How to get an OT or OTA license in New Hampshire

New Hampshire licenses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants through the Occupational Therapy Governing Board, under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). 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.

New Hampshire 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$121 application$121
Background checkOPLC posts criminal background check instructions on the board's page; confirm whether your application needs oneSame
Temporary licenseOnly for out-of-state licensees (120 days)Same
OT CompactMember, not accepting applications yet. New Hampshire has enacted the OT Compact but has not opened privilege applications, so for now you need a full New Hampshire license. (OT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)

New Hampshire, step by step

New Hampshire Occupational Therapy Governing Board (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification)

  1. Apply through OPLC with the $121 application fee (OT or OTA), using the board's applications page.
  2. NBCOT: pass the OTR or COTA exam and have NBCOT verify it to OPLC.
  3. Temporary licenses: OPLC's 120-day temporary license is only for out-of-state health professionals with an active license in good standing.
  4. Keep it: renewal is $121. New Hampshire has enacted the OT Compact but is not accepting privilege applications yet.

Sources: OPLC: Occupational Therapists Governing Board, OPLC: occupational therapists applications, OPLC: occupational therapists license fees, OPLC: temporary licenses. 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