What OT Students Need to Know to Work in North Carolina

Tips from the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy

• Applying for a license in North Carolina to work as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant is a separate process from applying to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam.

• When applying to take the NBCOT exam, the OT/OTA student must request an Official Score Transfer to North Carolina by checking the state box appropriately and paying the fee ($40 per state in 2013) (www.nbcot.org). 

• Requesting the scores be sent to North Carolina AFTER the NBCOT exam is taken can delay the license.  It takes 10-15 days just to get the results from NBCOT.

• At the same time that you apply for the NBCOT exam, go online to complete and submit your North Carolina Application Request Form.

• Additional application details can be found here.

• Once you begin your online application from the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy, complete the requirements including: moral character recommendations, requesting license verifications from other states, and completing the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy Jurisprudence Exam.  

• After you have received confirmation from NBCOT (electronic or paper) that you have passed the exam, submit your completed application for licensure to the North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy. 

If you have been licensed as an occupational therapy practitioner in another state:

• If you are applying to be licensed in North Carolina after being licensed in another state, you must submit a License Verification form from the state where you were formerly licensed.

• The North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy is not responsible for contacting the state in which you were originally licensed.

• Error in the submission of the License Verification form can cause a 2-3 week delay on the processing of your North Carolina license.