Most states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico require occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants to be licensed. Just like most licenses, you’ll also be required to renew it every so often. Luckily of occupational therapists, this process should be relatively seamless. You might hear the words “license renewal” and think of your driver’s license. Those traumatic flashbacks of waiting at the DMV for hours will keep you up at night. Fortunately, the process of renewing your OT license is a little less stressful than being stuck in the purgatory that is the DMV. While some states differ slightly, our guide below should give you all the tools and info you need to crush your OT license renewal.
OT License Renewal Guide
Who Gives Out the Licenses?
Before we jump into the OT license renewal process, let’s first jump into who exactly gives out these licenses. Every state will have a State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure. Essentially, every certified occupational therapist must go through this board in order to obtain a license. The Board’s duties include passing upon the qualifications of applicants for licensure; ensuring the conduct of examinations; issuing and renewing licenses to occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants; revoking or suspending licenses issued by the Board. They are also in charge of the monumental task of keeping track of every single occupational therapist within the state.
The Process
While the process slightly differs from state to state, we’ll do our best to give an overarching look at the steps required for your OT license renewal.
Most occupational therapy licenses will typically last from two to four years. You can expect to receive a reminder from your State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure about 90 days before your current license expires. You will have until midnight on the day your license expires to renew. Failure to renew an active or inactive license by the expiration date will result in the license being placed in delinquent status. If your license is in delinquent status, you’ll still be able to renew your license. However, you will have to pay more money to renew it and it could take a little longer.
The actual process of OT license renewal is actually incredibly easy. Most states will have an online renewal application in which OTs will enter a few lines of information such as name, birth date. Most of the renewal process will revolve around your current status. Like mentioned before, if your current license is listed as inactive or delinquent. You might have to go through additional steps. For example, in many states, if your license has been inactive or delinquent for over two license cycles, you may be required to resume active practice by retaking a competency test again.
The Fees
One of the biggest things current OTs want to know is how much the OT license renewal will cost. Like your application process, the cost of renewing your occupational therapy license will also depend on the status of your license. If your license is up to date and you’re renewing ahead of time, you can expect to pay between $50 and $80 dollars for renewal. If you’re renewing AFTER your license as expired, you will have to pay a pretty large late fee. Those completing an OT license renewal can expect to pay around $100 to $200.
Final Thoughts
The OT license renewal process may seem daunting, but as long as you keep track of your OT license expiration date, you should have no issues! Also, once you renew your license, we can help you find a stellar new OT assignment with the thousands of jobs we have available! If you have any questions or comments regarding the OT renewal process, feel free to leave them below!
