t

National certification figures appear only when we can quote them from an official page checked the same day we published them, with the date on the page. State continuing-education hours, fees, and renewal dates must be confirmed on the board site. If a figure is not from an official source we checked, it is not listed. A gap in an official list is labeled “Not listed,” not filled in. If a field must be shown without a checked official figure, it is marked with the single muted word Unverified.

Board links

OT board websites are taken from clickable URI annotations in the official NBCOT state contact list (PDF). PT board websites and license verification tools are taken from the official FSBPT licensing authorities page. Staff names, emails, and phone numbers from those directories are not copied onto this site.

Compacts

PT Compact status in the directory comes from the official PT Compact map category lists. OT Compact cells quote the official Before You Apply column “Accepting OTC Applications?” Fees, jurisprudence contacts, personal names, emails, and phone numbers from that page are not copied here. Official map labels from the OT Compact map are shown only for jurisdictions not listed on Before You Apply.

The official OT Compact homepage, in a status update of October 2026, says both of the following.

Visit the “Before You Apply” webpage to learn which states are accepting OTC applications.

You cannot practice in an OTC state under the OT Compact, even if that state has enacted OTC legislation. You can only apply when the state opens applications, deems you eligible to apply, AND your application is approved.

That same update still states: “The OT Compact is enacted in some states, meaning those states have passed legislation to be part of the compact (check out the “Maps” page tabs to see which states have joined the OTC). However, the OT Compact is not yet operationalized, meaning the process to apply for and receive compact privileges is still developing.”

This directory lists which member states are accepting applications, and which are not yet, from the official Before You Apply table, checked November 9, 2026. You still cannot practice under the compact until the state is accepting applications, you are eligible, and your application is approved. Confirm current status on that page and the official compact map.

NBCOT unit conversions

Quoted from the official NBCOT continuing education page checked November 9, 2026:

• 1 contact hour (not to include meals or breaks) = 1 PDU
• 1 clock hour (not to include meals or breaks) = 1 PDU
• 0.1 continuing education unit (CEU) = 1 PDU
• One contact hour earned through successful completion of education (workshops, seminars, online courses, or conferences) with an assessment component at the end of the program (scored test, project, paper) = 1.25 PDUs
• 1 competency assessment unit (CAU) = 1 contact hour or 1 PDU
• NBCOT adheres to the CEU definition defined by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) of 1 CEU = 10 contact hours

Official sources

• NBCOT
• NBCOT certification renewal
• NBCOT continuing education
• NBCOT state regulatory body contact list (PDF)
• FSBPT
• FSBPT licensing authorities contact information
• ACOTE — OT and OTA program accreditation
• CAPTE — PT and PTA program accreditation
• PT Compact
• PT Compact map
• OT Compact
• OT Compact: Before You Apply
• OT Compact map
• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
• American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

Associations and boards set their own rules. If a link has moved, start from that organization’s home page.