Rhode Island licenses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants through the Department of Health (RIDOH) and its Board of Occupational Therapy. 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.
Rhode Island 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
$140 application, includes the first license (216-RICR-10-05-2)
$140
Background check
BCI report from the RI Attorney General
Same
Graduate practice
90-day graduate practice permit, $140
Same
OT Compact
Member, not accepting applications yet. Rhode Island has enacted the OT Compact but has not opened privilege applications, so for now you need a full Rhode Island license. (OT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Rhode Island, step by step
Rhode Island Board of Occupational Therapy (Department of Health)
Apply on RIDOH's occupational therapy application with a non-refundable $140 check (OT or OTA). A framed certificate is an optional $30.
Background check: a Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) report from the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office.
NBCOT: pass the OTR or COTA exam and have it verified to RIDOH.
Graduate practice (optional): the fee rule lists a 90-day graduate practice permit ($140); see the OT rules (216-RICR-40-05-12) for supervision.
Keep it: renewal is $140. Rhode Island has enacted the OT Compact but is not accepting privilege applications yet.
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.