Certification and Licensure
The National Certification Examination
The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam is required for the Occupational Therapy Registered (OTR) credential and licensure in most states. Students are eligible to take the certification exam upon graduation from an accredited program. Students will need to submit a request to the Registrar to send a Final Transcript (showing the OTD Degree awarded) to NBCOT More information about the NBCOT can be found on their website at http://www.nbcot.org/.
State Licensure
Passing the NBCOT examination qualifies the student to enter professional practice as an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR) and satisfies the requirements for licensure in most states that require a license to practice the profession. Each state has different laws and regulations for occupational therapy licensure. Graduates are responsible to independently investigate procedures and follow each State’s documentation requirements for application for licensure. The AOTA provides information about State OT Statutes and Regulations on their website: http://www.aota.org/Practice/Manage/HowTo.aspx, http://www.aota.org/Advocacy-Policy/State-Policy/Licensure/StateRegs.aspx
A licensure flow chart is available in Appendix C.