Ohio licenses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants through the Occupational Therapy Section of the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT). You may not practice until the license is issued. 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.
Ohio at a glance
Occupational therapist (OT)
OT assistant (OTA)
Exam
NBCOT OTR exam (180 questions, 4 hours), $540 to NBCOT
NBCOT COTA exam (190 questions, 4 hours), $540 to NBCOT
Board fees
$100 application, non-refundable
$100
Law exam
Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam for Licensure Applicants (online), 90% to pass
Same
Background check
Ohio BCI and FBI criminal records checks, sent straight to the board
Same
OT Compact
Member, accepting applications since January 12, 2026. An OT or OTA who lives in and is licensed in another member state that is open can apply for a Ohio privilege to practice through the OT Compact (not through this board). (OT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Apply on eLicense Ohio: file the OT/OTA examination application at elicense.ohio.gov with the $100 fee. Upload the Certification of Entry-Level Education or an official transcript (ACOTE programs only) and verifications of any other health care licenses. An application filed before you pass expires after a year.
NBCOT: if you asked NBCOT to send your score to Ohio, upload a statement saying so; otherwise get an official NBCOT Verification of Certification and upload it.
Jurisprudence exam: review the Ohio OT Practice Act, then take the Ohio OT Jurisprudence Exam for Licensure Applicants on the board's online course site and have the transcript sent; you need 90% or better.
Criminal records checks: Ohio BCI and FBI checks are required for initial licensure, sent directly to the board. If the license is not issued within six months of the board receiving them, you must redo them.
Review: applications are reviewed within five business days of submission. Ohio also accepts OT Compact privileges, and an Ohio license held where you live can be your home-state license for privileges elsewhere.
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.