What an OT Compact Privilege Costs, State by State

An OT Compact privilege costs $75 to the OT Compact Commission plus a fee set by the state where you want to practice. For OTs, the state fees among the ten issuing states run from $4 in Arkansas to $200 in Mississippi, so a single privilege costs between $79 and $275 in compact fees. Your home board's background check and any jurisprudence exam are extra, and you pay the compact fees again every time your home license renews.

Which fees make up the price of one privilege?

• The Commission fee: $75 per state. OTC Rule 6.1 sets "a non-refundable Commission Administrative Fee of $75.00" for "each state in which a Privilege to Practice is requested." The Commission can change it by rule.
• The state fee. Each member state sets its own under OTC Rule 6.2, may change it on 30 days' notice, and the Commission collects it and passes 100 percent to the state. The rules' definition calls it "a non-refundable fee."
• The background check. Section 4A8a of the model law says the licensee "shall be responsible for the payment of any fee associated with the completion of a criminal background check." Your home board sets the process and the vendor, so the cost varies. See the FBI background check.
• Jurisprudence, where required. Ohio, Maryland and Wisconsin require one among the issuing states. See jurisprudence requirements.

The Commission's FAQ says the Commission fee and state fee "are paid at the same time at the end of the OTC application process." One more fee to avoid: under OTC Rule 6.4, a payment that fails for insufficient funds draws a non-refundable $100 service fee.

How much is each issuing state?

Compact fees per privilege, from the Commission's Before You Apply page as of October 8, 2026:

You pay the remote state's fee, not your home state's. An Ohio resident seeking a Mississippi privilege pays Mississippi's $200, not Ohio's $25.

How does it add up for several states?

Take an OT who lives in Ohio and wants privileges in Indiana, West Virginia and Maryland. The compact fees are $75 three times ($225) plus $25, $50 and $125 in state fees, for $425. Maryland also requires its jurisprudence exam before you apply. Ohio residents also need their home-board background check cleared first.

An OTA living in Virginia who wants Maryland and Tennessee pays $150 in Commission fees plus $125 and $100 in state fees, for $375.

Why is the real cost higher over time?

Because privileges do not renew. The Commission's Before You Apply page says "each time you renew your HSL, you will need to purchase a new OTC privilege to practice in all of the states in which you plan to practice." The Ohio OT above pays the $425 again at every Ohio renewal, plus any repeat requirements a state sets.

Timing matters too. A privilege bought late in your home license cycle expires with that license, so a privilege bought three months before your home renewal costs the same as one bought the day after it and lasts a fraction as long. If you have some flexibility, buy right after your home license renews. See renewing privileges with your home license.

Is a privilege cheaper than a license?

Usually, in fees. A privilege carries no application packet, no NBCOT score transfer and no license verification from every state you have held a license in. A full license by endorsement requires those, plus that state's own application and license fees. But a license has advantages a privilege lacks: it does not depend on where you live, it does not end when your home license expires, and it can be the license a school credential or employer requires. We compare the two in compact privilege or a state license?

The cheapest choice is also the one that matches your plans. If you are moving, a privilege in your future home state does not last: once you live there, you need a home license there. See your home state and the OT Compact.

Where do our fees fit?

Our fees are separate from, and never include, compact fees. The Commission requires you to make the payment yourself, so you pay the $75 Commission fee and each state fee directly in CompactConnect. The OT Compact Readiness Review costs $149 and is credited if you go ahead. The Compact Privilege Concierge is $299 for the first privilege and $149 for each additional one, and covers the eligibility audit, coordination of your home-board background check, jurisprudence preparation, a guided session while you complete and submit the application, and renewal tracking. If a state requires a jurisprudence exam, our Jurisprudence & State Law Exam Support is $249 per state. Start at the OT Compact hub for the rest.