Temporary OT licenses and limited permits mostly serve new graduates awaiting the NBCOT exam. Texas, California, New York, Georgia, Illinois and Maryland each allow supervised practice before full licensure on different terms. Licensed OTs who move have fewer options, such as California's 60-day window after filing and Texas's provisional license for delayed documents.
Most temporary OT credentials are for new graduates waiting on the NBCOT exam, not for experienced occupational therapists who are moving. Texas, California, New York, Georgia, Illinois and Maryland each offer some form of supervised practice before full licensure, and each sets different limits on who qualifies, how long it lasts and who must be on site. For licensed OTs, the options are narrower: California's 60-day window, Texas's provisional license for delayed documents, and the OT Compact where both states issue privileges.
Which permits are built for new graduates?
Texas temporary license
Texas issues a temporary license only to an applicant "taking the NBCOT certification examination for the first time" (40 Tex. Admin. Code § 364.3). It is not available to anyone who has already been licensed as an OT practitioner in any US state. The applicant submits NBCOT's confirmation of exam registration and eligibility (sent directly by NBCOT), proof that a score report has been ordered, a signed verification of supervision and the fee.
- It lasts no longer than 180 days.
- It is void if you fail the exam, miss your eligibility window, or fail to have the score reported, and a second one will not be issued.
- The board's FAQ says a regular licensee must be on the premises whenever the temporary licensee provides services: an OT for a temporary OT, an OT or OTA for a temporary OTA.
- Temporary licensees "may not supervise anyone," per the board's supervision guidance.
California limited permit
California's statute allows a limited permit for a person who has completed the education and experience requirements, to practice "under the direction and appropriate supervision" of a California-licensed OT while awaiting the exam or results; privileges end automatically on notice of a failing result (Bus. & Prof. Code § 2570.5). The Board of Occupational Therapy adds that you must apply to NBCOT within four months of completing education and fieldwork, and supply the authorization-to-test letter, a Score Transfer receipt and fingerprints. The permit is valid for three months, until notice of a failing score, or two weeks after your testing eligibility expires, whichever comes first. It is issued once and cannot be renewed or extended.
New York limited permit
New York's limited permit covers the stretch between completing your program and receiving exam results. It is valid for one year and may be renewed once only for illness or other extenuating circumstances, and the fee is $70 (N.Y. Educ. Law § 7905; NYSED license requirements). The setting limits are the part people miss: a permittee may practice only under a New York licensed OT or physician, and only in a hospital, health care agency, or a preschool or elementary school as a related service for a child with a disability. NYSED says permittees may not practice in the private office of a licensed OT or physician.
Georgia limited permit
Georgia issues a 90-day limited permit once the board finds every requirement met except the exam, for practice under the supervision of a Georgia-licensed OT. It will not be issued or renewed for anyone who has failed an exam the board administers or approves. The rule also allows a 90-day permit to complete 320 hours of supervised clinical experience (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 671-3-.06).
Illinois letter of authorization
Illinois does not call it a permit. IDFPR's guide for occupational therapists describes a letter of authorization that lets an applicant who has met every requirement except the exam practice under supervision, with a licensed OT onsite for at least 75 percent of work hours, for six months from the letter's date. IDFPR states: "This is not the same as being licensed."
Maryland temporary license
Maryland's 2026 application form offers a temporary license for "exam candidates only," for both OTs and OTAs, with the same $200 application fee as the full license. The regulations fill in the terms. A temporary license may be issued to an applicant who has met every licensure requirement except the certification exam, and the application includes fingerprints for a criminal history records check, verification of any other license and the Maryland jurisprudence exam (COMAR 10.46.01.02F). A temporary licensee practices "with on-site supervision," meaning a supervisor immediately available on the premises, and cosigned documentation is required (10.46.01.04C and D; 10.46.01.05). Temporary licensees are excluded from serving as supervisors. If the first temporary license expires before you finish the exam, the regulations allow a second one with updated documents (10.46.01.02G).
Tennessee and Oregon
Both states list a limited permit fee of $25 (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1150-02-.06; Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board applications page). Check each board's current terms before you rely on one.
What can an experienced OT who is moving use?
California's 60-day exemption
California law lets an OT who holds a current, active, unrestricted license in another state with equivalent requirements provide services after filing a California application, "in association with an occupational therapist licensed under this chapter, and for no more than 60 days from the date on which the application for licensure was filed" (Bus. & Prof. Code § 2570.4). The clock starts when you file, not when you start work, so file the day you accept the job. More in getting a California OT license from another state.
Texas provisional license
Texas may grant a 180-day provisional license to an endorsement applicant when "there is an unwarranted delay in the submission of required documentation outside the applicant's control," provided every other endorsement requirement is met. It is not available to anyone with disciplinary action in their history or pending (40 Tex. Admin. Code § 364.4(b)). See getting a Texas OT license.
The OT Compact, where it applies
A compact privilege is not temporary in the usual sense; it lasts as long as your home-state license. If you live in and hold a license from one of the ten states issuing privileges as of October 2026, and the state you are going to also issues them, a privilege may cover you while you decide whether to obtain a full license there. Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Mississippi are issuing, according to otcompact.gov. If you are moving your residence, remember the privilege depends on the home state where you primarily live. See endorsement or the compact.
Which states do not appear to offer anything for licensed OTs?
Most of the states we have reviewed have no temporary credential for an experienced OT waiting on endorsement. The permits above exist to bridge the exam period, and several explicitly exclude people who have already been licensed (Texas does so by rule). If a recruiter tells you that you can "start on a temporary," ask which rule section they mean. If there is no section, you cannot start.
Which rules do OTAs need to watch on a permit?
OTAs on permits face two layers of supervision rules: the permit's terms and the state's standing OTA supervision rules. In Texas, a temporary OTA must have an OT or a regularly licensed OTA on the premises. In Oregon, every OTA must have a supervising OT recorded in the board portal and confirmed by that OT before work starts (OAR 339-010-0035). See OTA supervision rules that trip up a move.
What happens if you fail the exam on a permit?
In most of these states the permit ends at once. California's board says the holder "must cease practicing as soon as they receive notification of a failing score," and Texas requires the temporary license to be returned. Plan for that possibility with your employer before you start.
Can we prepare a permit with your application?
When a permit or provisional license is available and you qualify, we prepare it alongside your full application so neither waits on the other. That is included in our Full State License Application ($749 OT, $649 OTA) and License by Endorsement ($599 OT, $499 OTA) services. Board fees are separate, and no one can promise a board will issue a permit or license by a given date. See each state's options in the state license index.
Common questions
- Can an experienced OT get a temporary license in Texas?
- No. Texas limits temporary licenses to first-time NBCOT examinees and excludes anyone previously licensed as an OT practitioner. An endorsement applicant whose documents are delayed through no fault of their own may qualify for a 180-day provisional license instead.
- How long does a California limited permit last?
- Three months from issuance, or until notice of a failing score, or two weeks after testing eligibility ends, whichever is first. It is issued once and cannot be extended.
- Where can a New York limited permittee work?
- Only under a New York licensed OT or physician, in a hospital, health care agency, or a preschool or elementary school serving a child with a disability. Not in a private office.
- Can I work in California while my license application is pending?
- If you hold a current, active, unrestricted license in a state with equivalent requirements, California law allows practice in association with a California-licensed OT for up to 60 days from the date you filed your application.
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