How to get an OT or OTA license in Massachusetts

Massachusetts licenses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants through the Board of Allied Health Professions in the Bureau of Health Professions Licensure. The board's vendor, Professional Credential Services (PCS), runs the initial application. Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.

Check with your board. OT Ticket is a study aid, not clinical or legal guidance. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), AOTA, ACOTE, the OT Compact Commission or any state board; NBCOT, OTR and COTA are their marks, used here only to name the exam.

Massachusetts at a glance

Occupational therapist (OT)OT assistant (OTA)
ExamNBCOT OTR exam (180 questions, 4 hours), $540 to NBCOTNBCOT COTA exam (190 questions, 4 hours), $540 to NBCOT
Board fees$204 = $104 vendor fee + $100 application and license (initial license by exam)$204, same split
Background checkGood moral character review under the board's criminal record policy; no fingerprint step listedSame
OT CompactNot a member. An OT Compact bill has been filed but not enacted; you need a full Massachusetts license. (OT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)

Massachusetts, step by step

Massachusetts Board of Allied Health Professions (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure)

  1. Apply online through PCS (pcshq.com), the board's vendor. The initial license by examination costs $204: a $104 vendor fee plus $100 in application and licensure fees, non-refundable (a processing fee may apply depending on payment method). Licensure by reciprocity is $260.
  2. NBCOT: pass the OTR or COTA exam and have your certification verified for the application.
  3. Good moral character: every applicant must meet it; read the board's Policy on Criminal Conviction or Pending Criminal Charges first.
  4. Keep it: OT and OTA licenses renew every two years on your birthday ($100). Massachusetts is not in the OT Compact (bills have been filed).

Sources: Mass.gov: apply for a license from the Board of Allied Health Professions, Mass.gov: fees and license renewal schedules for allied health professionals, Policy on criminal conviction or pending criminal charges. Checked October 18, 2026.

Practice for the NBCOT OTR exam freeOTR questions on the 2022 outline, scenario sets built like the real ones, a score report by task. Practice for the COTA exam freeFor OT assistants: six-option multi-select items like the real ones, every answer cited.

The national steps, briefly

Every state licenses occupational therapists and OT assistants on NBCOT certification: an ACOTE-accredited degree with its Level II fieldwork, then NBCOT's exam (the OTR exam for OTs, 180 questions in 4 hours; the COTA exam for OT assistants, 190 questions in 4 hours; 450 on a 300-600 scale passes; $540 to apply online). NBCOT certification is not a license: you apply to your state board separately, and NBCOT sends the board your score (the Score Transfer is free if you add it when you apply for the exam, $35 later). The full walk-through: How to get your OT license.

Official pages