Application Process
The North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy licenses Occupational Therapist (OT) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTA) in the State of North Carolina. Licensure is offered to an OT or an OTA who has graduated from an accredited curriculum including field work requirements and passed the National Board for the Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam.
The licensing process must be completed and a license issued before practice may begin. The Board does not offer a temporary license for individuals entering the State who wish to practice before completing the licensure process and being issued a Regular license.
Licenses expire on June 30th every year. If your license is issued between January 1st and March 31st, it will expire on June 30th of the same year it is issued. If it is issued between April 1st and December 31st, it will expire on June 30th of the following year.
General Requirements for Licensure
General Information about Licensure
General Requirements for Licensure
1. Fee: $100.00. This fee is non-refundable, payable by a certified check, cashier’s check or money order to the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy.
2. Good moral character.
3. Successful completion of an accredited Occupational Therapy or Occupational Therapy Assistant educational curriculum. (Institution transcripts should not be sent to the Board.)
4. Successful completion of the NBCOT exam.
5. Successful completion of the Board's jurisprudence exam on the North Carolina Occupational Therapy Practice Act and Rules of the Board. Logon and password information are included in the application packet. The exam is administered online at this website. There is no fee to take the exam.
General Information about Licensure
1. A licenses must be renewed on or before June 30 of each year. For more information please click on the Renewals tab of this website.
2. Applicant must be issued a valid license before starting work as an Occupational Therapist or Occupational Therapy Assistant in North Carolina.
3. All documents and photos will be retained by the Board.
4. The Board reserves the right to request additional information before issuing a license.
5. Information and materials received during the application process are valid for a period of twelve months. An incomplete application file will be discarded twelve months after receiving the last item. The applicant will be required to begin the application process again by sending a written Application Request Form with a $10.00 money order, certified check or cashier’s check.
An application may be requested by sending a Application Request Form to the Board office along with a certified check, cashier’s check or money order (no personal or company checks will be accepted) in the amount of $10.00 to the:
North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy
Post Office Box 2280
Raleigh, North Carolina 27602
The Application Request Form must be completely filled out. This will include name, address, phone number and designation (OT or OTA). Upon receipt of the written request and the fee, an application will be sent to the address included in the request.
| Application Request Form | Download |
Agencies requesting applications for therapists may request an application only in the name of the therapist not the agency. The application fee and information above applies. For further questions or information, contact the Board at OTRequest@NCBOT.org