Illinois OT Licensing

To practice occupational therapy in Illinois you need a license from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Illinois is not issuing OT Compact privileges; as of October 2026 the Commission lists it as having a bill filed. Out-of-state OTs and OTAs apply by endorsement, proving their education and NBCOT exam, and providing certification of licensure from the first state that licensed them and from every state where they are currently licensed. IDFPR retrieves your NBCOT score itself.

Which pathway do you use?

IDFPR's Qualifications for Licensure guides, effective February 2026, describe two pathways for occupational therapists and for OTAs:

• Acceptance of Exam, for applicants never licensed before.
• Endorsement, for applicants currently or previously licensed in another jurisdiction.

IDFPR says new applications for occupational therapy professions are filed in its CORE online system, and an application stays active for three years from the date IDFPR receives it. You cannot submit until every required document is uploaded.

What education and exam does Illinois require?

For an occupational therapist, both pathways require proof of a master's degree or higher from a program meeting ACOTE standards, plus proof of passing the OTR exam. For an OTA, both pathways require an associate degree from a program meeting ACOTE standards and proof of passing the COTA exam. You upload an official transcript with the school's seal.

The degree level deserves attention if you trained years ago. The OT guide's requirement is stated as a master's or higher; if your entry-level OT degree is a bachelor's, ask IDFPR how it will evaluate your education before you apply.

Your NBCOT score

Illinois is unusual here. IDFPR's guides say the exam score is "available in the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Portal" and that "IDPR staff will retrieve your score during evaluation of your application." Before you buy a $35 score transfer for Illinois, read the current application instructions; you may not need one. See sending your NBCOT score to a new board.

Which license verifications does Illinois want?

Endorsement applicants provide certification of licensure from the first jurisdiction where you were licensed and any jurisdiction where you are currently licensed. IDFPR describes an official or primary-source certification as one showing your name, issue and expiration dates, and whether the license has been disciplined. Some states send it directly to Illinois; some publish primary-source verification on their websites, and IDFPR accepts printouts from other states' websites "if they are designated as primary source."

That is narrower than Tennessee's every-license-ever rule, but the first license is often the hardest one to get: the oldest record, sometimes from a state you left long ago. See license verifications between OT boards.

Can you work before you are licensed?

Only before the exam, and only under supervision. If you meet every requirement except passing the exam, you may request a letter of authorization under Section 3(6) of the Illinois Occupational Therapy Practice Act. IDFPR says supervision means a licensed occupational therapist onsite for at least 75 percent of your work hours, and you have six months from the date of the letter to pass. IDFPR adds: "This is not the same as being licensed." There is no comparable bridge described for an experienced OT waiting on endorsement. See temporary and limited OT licenses.

How do Illinois renewals work?

All OT and OTA licenses in Illinois expire December 31 of each odd-numbered year, regardless of when they were issued. A license issued in late 2027 comes due within weeks. The CE rule (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315.145) requires 24 contact hours in the 24 months before renewal, including:

• one hour of ethics;
• one hour of sexual harassment prevention training;
• one hour of implicit bias awareness training; and
• one hour of dementia recognition training, for licensees who provide services to and directly interact with adults 26 or older.

Illinois counts a CE contact hour as 50 minutes. No CE is required for the first renewal after initial licensure. Licensees who live and practice in other states must still meet Illinois CE, though hours used for another state may be submitted if they meet Illinois standards.

Is Illinois joining the OT Compact?

A bill has been filed, according to the Commission's map, but filed is not enacted, and enacted is not issuing. Until Illinois is issuing privileges, you need an Illinois license to treat Illinois patients in person or by telehealth. See enacted is not issuing and the OT Compact hub.

How can we help in Illinois?

Our License by Endorsement service ($599 OT, $499 OTA) covers the CORE application, education review, verifications from your first and current states, and IDFPR follow-up. New graduates use our Full State License Application ($749 OT, $649 OTA). Our Annual Renewal and CE Compliance ($299 per license, per year) tracks the four required Illinois topics. IDFPR fees are separate. See our Illinois requirements page.