Wisconsin's School Occupational Therapy License

To work as an occupational therapist for a Wisconsin school district, you need a school occupational therapist license from the Department of Public Instruction in addition to your Wisconsin OT credential. Under Wis. Admin. Code PI 34.091, DPI may issue it to an applicant "certified as an occupational therapist by the occupational therapists affiliated credentialing board," which is Wisconsin's OT licensing board. The license lasts five years and is renewable as long as that board certification stays current. School OTAs have a parallel license under PI 34.092.

Which rules govern it?

Two parts of the Wisconsin Administrative Code:

• PI 34.091, school occupational therapist license. It "authorizes the license holder to be employed by a school district as a school occupational therapist." Eligibility is certification as an OT by the occupational therapists affiliated credentialing board. Renewal requires that you "remain certified" by that board. Duration is five years. The rule took effect August 1, 2018.
• PI 34.092, school occupational therapist assistant license. The same structure for OTAs, based on certification as an OTA by the same board, also valid five years.
• PI 11.24, related services: physical and occupational therapy. It requires that school OTs be licensed by DPI under PI 34.091 and school OTAs under PI 34.092, and sets caseload, supervision and responsibility rules for both.

Do I need a Wisconsin OT license first?

Yes. The school license is built on certification by Wisconsin's OT board, so the Wisconsin OT credential comes first. If you are licensed in another state, that is a Wisconsin application through the Department of Safety and Professional Services, which supports the OT board. See our Wisconsin license page.

Can a Wisconsin compact privilege stand in for it?

Possibly not, and you should ask before relying on one. Wisconsin has issued OT Compact privileges since May 29, 2026, with a $75 state fee and a jurisprudence requirement, according to the OT Compact Commission. The compact model law says a privilege is "equivalent to a license." But PI 34.091's text asks for certification "by the occupational therapists affiliated credentialing board," and the rule says nothing about compact privileges. Whether DPI treats a privilege as meeting the rule is DPI's decision. Ask DPI in writing before you accept a school job on a privilege; if it says no, apply for the Wisconsin license. See compact privilege or a state license?

Which caseload limits apply to school OTs?

PI 11.24(9)(b) sets them for a full-time school OT working a full day, five days a week:

• a minimum of 15 children;
• a maximum of 30 children; or
• a maximum of 45 children with one or more OTAs.

Part-time caseloads may be prorated, and a district's plan can vary them if DPI approves, considering IEP frequency and duration, travel time, evaluations, preparation time and student-related activities. The school OT must also have medical information about a child before the child receives occupational therapy (PI 11.24(9)(c)).

How strict is school OTA supervision in Wisconsin?

Stricter than many clinic settings. Under PI 11.24(9)(d), the school OT writes a policy for communicating with the OTA and chooses one of two supervision levels:

1. daily, direct contact on the premises; or
2. direct, face-to-face contact at least once every 14 calendar days, with the OT available by telecommunication in between, and an on-site reevaluation of each child's therapy at least once per calendar month or every tenth day of therapy, whichever is sooner.

A full-time school OT may supervise no more than two full-time-equivalent OTA positions, and no more than three OTAs. The OTA's acts are considered the acts of the supervising OT who delegated them. And under PI 11.24(9)(e), the school OT conducts all evaluations and reevaluations, takes part in developing the IEP, and writes the treatment plan; "a school occupational therapist may not be represented by a school occupational therapy assistant on an IEP team."

OTAs coming from states with lighter supervision rules should read these closely. See OTA supervision rules that trip up a move.

How do the renewals line up?

Two credentials, two clocks. The DPI school license runs five years and stays renewable only while your OT board certification is current. Your Wisconsin OT credential renews on its own schedule with its own continuing education. If the OT credential lapses, the school license's basis goes with it. Put both dates on one calendar. See keeping several OT licenses current.

Where do we come in?

If you are licensed in another state, we prepare and file the Wisconsin OT application as a license by endorsement ($599 for OTs, $499 for OTAs). Our School Credential Add-On ($249) then prepares the DPI school license application and tracks both renewals. If you already live in a compact state and want to know whether a privilege could work for the rest of your Wisconsin caseload, our OT Compact Readiness Review ($149) answers that, including Wisconsin's jurisprudence requirement. State and DPI fees are separate. Other states with school credentials are covered in school-based OT credentials beyond the state license.