License Reciprocity
PT Compact States 2026 — Member List, Privilege Application, and Cross-State Pay
PT Compact data + wage comparison overlay + travel-PT use case + privilege application step-by-step
Reciprocity matrix / state map — TODO: render interactive map for physical-therapy-compact.
What the PT Compact Actually Is (and Isn't)
The Physical Therapy Compact is an interstate compact — a constitutional-grade agreement among states — that creates a parallel licensure pathway specifically for PTs and PTAs. It was first enacted in 2014 by Missouri, Oregon, and Tennessee. As of 2026, the compact has grown to 40+ enacted states.
The compact does not:
- Replace state licensure (you still hold your home-state license)
- Override state scope-of-practice law (you practice under the issuing state's scope, not your home state's)
- Allow you to skip CE requirements of the issuing state
- Apply to travel into non-member states (those still require full licensure)
The compact does:
- Let you obtain a compact privilege — a short-form authorization to practice — in any member state, typically within 1–3 weeks
- Replace the traditional 6–16 week state-by-state licensure process for short-term work
- Cover telehealth across compact-state lines (with payer credentialing caveats)
- Reduce per-state cost from $450–1,200 (full license) to $45–65 (privilege)
Member States (Issuing Privileges, 2026)
Last synced from PT Compact Commission: 2026-05-04. State status changes monthly — verify current status before applying.
| State | Status | Privilege fee | BLS PT mean wage | State income tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Issuing | $50 | $92,540 | 5% top |
| Arizona | Issuing | $50 | $96,420 | 2.5% flat |
| Arkansas | Issuing | $50 | $87,540 | 4.4% top |
| Colorado | Issuing | $45 | $94,260 | 4.4% flat |
| Delaware | Issuing | $50 | $95,830 | 6.6% top |
| Florida | Issuing | $50 | $96,140 | 0% |
| Georgia | Issuing | $50 | $93,470 | 5.39% flat |
| Idaho | Issuing | $50 | $89,160 | 5.8% flat |
| Iowa | Issuing | $50 | $89,200 | 3.8% flat |
| Kansas | Issuing | $50 | $87,400 | 5.7% top |
| Kentucky | Issuing | $50 | $92,200 | 4% flat |
| Louisiana | Issuing | $50 | $94,170 | 3% flat |
| Maine | Issuing | $50 | $93,850 | 7.15% top |
| Maryland | Issuing | $50 | $98,420 | 5.75% top |
| Mississippi | Issuing | $50 | $87,180 | 5% flat |
| Missouri | Issuing | $50 | $92,030 | 4.7% top |
| Montana | Issuing | $50 | $94,920 | 5.9% top |
| Nebraska | Issuing | $50 | $91,070 | 5.2% top |
| Nevada | Issuing | $50 | $117,070 | 0% |
| New Hampshire | Issuing | $50 | $96,910 | 0% wage |
| New Jersey | Issuing | $60 | $112,290 | 6.4% top |
| New Mexico | Issuing | $50 | $107,800 | 4.9% top |
| North Carolina | Issuing | $50 | $94,510 | 4.5% flat |
| North Dakota | Issuing | $50 | $89,200 | 2.5% top |
| Ohio | Issuing | $50 | $92,860 | 3.5% top |
| Oklahoma | Issuing | $50 | $87,910 | 4.75% top |
| Oregon | Issuing | $50 | $98,610 | 9.9% top |
| Pennsylvania | Issuing | $50 | $95,180 | 3.07% flat |
| South Carolina | Issuing | $50 | $91,830 | 6.2% top |
| South Dakota | Issuing | $50 | $88,650 | 0% |
| Tennessee | Issuing | $50 | $93,970 | 0% |
| Texas | Issuing | $50 | $103,290 | 0% |
| Utah | Issuing | $50 | $92,690 | 4.55% flat |
| Virginia | Issuing | $50 | $97,200 | 5.75% top |
| Washington | Issuing | $50 | $100,030 | 0% |
| West Virginia | Issuing | $50 | $87,260 | 5.12% top |
| Wisconsin | Issuing | $50 | $93,100 | 7.65% top |
| Wyoming | Issuing | $50 | $93,540 | 0% |
Notable non-members (still require full licensure)
- California — mean PT wage $112,550. The single biggest non-member state. CA-bound travel PTs must apply for full state licensure (~16 weeks).
- New York — mean $98,470. Compact legislation introduced multiple sessions, not yet enacted.
- Massachusetts — mean $99,420. Not enacted.
- Hawaii — mean $94,030. Not enacted.
- Connecticut — mean $108,730. Not enacted.
- Illinois — enacted but still implementing.
How to Apply for a Compact Privilege (Step-by-Step)
- Confirm your home state is a compact member with active issuing status. (See list above.)
- Confirm your home-state license is active and unencumbered — no current discipline, all CE current. Compact privilege cannot be issued on a probationary or suspended license.
- Create an account at ptcompact.org. The Commission maintains a single national portal.
- Submit a one-time compact application ($50–60 to the Commission) with your NPTE record and home-state license verification. The Commission validates eligibility centrally — you do not file separately with each state.
- Complete a fingerprint criminal background check through your state-specific process. Most states use IdentoGO or a similar vendor. Cost: $30–60.
- Select the issuing states where you want privileges. Pay each state's privilege fee ($45–65). Some states require a short jurisprudence module before the privilege issues — typically 30–60 minutes online.
- Receive privilege confirmation. Typically 7–21 days from completion of step 6. Privileges renew on your home-state license cycle.
Disciplinary actions transfer. If you receive disciplinary action in any compact state, all your privileges are subject to suspension across the compact. The Commission shares disciplinary data nationally.
Travel PT and the Compact: Real Pay Math
The economic case for the compact is concentrated in the travel-PT and locum-tenens market. Pre-compact, a travel PT booking 4 contracts/year in 4 different states was paying $1,800–$4,800/year in licensure overhead and waiting 4–16 weeks per state. Post-compact (within member states), that's $200–300/year and 1–3 weeks each.
Sample year: travel PT working 3 compact contracts
| Contract | State | Weekly gross | Weeks | Total gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1: outpatient ortho | Texas (compact) | $2,400 | 13 | $31,200 |
| Q2–Q3: SNF coverage | Nevada (compact) | $2,800 | 20 | $56,000 |
| Q4: home health | Florida (compact) | $2,600 | 13 | $33,800 |
| Annualized gross | $121,000 | |||
| Compact cost (one-time + 3 privileges) | $210 | |||
| Equivalent traditional licensure cost | ~$1,800 | |||
For a comparable PT working a single staff position at a $96K-mean state, the gross delta is +25K. Net it down for 1099 self-employment tax (15.3% SE tax minus the half-deduction), no employer benefits ($12–18K equivalent), travel/housing logistics — and you typically land at a 15–25% real net advantage over staff. The compact didn't create the travel-PT market, but it removed enough friction to make travel PT viable as a 5+ year career arc rather than a 1–2 year experiment.
State-arbitrage pattern: The biggest real-net wins in travel PT come from combining (1) a compact state, (2) zero state income tax, (3) high BLS mean wage, (4) low BEA RPP. Texas, Nevada, Tennessee, Washington, and Florida hit 3 of 4. Run your own combinations in our real take-home calculator.
Data Sources & Update Cadence
Member-state list and privilege fees: PT Compact Commission, synced 2026-05-04. We re-sync this quarterly. Wage data: BLS OES 29-1123 May 2024. State income-tax rates: state DOR 2025 schedules (filing single, $100K AGI illustrative). Travel PT contractor rates: APTA Travel Therapist Compensation Survey + market sample from major staffing firms; treat as directional, not authoritative.
FAQ
- What is the PT Compact?
- The Physical Therapy Compact is an interstate agreement that allows a PT or PTA licensed in one member state to obtain a 'compact privilege' to practice in any other member state without applying for a new full license. As of 2026, 40+ states have enacted the compact and most are actively issuing privileges. The compact does not replace your home-state license — you still maintain it — but it eliminates the 6–12 week relicensure process when working short-term in another state.
- Which states are in the PT Compact?
- Member states issuing privileges in 2026 include: AL, AZ, AR, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY. Notable non-members: California, New York, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Connecticut, Illinois. Some states have passed legislation but are not yet issuing — see the live list at ptcompact.org.
- How much does a PT Compact privilege cost?
- Two fees: the compact privilege fee (set by each issuing state, typically $45–65 per state) plus a one-time $50–60 'compact application fee' to the PT Compact Commission. So practicing in 3 compact states costs roughly $200–250 total in the first year, vs $450–1,200+ for full licensure in those same 3 states. Renewal: each privilege renews on your home-state license cycle.
- Who is eligible for a PT Compact privilege?
- You must (1) hold an active, unencumbered PT or PTA license in your home state, which must be a compact member; (2) have no current disciplinary action; (3) pass a criminal background check (FBI fingerprint + state); (4) complete jurisprudence requirements set by the issuing state (sometimes a short ethics module). The compact does not waive state-specific CE requirements — you still owe whatever CE the issuing state requires.
- How long does compact privilege approval take?
- Typically 1–3 weeks from application submission, vs 6–16 weeks for traditional state-by-state licensure. The variance is mostly driven by background-check turnaround, not the compact process itself. Several states (AZ, CO, NC) approve in under 7 days for clean applicants.
- Can a foreign-trained PT use the compact?
- No. The compact requires a U.S. PT or PTA license issued by an NPTE-passing pathway. Foreign-trained PTs must first complete the FCCPT (Federation of State Boards of PT) credentialing review, pass NPTE in a state that licenses internationally trained PTs, and obtain that home-state license — only then are they eligible for the compact. The compact does not shortcut foreign-credential review.
- Does the compact apply to telehealth across state lines?
- Yes — and this is one of the strongest use cases. A PT in Texas can deliver telehealth visits to a patient physically located in Arizona (both compact members) under a compact privilege without needing to obtain Arizona full licensure. Note: the patient's location at time of visit determines which privilege applies. Most insurers also require the PT be credentialed in the patient's state for telehealth reimbursement — confirm payer rules.
- Will the compact let me move to a new state and skip licensure entirely?
- No. The compact is for short-term practice, not permanent relocation. If you change residency, you must apply for full licensure in the new state and reset your home state. The compact is best understood as a 'travel and short-stay' tool: travel PT contracts, telehealth, occasional consultations, locum tenens work.