Washington DC Occupational Therapist License Requirements
- Occupational therapists applying for initial DC licensure by examination or endorsement
- Travel occupational therapists confirming that DC is not an OT Compact member before assuming a compact privilege will work here
- Recent graduates and applicants who want to begin practicing under supervision while their DC application is pending
Washington DC Occupational Therapist Requirements — At a Glance
| License Required | Yes |
| Credential Name | Occupational Therapist license |
| Governing Body | DC Board of Rehabilitative Therapies (dcboot@dc.gov) |
| Licensing Pathways | Examination or endorsement |
| Application Fee | $314.00 total (examination or endorsement) |
| Application Method | Online only |
| Processing Time | Not published |
| NBCOT Required | Yes — score transfer or certification verification |
| Separate DC Exam | None identified |
| Background Check | Required, $50.00 fee — see note on current discrepancy |
| Education Requirement | ACOTE-accredited program plus supervised fieldwork |
| OT Compact Status | Not a member |
| Supervised Practice | Up to 60 days, non-renewable, while application pending |
The District of Columbia requires a license to practice occupational therapy. DC Health’s current licensing page identifies the Board of Rehabilitative Therapies as the body that regulates OT, while the 2019 municipal regulations define the governing board by statute as “the Board of Occupational Therapy” — correspondence still goes to dcboot@dc.gov. This naming difference appears to reflect a reorganization of DC’s licensing boards at some point since 2019 rather than just an informal nickname, though the practical effect for applicants is the same either way. New applicants choose between the examination pathway and endorsement, available to applicants who already hold a valid, unrestricted license in another U.S. jurisdiction.
DC has been online-application-only since June 14, 2021 — paper applications aren’t accepted at all. Both pathways carry the same itemized total: a $264.00 application and license fee, plus a separate $50.00 fee tied to the criminal background check, for $314.00 total.
DC Health’s current licensing page states, effective immediately, that a new criminal background check is required for every application submitted. The current examination and endorsement checklists, however, still state that a background check already on file within the past two years doesn’t need to be redone. Both documents are currently live on DC Health’s site, so this is a genuine discrepancy rather than a single settled rule — budget for the check either way, and confirm directly with the Board if the distinction matters to your timeline.
Applicants aren’t required to wait idle while their application processes. Once an application is properly filed, DC allows the applicant to begin practicing under a Supervised Practice Form for up to 60 days, under the general supervision of an occupational therapist with a valid, unrestricted DC license. This isn’t a renewable permit — it’s a one-time bridge tied specifically to a pending application.
What Makes Washington DC Different
DC’s application checklists are unusually itemized — both pathways separately list the $50.00 criminal background check fee from the $264.00 base application and license fee, and both require a specific NBCOT document rather than a general certification letter: a Score Transfer for examination applicants, a Certification of Verification for endorsement applicants. DC also draws a real distinction most states don’t: rather than a conventional temporary license, it offers a Supervised Practice Form tied specifically to a pending application, capped at 60 days and not renewable. And DC’s licensing structure sits under a broader Board of Rehabilitative Therapies today, even though the underlying 2019 regulation still names it the Board of Occupational Therapy — a naming gap worth knowing about if you’re cross-referencing older DC documents.
OT Compact and Portability
The District of Columbia is not currently a member of the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact. DC Council considered the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact Approval Act of 2023 (B25-0286), which would have had the District join the compact, but DC does not currently appear as an enacted member jurisdiction on the compact’s roster. A compact privilege from a member state does not authorize practice in DC — an applicant must qualify under DC’s own licensure requirements. Source: DC Board of Occupational Therapy, September 2023 Open Session Minutes
Requirements for Initial Licensure
- Graduate from an occupational therapy program accredited by ACOTE, and complete the supervised fieldwork experience required by that educational institution, with an official transcript sent directly from the school
- For examination applicants: complete an NBCOT Score Transfer, ordered through your MyNBCOT account
- For endorsement applicants: arrange for NBCOT to send a Certification of Verification letter to the Board, ordered through your MyNBCOT account
- Complete a criminal background check with the online application; the $50.00 fee applies either way, though current DC Health documents disagree on whether a check within the past 2 years can be reused
- Provide a Social Security number, or a sworn affidavit plus alternative citizenship/lawful-presence documentation if you don’t have one
- Submit a recent 2×2 passport-style photo and a copy of a current government-issued photo ID
- For endorsement applicants: request license verification sent directly from every jurisdiction where you currently or previously held a license
- Complete a Board-approved Supervised Practice Form if you intend to practice while your application is pending and you meet the supervised-practice requirements
How to Apply
- Complete DC Health’s online application in full — every page must be submitted, and paper applications aren’t accepted
- Order the correct NBCOT document for your pathway through MyNBCOT — a Score Transfer for examination, a Certification of Verification for endorsement — and have your school send your official transcript directly to the Board
- Complete your criminal background check through the online application, and answer all screening questions, including the Clean Hands question
- If you answer “yes” to any screening question, provide a detailed explanation and submit relevant supporting documents (court records, monitoring agreements, licensure orders)
- Submit the $264.00 application and license fee along with the $50.00 background check fee, both paid online
- If you want to begin practicing while your application is pending, submit a Supervised Practice Form once your application is properly filed
Practical Notes
- Budget $314.00 total regardless of pathway — examination and endorsement carry the identical $264.00 plus $50.00 fee structure, itemized as two separate online payments.
- Order the right NBCOT document for your pathway — a Score Transfer and a Certification of Verification are different documents, and ordering the wrong one will slow down your application.
- If you want to work while your application is pending, look into the Supervised Practice Form early — it’s capped at 60 days and can’t be renewed, so timing it against your expected processing time matters.
Editorial note: Practical Notes are reviewed by AlliedLicenseGuide.com’s ARDMS-credentialed editorial reviewer before publication.
Relevant Statutes
- Source: 17 DCMR Chapter 63, Occupational Therapy
- Source: DC Health, Occupational Therapy Licensing
- Source: DC Health, Occupational Therapy New License Application Checklist (Examination)
- Source: DC Health, Occupational Therapy New License Application Checklist (Endorsement)
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Does DC require a license for occupational therapists?
Yes. The District of Columbia requires a license to practice occupational therapy. Source: DC Health, Occupational Therapy Licensing
Is DC a member of the OT Compact?
No. DC Council considered legislation to join (B25-0286) in 2023, but DC does not currently appear as an enacted member jurisdiction. A compact privilege from another jurisdiction cannot be used to practice in DC. Source: DC Board of Occupational Therapy, September 2023 Open Session Minutes
How much does it cost to apply for a DC OT license?
$314.00 total for either pathway: a $264.00 application and license fee plus a separate $50.00 criminal background check fee. Source: DC Health, Occupational Therapy New License Application Checklist
Can I practice in DC while my OT application is pending?
Yes, under limited conditions. Once your application is properly filed, you may practice for up to 60 days under a Supervised Practice Form, under the general supervision of a DC-licensed occupational therapist. The form is not renewable. Source: 17 DCMR Sections 6316.7 and 6317
Is a jurisprudence exam required to get licensed in DC?
A jurisprudence exam does not appear on DC Health’s current official application checklists or in the current occupational therapy regulations. Source: 17 DCMR Chapter 63
- 2026-08-19: Page created. Initial licensing data verified directly against 17 DCMR Chapter 63, DC Health’s Occupational Therapy Licensing page, and the current examination application checklist.
- 2026-08-19: Following editorial review, several substantive corrections were applied after direct verification: a Supervised Practice Form pathway (up to 60 days, non-renewable) was added after being incorrectly omitted; the endorsement pathway’s fee was confirmed as $314.00 total, matching examination, after directly fetching the endorsement checklist; NBCOT documentation was corrected to distinguish Score Transfer (examination) from Certification of Verification (endorsement); the education requirement was expanded to include supervised fieldwork per 17 DCMR Section 6302.1(b); the compact bill number was corrected to B25-0286 (from an earlier, incorrect B25-0130) after direct verification against DC Board meeting minutes; the regulation citation now links directly to DC Health’s hosted PDF; and the background-check rule is now presented as a disclosed discrepancy between DC Health’s current licensing page and its current application checklists, rather than asserting a single rule.