Wisconsin licenses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants through the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), with the Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board. You apply on DSPS's LicensE portal. 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.
Wisconsin 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
$75 initial credential fee
$75
Law exam
Open-book Wisconsin statutes and administrative code exam, 88% to pass (OT)
Check with DSPS
Background check
Conviction and pending charge questions (Form 2252 if any); no fingerprint step listed
Same
Temporary permit
While scheduled for or awaiting the OTR exam; monthly OT consultation, 2 work sites max
Check with DSPS
OT Compact
Member, accepting applications since May 29, 2026. An OT or OTA who lives in and is licensed in another member state that is open can apply for a Wisconsin privilege to practice through the OT Compact (not through this board). (OT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Wisconsin, step by step
Wisconsin Occupational Therapists Affiliated Credentialing Board (Department of Safety and Professional Services)
Apply on LicensE (license.wi.gov) and pay the $75 credential fee. Your school sends the Certificate of Professional Education (Form 1570) directly (Wisconsin schools may use LEAP instead), and you complete the Communicable Diseases Certification (Form 1229).
NBCOT: have NBCOT release your exam results or certification to DSPS; staff upload it. You may apply before you pass, but you need the pass to be licensed.
Statutes and code exam: after you submit, DSPS sends a login for an open-book exam on the Wisconsin statutes and OT code chapters (OT 1-5, Med 10, chapters 252, 440 and 448). OTs need 88% or better.
Temporary permit (optional): with a full initial application in process, the education and state exam done, and the OTR exam scheduled or results pending. You must consult with an OT at least monthly and may work at no more than two employment locations.
Keep it: licenses renew by May 31 of odd-numbered years ($75). Wisconsin opened OT Compact privilege applications on May 29, 2026.
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.