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Pennsylvania has officially joined the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact. However compact privileges are not yet available. Your Pennsylvania OT or OTA license remains unchanged, and you should continue practicing under your current license while the Commonwealth completes the implementation process.
Want to stay up to date on the OT Compact? Follow the latest Pennsylvania implementation updates and information about compact privileges.
Ready for your next school-based OT opportunity? Explore careers with AOT and join a therapist-led team making a meaningful difference for students across Pennsylvania.
Exciting news for occupational therapy professionals across Pennsylvania! The Commonwealth has officially passed legislation to join the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact (OT Compact). This marks a major step towards increasing workforce mobility and improving access to occupational therapy services.
While this is a significant milestone, it’s important to note that Pennsylvania is not yet issuing compact privileges. Here’s what OTs and OTAs need to know.
The Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact is an agreement between participating states that allows eligible occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) to obtain a compact privilege to practice in other member states without applying for a separate license in each state.
Instead of replacing your Pennsylvania license, the compact provides a more efficient pathway for practicing across participating states while maintaining each state’s licensing requirements.
With the passage of House Bill 482, Pennsylvania has officially joined the OT Compact. This marks an important advancement for occupational therapy professionals throughout the Commonwealth and supports greater flexibility for the profession in the future.
However, the compact is not yet active in Pennsylvania.
Before eligible practitioners can apply for compact privileges, the state must complete implementation steps, including regulatory and technology updates required by the OT Compact Commission. Until that process is complete, Pennsylvania licensees must continue practicing under their existing state license.
Here’s the current status:
Once implementation is complete, eligible licensees will be able to apply for compact privileges to practice in other participating states without obtaining additional licenses.
The compact will make it easier for eligible therapists to practice across participating states, providing greater career mobility for those who relocate, work near state borders, or provide services where interstate practice is permitted.
By reducing administrative barriers, the compact can help address workforce shortages and improve access to occupational therapy services for children, families, and communities.
Rather than completing a full licensure application in every participating state, eligible practitioners can apply for compact privileges through a centralized process, saving time while maintaining professional standards.
At this time, Pennsylvania has not announced an official launch date for issuing compact privileges.
The Commonwealth must complete the implementation process before eligible OTs and OTAs can begin applying. Additional updates will be shared as they become available.
As a provider of school-based occupational therapy services throughout Western Pennsylvania, AOT is excited about what the OT Compact means for the future of our profession!
We’ll continue monitoring implementation efforts and will share updates as Pennsylvania moves closer to issuing compact privileges.
The passage of the OT Compact is an exciting step forward for occupational therapy, and we look forward to the new opportunities it will create for therapists and the students they serve.
At AOT, our occupational therapists help students develop the skills they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. If you’re passionate about making a difference in the lives of children while enjoying the support of a therapist-led team, we’d love to connect with you!