Texas licenses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants through the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, part of the Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners (ECPTOTE). New graduates apply by examination; OTs licensed elsewhere apply by endorsement. 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.
Texas 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
$100 application
Law exam
Free 20-question open-book online jurisprudence exam, retake until you pass
Same
Background check
State (DPS) and FBI fingerprints through IdentoGO, after you apply
Same
Temporary license
$70; first-time NBCOT takers, OT on the premises
$55; OT or OTA on the premises
OT Compact
Not a member. You need a full Texas license. (OT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Texas, step by step
Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of PT and OT Examiners)
Apply by examination online: in the council's Online Licensing System, with your school code, a current 2x2 color passport-style photo and the fee (22 TAC 651.1): $140 for an OT, $100 for an OTA. From September 1, 2026, a Social Security number is required for a license to be issued. Fees are not refunded; applications stay on file one year.
NBCOT score report: NBCOT must send your passing score report directly to the board (not a verification, ATT letter or eligibility form). Apply within two years of passing.
Jurisprudence exam: a 20-question, open-book online exam on the OT Rules and Practice Act. There is no fee, you can take it any time during the application, and you can retake it until you pass.
Fingerprints: state and FBI checks are required for every OT and OTA license; use the agency service code shown in your application deficiencies when you book with IdentoGO.
Temporary license (optional): for first-time NBCOT takers who have applied by examination. Send the temporary application, the NBCOT score-report receipt, NBCOT's Confirmation of Exam Registration and Eligibility to Examine, a supervision form, and the fee ($70 OT, $55 OTA). A licensed OT (for an OTA, an OT or OTA) must be on the premises when you treat. It is void if you fail or miss your testing window, and only one is issued.
Start work on online verification: once the license shows in the board's lookup you may practice. Renewal is $248 (OT) or $184 (OTA).
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.