Delaware Occupational Therapist License Requirements (2026)

ByAllied License Guide Editorial Team
Editorial Note: This page is editorially reviewed by an ARDMS-credentialed sonographer as part of AlliedLicenseGuide.com’s allied health licensing database. Data on this page is based on Delaware Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) sources, reviewed August 2026. View the primary source at DPR.
Who this guide is for:
  • New graduates and NBCOT-certified occupational therapists applying for a first Delaware license
  • Out-of-state occupational therapists relocating to Delaware or applying by reciprocity
  • Travel occupational therapists evaluating Delaware’s OT Compact membership

Delaware Occupational Therapist Licensing — At a Glance

License Required Yes
Credential Name Occupational Therapist license
Governing Body Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, within the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR)
Licensing Pathways Licensure by examination; licensure by reciprocity for applicants currently licensed in another jurisdiction; and an upgrade pathway for active Delaware OTA licensees moving to OT
Application Fee $236 for the standard OT application, by examination or reciprocity. Upgrading from an active Delaware OTA license to OT costs $55.
Application Method Online only, through DELPROS (Delaware Professional Regulation Online Services)
Processing Time DPR does not publish a fixed processing-time estimate. The Board generally meets the first Wednesday of every other month, but this meeting cadence isn’t stated as a guaranteed application-review deadline.
Background Check Required — a fingerprint-based Delaware and FBI criminal background check, completed through IdentoGO
NBCOT Certification Required
Separate State Exam No separate state exam and no jurisprudence exam requirement identified
Education Requirement Graduation from an ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy program, with supervised fieldwork arranged by the educational institution
Jurisprudence Exam No separate Delaware jurisprudence examination is identified in the current Board licensure instructions, statute, or posted regulation reviewed for this page
OT Compact Status Member state (24 Del. C. Chapter 20A). Whether Delaware is currently among the states actively issuing compact privileges wasn’t independently confirmed for this page — verify current operational status directly with the Board or the Occupational Therapy Compact Commission.
Specialty Permits No additional specialty credential is required for general OT practice. Delaware separately licenses occupational therapy assistants, who practice under occupational-therapist supervision — apply the detailed supervision limits and documentation requirements in 24 DE Admin. Code 2000 before supervising or employing an OTA.
Reciprocity Available — Delaware uses “reciprocity” as its own official term for applicants holding a current OT license in another state, D.C., or U.S. territory, rather than “endorsement”
Payment Methods Credit or debit card only, through DELPROS. Cash, checks, and money orders are explicitly not accepted by mail.
Governing Law 24 Del. C. Chapter 20; 24 DE Admin. Code 2000, Board of Occupational Therapy Practice Rules and Regulations

Delaware licenses occupational therapists through the Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, part of the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR). Applications and renewals both go through DELPROS, Delaware’s online licensing portal — application and service-request payments listed on the fee schedule are processed there, and mailed cash, checks, or money orders are not accepted for this profession. Delaware calls its out-of-state licensing pathway “reciprocity” rather than “endorsement,” a small but genuine terminology difference worth knowing when searching the Board’s own materials.

See the summary table above for the current fee and pathway details, and the section below for what makes Delaware’s process distinct from other states.

What Makes Delaware Different

  • Everything is paid by card — no checks, no cash, no money orders. Delaware’s fee schedule is explicit that mailed payments of cash, checks, or money orders are not accepted. Every fee, for every pathway, goes through DELPROS by credit or debit card.
  • Delaware calls it “reciprocity,” not “endorsement.” If you’re searching Delaware’s own site for information on applying with an out-of-state license, search for “reciprocity” — that’s the term the Board and statute actually use.
  • Processing time isn’t a fixed turnaround window. DPR doesn’t publish a set number of business days for OT applications. The Board generally meets the first Wednesday of every other month, which affects timing in practice, but that cadence isn’t stated as a guaranteed review deadline.
  • OTA-to-OT upgrades have their own dedicated, lower-cost pathway. If you already hold an active Delaware OTA license and want to become an OT, that’s a distinct $55 upgrade application — not the full $236 initial application fee.

Occupational Therapy Compact Status

Delaware enacted the Interstate Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact in 24 Del. C. Chapter 20A. The Compact is intended to facilitate interstate occupational therapy practice through compact privileges for eligible licensees, subject to Compact eligibility and remote-state requirements. This page does not independently verify whether Delaware is currently issuing or recognizing compact privileges; confirm current operational status with the Delaware Board or the Occupational Therapy Compact Commission before relying on a privilege for practice.

Initial Licensure Requirements

DPR offers three pathways to a Delaware OT license.

Licensure by Examination

For applicants who have completed an ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy program and passed the NBCOT exam. Requires official transcripts sent directly from your school (showing fieldwork experience), NBCOT exam results, and the applicable fee. If the NBCOT examination was passed more than three years before application, DPR’s current licensure page requires 20 CE hours from the preceding two years; the Board has separately proposed a regulatory correction to this figure. Confirm the currently applicable hour count directly with DPR before applying.

Delaware law requires a passing score on the NBCOT standardized examination. DPR’s current OT licensure webpage uses the phrase “NBCOT OTA exam” in its general eligibility text, which appears inconsistent with the statute and with an Occupational Therapist application specifically. Applicants should verify the required NBCOT score transfer directly with DPR before filing.

Licensure by Reciprocity

For applicants who currently hold an OT license in another state, D.C., or U.S. territory. Requires verification of your out-of-state license and NBCOT certification, along with the same core application and fee as the examination pathway.

OTA-to-OT Upgrade

For applicants who hold an active Delaware OTA license and want to upgrade to a full OT license. This is a distinct, lower-cost application separate from a first-time OT application.

How to Apply for a Delaware Occupational Therapist License

  1. Confirm which pathway applies to you (examination, reciprocity, or OTA-to-OT upgrade) using the requirements above.
  2. Create a DELPROS account and begin your application online.
  3. Arrange for your school to send official transcripts directly to the Board, showing your fieldwork experience.
  4. Arrange for NBCOT to send your exam results or certification verification directly to the Board.
  5. If applying by reciprocity, arrange for verification of your out-of-state license.
  6. Complete your fingerprint-based background check through IdentoGO.
  7. Pay the applicable fee by credit or debit card through DELPROS.

Practical Notes

From the field: These notes reflect practical considerations beyond the official requirements — things that affect how smoothly your Delaware application goes.
  • Check DELPROS’s document-specific instructions carefully — some materials are uploaded directly, while others must come from a third party or by mail, and the requirement varies by document type rather than following one single rule.
  • Schedule your IdentoGO background check appointment early — since Board review only happens once every other month, a delayed background check result can mean waiting an extra cycle for approval.
  • Have a credit or debit card ready before you start your DELPROS application — Delaware doesn’t offer a mail-in payment alternative for this profession.
  • Don’t assume OT Compact privileges will cover you in Delaware without checking current operational status first — enactment and active issuance are two different milestones, and this page couldn’t independently confirm which stage Delaware is currently at.

Relevant Statutes and Regulations

  • 24 Del. C. § 2007 — License required
  • 24 Del. C. § 2008 — Qualifications of applicant
  • 24 Del. C. § 2011 — Reciprocity
  • 24 Del. C. Chapter 20A — Interstate Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact
  • 24 DE Admin. Code 2000 — Board of Occupational Therapy Practice Rules and Regulations

Related Pages

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Delaware require a state license for occupational therapists?

Yes. Delaware requires a license issued by the Board of Occupational Therapy Practice to practice occupational therapy or use the title “occupational therapist” in the state. Source: DPR, Occupational Therapist Licensure (procedural guidance; the statutory requirement is codified at 24 Del. C. Chapter 20)

What is the application fee for a Delaware OT license?

$236 for a standard OT application, whether by examination or reciprocity. Upgrading from an active Delaware OTA license to OT costs $55. Source: DPR, Occupational Therapy Fee Schedule

Does Delaware require a background check for occupational therapy licensure?

Yes. Applicants complete a fingerprint-based Delaware and FBI criminal background check through IdentoGO. Source: DPR, Occupational Therapist Licensure

Is Delaware a member of the OT Compact?

Yes. Delaware has enacted the Interstate Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact under 24 Del. C. Chapter 20A. Whether Delaware is currently among the states actively issuing compact privileges wasn’t independently confirmed for this page. Source: Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice

Is a jurisprudence exam required to get licensed in Delaware?

Delaware law requires a passing score on the NBCOT standardized examination; neither the cited statute nor the current Board licensing page identifies a separate Delaware jurisprudence examination. Source: DPR, Occupational Therapist Licensure

Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and is based on Delaware Division of Professional Regulation sources reviewed in August 2026. Requirements are subject to change. Always verify current requirements directly with DPR before making licensing decisions. This page does not constitute legal or professional licensing advice. Verify at DPR →
Change Log: 2026-08-08 — Page created, application fee confirmed at $236 via the official DPR fee schedule. “Reciprocity” confirmed as Delaware’s own official term, used in place of “endorsement,” consistent with the statute and Board materials. Background check requirement (Delaware and FBI, via IdentoGO) confirmed verbatim. 2026-08-08 — Editorial review completed. Processing-time language softened to avoid implying a guaranteed Board-review deadline. The CE-hour requirement for applicants who passed NBCOT more than three years ago was flagged as subject to a pending Board-proposed correction, per an official August 2025 Register of Regulations notice describing this as an acknowledged “previous oversight.” Jurisprudence and state-exam language was changed from an absolute “not required” to “no requirement identified in materials reviewed,” a more precise standard. The regulation’s December 2023 finalization date was removed from citations, since it doesn’t establish that the entire current chapter was newly created on that date. OTA supervision specifics were generalized pending direct subsection-level confirmation. The NBCOT examination requirement now explicitly discloses that DPR’s own licensure page uses inconsistent “NBCOT OTA exam” wording in one place, rather than silently substituting the correct requirement without noting the discrepancy.

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