Just like with any job as a therapist, you will not be allowed to practice without an active license. This means that for every state you are currently working in you MUST have your license up to date. Additionally, if you have other licenses in other states that you plan to return to, you must keep these licenses active as well. So, let’s dive into everything it takes to managing licenses in each state as a travel therapist!

UNDERSTANDING THE LICENSING PROCESS

If you’re unfamiliar with how initial licensing occurs, please reference THE PT COMPACT- HOW TO GET LICENSED IN UNDER 10 MINUTES. This post covers the difference between getting licensed via examination versus endorsement. This post also mainly covers the PT Compact and how licensing under the compact works.

Now that we’re up to date on how to obtain an initial license in a state, let’s talk about managing licenses in each of those states. 

A LICENSE IS EXPIRING… NOW WHAT??

So, let’s lay out a scenario to give a real-life example of how this process works. Let’s say I obtained my initial license via examination in Missouri. After passing the NPTE, filling out the initial license, and paying all necessary fees, I was granted a Missouri PT license. WOOHOO! 

Every state has its own rules on when their licenses expire. For Missouri, their PT licenses expire on even years on the last day of the month that the licensee was born. That’s on January 31st for me. For most states, their licenses expire every 2 years. However, each state will have its own rules on exactly which day the license expires. This info can be found in the rules, regulations, and laws of each state.

So, January 31st, 2024 rolls around, what options do I have for what I could do with my Missouri license? I could renew my license, let it expire, or in some states, you can make it “inactive.”

OPTION 1: RENEW YOUR LICENSE

For initial licensing, you must fill out an entire application. This typically includes several forms about your personal demographics, school and work history, jurisprudence exams, and paying the appropriate fees. Every state is different with the cost of these fees, which range from <$100-$500+. The cost of these licenses will be directly mentioned on each state license application. Additional costs may also include forwarding your NPTE scores to each state board, verifying other state licenses, notary services, and sending transcripts from your school to the state board. As you can see, this can be a lot to handle and, not to mention, costly. Luckily, as a traveler, most travel companies will reimburse you for initial licensing fees or renewal fees.

As for renewing a license after the 2-year active period, there is much less to do than the initial license described above. For most states, it’s just a matter of sending in your payment to cover the renewal fees. Again, the cost of renewal varies from state to state. This cost may be the same as the original license fee or may be slightly less. But, as long as you make the payment before your license expires then renewing is as simple as paying renewal fees! And unlike initial licensing, there is no delay in this license getting processed. Whenever they receive your payment, you’re license is renewed for the next 2-year licensing period. BOOYAH! However, you also must remember to keep up with all necessary continuing education units required for each state. More on this later.

OPTION 2: LET THE LICENSE EXPIRE

If you accidentally let a license expire, meaning you did not make attempts to pay the renewal fee before the expiration date, then that license will no longer be valid. If payment for renewal is not received before the expiration date then you will not be legally allowed to practice in that state. 

As a traveler, sometimes you’re going to a state to work for 3-6 months and then you leave. There have been multiple occasions where I’ve gotten a license in a state and I have no intentions of returning to that state for work again. It is in these circumstances that one may purposely let a license expire. In those cases, if you were to let the license expire, you would have to go through the entire initial licensing process to re-obtain a license in that state. Thus, I always recommend that if you have ANY intentions to return to a state that you’re already licensed, then you might as well just renew it versus letting it expire to save you the time and energy later. 

OPTION 3: MAKE YOUR LICENSE “INACTIVE” (WHEN AVAILABLE)

There are a select few states where there is an option to put your license in an “inactive” status. In these cases, these states will not require the typical renewal fee each renewal period like an active license. And unlike a license that you let expire, upon activating your license again, there are fewer hoops to jump through. This may mean no jurisprudence exam is required and no full application paperwork process.

Instead, an inactive license could just be reactivated with the normal renewal fee, and boom you’re back into active status. Not many states offer this option. Thus, if there is a state that you may plan to return to in several years but don’t want to pay the renewal fees, it would be beneficial to see if that state offers an “inactive” license status.

WHAT ABOUT COMPACT PRIVILEGES?

Each compact privilege is valid as long as your home state license is active. For me, my home state license is in Missouri. I currently have compact privileges in North Dakota, Colorado, Georgia, Texas, and Washington. As stated before, I have to renew my Missouri license every 2 years at the end of January. Thus when I renew my Missouri license, I will also have to renew each compact privilege that I still need. The process to do this is just as simple as obtaining the initial compact privilege. Go onto the PT Compact website and purchase the compact privilege that you need. Each renewed compact privilege is valid as long as your home state license is active. For those that are not renewed or re-purchased, those are now expired and no longer valid.

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS 

Another consideration for managing licenses as a traveler is continuing education units (CEUs). You’ll find that most states require up to 30 hours of CEUs per renewal period. Most states have renewal periods every 2 years, as previously stated. Some states will require CEUs in different categories or delivery methods. This means some states require a certain amount of CEUs in person vs online courses vs other methods (CI, journal club, publishing papers, etc). This is up to you to read through each state’s rules and regulations to determine what they require.

I’ve found that most states are pretty similar. However, some require up to half of your CEUs to be at a live in-person course. I have typically taken one in-person course, like Rocktape or Dry Needling, per renewal period. Each of which satisfies a large majority of the 30 hr requirements. **FYI- With each in-person course, you must verify that this course qualifies for CEUs for each state you need. You can do this by asking the course instructor or reaching out to the appropriate person in the state board.

As for the rest of the CEUs, I usually complete online Medbridge courses. Medbridge is an incredible place to get some relevant up-to-date, evidenced-based CEUs. They have courses in a variety of categories and topics covering multiple settings in the therapy fields (ortho, acute, etc.).

I also love MedBridge for their HEP platform, which has great descriptions and pictures of a large variety of exercises that you can print or send (email or text) to patients, and quickly integrate descriptions into your documentation. So, if you’re looking for a great CEU and HEP resource, you can use my link here to save $150 on your initial annual Medbridge subscription fee!

CEU AUDITS

Be sure to keep track of your total CEUs and keep the certificates of completion saved. Each state has the right to audit you and check to see if you completed the required CEUs. Thus, if you do not have the proof of completion your license may be suspended until proof of completion is submitted.

KEEP IT ORGANIZED

If this all sounds like a lot to keep organized, IT IS!! Thus, I highly recommend keeping an ongoing document or spreadsheet with all the necessary info. Be sure to list each current and past license, renewal/expiration dates, and required CEUs, with a running tab of CEUs completed/needed. The more you travel and the more often you move, the crazier this list will get. So, start it early and don’t let it get out of hand!

FINAL THOUGHTS ON MANAGING LICENSES

Managing all the licenses that compile as you travel can be a daunting task. But if you keep things organized from the beginning, it can be easy. Just keep tabs on all upcoming expiration dates and decide whether you will need that state license in the future again or not. If not, let it expire and move on. If yes, pay the renewal fee and ensure that you’ve completed the necessary CEU requirements in case you get audited. Keep it simple and keep it organized! You’ve got this!

If you have any further questions or insights for managing licenses as a travel therapist, please comment below, contact me through my website, or direct message me via Instagram.

The post A SIMPLE GUIDE TO MANAGING LICENSES AS A TRAVEL THERAPIST appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

Getting licensed in each state you practice in is one of the most inconvenient aspects of being a travel therapist. The inconvenience comes with the inconsistency of license processing time frames from state to state. However, if you’re a planner like me, and know approximately how long it will take to get licensed in a particular state, then you can apply early with enough time to avoid delays in starting your next contract. For that reason, I have collaborated with my amazing recruiter, Jessica, at Delta Healthcare Providers, to assemble a post outlining the licensure process and a time frame for how long it takes to process each state license for physical therapists!

Normal PT Licensing

Before we dive into the licensing time frame of each state, we must understand the licensing process as a whole. Normal licensing for PT’s occurs either via exam (a.k.a. via “application”) or via endorsement (a.k.a. via “reciprocity”).

Licensure by Exam

Licensure by exam only occurs for one’s very first license. When applying to take the NPTE (National PT Exam), each candidate must declare which state they intend to get licensed following passing the exam. This ensures that your scores are immediately sent to the appropriate licensing body for the state you intend to be licensed.

**NOTE: This is the only time you won’t have to pay to have those scores transferred to each respective state.

After passing the NPTE, you then go through the normal state licensure application process. Each state will have different requirements and processing times, but overall, with slightly fewer hoops than with licensure by endorsement/reciprocity.

**PRO-TIP: There are some states that allow you to practice on temporary license before you get your board results back!

Licensure by Endorsement/Reciprocity 

Licensure by endorsement or reciprocity is the process that will occur when applying for any other subsequent state license following the very first. As it sounds, you will be applying via endorsement from another state licensing body. First, you will still provide proof that you passed the NPTE, and you will have the extra steps of now going through the normal licensing application process, as well as obtaining licensure verification from each state you are already licensed. As one’s travel career goes along and many licenses are held, this process can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming, as one can imagine.

 Time frame for verifications to another state board

When applying for licensure via endorsement, a majority of the state boards want you to verify your active and/or inactive licenses you have ever held. Each state has a different licensing time frame when it comes to verifying another state license to another state. Each state time frame is listed below:

• 1 week to verify: AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT< IA, ID< IN, LA, MD, ME, MO, MS, NC, MD, NE, NM, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV
• 2 weeks to verify: DE, FL, KS, MA, KY, MN, MT, NH, NH, NV, NY, SD, UT, WA, WI WY
  • ****Currently NY is taking about 4 weeks to process their verifications (as of 9/1/22)
• 3 weeks to verify: AK, DC, IL, MI, NJ

**PRO-TIP: Sometimes you can speed up the verification process by asking the following state you are applying to:

• Can you have the state board email them your verification?
• Can you have them look up your verification online?
• Always use certified mailing with tracking so you can always know where your application is when requesting verifications.
• Sometime the state board will take prepaid shipping labels. You can again use these to track where your verifications are, so always ask if they can use prepaid shipping labels.
• Can they take one active verification instead of needing all of them? MD, SC, VT are currently some states that are doing this.

EACH STATES’ LICENSING TIME FRAME

Below is an alphabetical list of how long, on average, the typical licensing time frame is. FYI- Sometimes you want to add verification time frames from other states as well (listed above!). You can also click the link below to download an excel spreadsheet version of these licensure processing timeframes to quick reference in the future!

OTHER RESOURES TO USE

Check out each state board website

You can always try to google and keep up to date with governor rulings or board meetings for each state licensure. Also, remember that each state board will have their own website. So, you may have to do a bit of searching to find the appropriate state board site.

FSBPT

When in doubt, check of the FSBPT (Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy) website for resources and information. FSBPT is who therapists take their national board exam through to become a “board-certified” physical therapist. Their website is kept up-to-date with the latest info on licensing, etc. FSBPT provides licensing contact information and board websites and links for verifications. You will also register for JP exams and check out your score results for NPTE or JP exams through their website. Check it out here.

PT Compact

The PT compact is one of my favorite resources as a travel therapist. As stated on the PT Compact website, “The Physical Therapy Compact is an interstate agreement between member states to provide a state-developed collaborative structure to protect the public by increasing consumer access to physical therapy services by reducing regulatory barriers to interstate mobility and cross-state practice.” In short, the PT compact is a way to bypass the normal individual state licensure process for quick and easy access to practicing in the participating member states. The largest benefit of the PT compact is that the licensing time frame is IMMEDIATE!

I’ve written a whole separate blog post covering all the details you need to know about utilizing the PT Compact. Check out the PT Compact post for more info!

TO WRAP UP…

Just to reemphasize, the licensing time frame of each state are AVERAGES! Sometimes things are processed faster or, as of recently since COVID, things may be slower in some states. The best advice I can give a fellow traveler is look at these average time frames, plan ahead, and get started on the paperwork ASAP! That way if there are any delays in processing then you may still get your license processed in time for your next contract.

**NOTE: For any travel occupational therapist, I do have licensing time frames for you all as well, just not listed in this post!

If you have any questions regarding licensing time frames, travel therapy related questions, etc., please contact us or I would gladly be willing to give you contact information to my recruiter, Jessica at Delta Healthcare Providers.

The post LICENSING TIME FRAME FOR EACH STATE AS A TRAVEL PT appeared first on Trails of a Travel PT.

If you are a traveling therapist, a physical therapist in particular, you will want to familiarize yourself with the PT Compact. As stated on the PT Compact website, “The Physical Therapy Compact is an interstate agreement between member states to provide a state-developed collaborative structure to protect the public by increasing consumer access to physical therapy services by reducing regulatory barriers to interstate mobility and cross-state practice.” In short, the PT compact is a way to bypass the normal individual state licensure process for quick and easy access to practicing in the participating member states. 

Normal PT Licensing

To fully understand the benefits of the PT Compact, one must understand how typical licensing occurs. Normal licensing for PTs occurs either via exam or via endorsement/reciprocity.

Licensure by Exam 

Licensure by exam only occurs for one’s very first license. When applying to take the NPTE (National PT Exam), each candidate must declare which state they intend to get licensed following passing the exam. This ensures that your scores are immediately sent to the appropriate licensing body for the state you intend to be licensed. Note this is the only time you won’t have to pay to have those scores transferred to each respective state. After passing the NPTE, you then go through the normal state licensure application process. Each state will have different requirements and processing times, but overall with slightly fewer hoops than with licensure by endorsement/reciprocity.

Licensure by Endorsement/Reciprocity 

Licensure by endorsement or reciprocity is the process that will occur when applying for any other subsequent state license following the very first. As it sounds, you will be applying via endorsement from another state licensing body. First, you will still provide proof that you passed the NPTE, and you will have the extra steps of going through the normal licensing application process, as well as obtaining licensure verification from each state you are already licensed. As one’s travel career goes along and many licenses are held, this process can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming, as one can imagine. 

So, that is how someone would typically get licensed, that is until the PT Compact was introduced.

Who Can Utilize the PT Compact?

As amazingly beneficial as the PT Compact is, not everyone is eligible to use it. There are specific eligibility requirements that must be met before obtaining any compact privilege. 

PT Compact Eligibility Requirements

In order to purchase and maintain a Compact Privilege, you must meet each of these requirements:

1. Hold a current, valid PT or PTA license in your home state, as defined in Commission Rules.
   1. Your “home state” is the state you are claiming as your place of permanent residency. Furthermore, you must have a valid driver’s license proving permanent residency in your home state. (Flexibility for active duty military and their spouses only). 
2. Your home state must be a member of the PT Compact and actively issuing compact privileges. (see map below for participating member states)
3. You cannot have any active encumbrances against any PT or PTA license.
   1. An encumbrance is any action taken by the Licensing Board that limits the practice of the PT or PTA. An encumbrance may be disciplinary or non-disciplinary in nature as stated by the PT Compact website. 
4. You cannot have any disciplinary action against any PT or PTA license for a period of two years.
5. The state where you are seeking a Compact Privilege must be a member of the PT Compact and actively issuing compact privileges. (again see the map below for participating member states)

Remember- Home State must = Member State 

I think the biggest misunderstanding for most people who’ve never used the PT compact is listed under #1 and #2 above. #1 you must have an active license in your “home state,” and #2 your home state must be a member of the PT Compact and actively issuing compact privileges. 

Just to reemphasize, the PT compact is an “interstate agreement” between PARTICIPATING MEMBER STATES. This can only be utilized by the states that are members of the compact, including your HOME STATE, or place of permanent residence. This is typically the state where one would have their driver’s license and the place that one would be traveling away from on a travel contract.

So, curious if your home state is a member state?? Check out the PT Compact map below to see!! If your home state is not currently a participating member state, fear not. The compact legislature is frequently being introduced or proposed in many states, so never say never! I would recommend joining the PT Compact email list here to stay up to date on current announcements from the PT Compact including new member state legislature.

The current map taken directly from http://ptcompact.org/ptc-states, Taken as of 2/27/22

Now that you understand what the PT Compact is and who can utilize it, what are the benefits of using it??

Benefits of the PT Compact 

There are SO many benefits to utilizing the PT Compact as a traveler. I have used the PT compact for over half of the travel contracts I’ve done thus far. The two biggest benefits I see are the shortened processing time and decreased cost. 

Processing Time

To me, the biggest benefit of using the PT Compact vs normal state licensing is the short processing time. Every state is different, but oftentimes it takes WEEKS sometimes MONTHS for state licenses to be processed and issued. Between all the documents that must be submitted, potential background checks to be run, and outside licensure verification from the states you are already licensed in, there’s a lot to be processed for licensing!

When I had to apply for individual state licenses, I applied way ahead of time. This way I already have obtained the license in the desired state early to avoid potential delays. However, with the PT compact, the processing time is a matter of how quickly you can click through the application. Oftentimes, this only takes a matter of minutes, 10 minutes or less. 

So, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements (see above), you go onto the PT Compact website, purchase your PT compact privilege, take the jurisprudence exam (if required) and it is immediately issued following payment. No background checks, no waiting on licensure verification, no NPTE score transfers, and no sending over transcripts from your alma mater. All quick and painless. And to your recruiter’s delight (who typically pays for licensure costs), PT compact privileges are much more affordable than typical state licenses. 

Cost

The cost of normal PT state licensing can range anywhere from just over ~$100 up to $300-400+ depending on the state. Most states require an initial application fee, which is where the biggest cost comes from, but when applying for licensure by endorsement, you will also have to transfer your NPTE scores (~$90 fee) as well as send your transcripts from the school you graduated from, which typically also comes with a small fee (~$12 for my school). These fees as well as those associated with a potential background check, fingerprints, mailing cost, etc all add up quickly! 

With the PT Compact, there is a one-time processing fee. This fee is typically a fraction of the cost of the normal licensure application fee. See each state processing fee here. Luckily, most travel recruiting companies will reimburse any licensing cost as a benefit of each new travel contract; however, when applicable, it’s nice to avoid the upfront cost of a new state license. 

Other FAQ’s about PT Compact Privileges

“How long does each compact privilege last?” – Each compact privilege is valid as long as your home state license is valid. For me, my home state license is in Missouri. I currently have compact privileges in North Dakota, Colorado, Georgia, and Texas. I have to renew my Missouri license every 2 years. This is the case for most state licenses. When I renew my Missouri license, I will also have to renew each compact privilege I still need with the same processing fee as mentioned before. And again each renewed compact privilege is valid as long as your home state license is valid. 

“Can PTs and PTA’s both obtain PT compact privileges?” Yes, PTA’s or physical therapy assistants can also obtain compact privileges to practice PT in a state outside their home state. 

Summary

As you can see, the PT compact is an INCREDIBLE resource, particularly for travelers who are practicing in different states frequently. When eligible, I highly recommend utilizing the PT Compact. It will make your life MUCH easier and will save you time and money that you can spend enjoying your current travel adventures. If you have any other questions about the PT Compact, please feel free to reach out and Contact Us. Or Check out the PT Compact website.

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