NEW APPLICANTS: WEST VIRGINIA RESIDENT
To apply for a West Virginia license, please choose the appropriate application type from the list below. Applications are completed online through Certemy, our licensing management software provider, and include a number of steps to be completed and submitted for verification and approval. Application must be completed in its entirety. Failure to do so may result in delay and/or denial of license.
Obtaining a license in West Virginia DOES NOT automatically make you eligible to participate in the OT Compact and purchase a privilege to practice in another state. To become eligible, complete the WV licensure application in its entirety first, and then return to this page and use the "OT COMPACT ELIGIBILITY" link at the bottom of the page to log in to your existing Certemy account and complete the required steps. Steps include completing an FBI fingerprint-based Criminal Background Check and authorizing the WV Board of Occupational Therapy to share personal data, including name, address, date of birth, full social security number, and licensure data with CompactConnect (the data system used by the OT Compact). You will not be able to create an account in CompactConnect until the FBI CBC is complete and results have been received by the WV Board of Occupational Therapy.
Three states, Minnesota, Ohio, and West Virginia are expected to become active compact participants on January 12, 2026. A complete list of states and their status can be found here.
**THE FBI CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK IS NOT REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A LICENSE TO PRACTICE IN WV.**
**IT IS ONLY REQUIRED IF YOU WISH TO PURCHASE A PRIVILEGE TO PRACTICE IN ANOTHER COMPACT MEMBER STATE.**
PLEASE CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE APPLICATION FOR A WV LICENSE:
If you have successfully taken the NBCOT certification exam, and are not currently working under a Limited Permit, please select:
Initial Application for Full License
If you are a recent graduate of an approved school, and would like to work under a Limited Permit in WV while awaiting the NBCOT certification exam, please select:
If you are currently working under a Limited Permit in WV, and have passed the NBCOT certification exam, please select:
To become eligible to participate in the OT Compact and purchase a privilege to practice in another compact member state, log in to your existing Certemy account using the OT COMPACT ELIGIBILITY link below. Practitioners will not be able to create an account in CompactConnect (the OT Compact data system) to purchase privileges to practice in remote member states until the FBI CBC and authorization to disclose personal data have been completed and received by the WV Board of Occupational Therapy. A full WV license is required to be eligible to participate in the OT Compact. Limited Permit holders do not qualify.
Any privileges to practice purchased in remote member states will have the same expiration date as your WV license. Privileges to practice DO NOT renew automatically when you renew your WV license. They must be re-purchased through the OT Compact to continue to practice in that state.
OT COMPACT ELIGIBILITY
*Log in to your existing Certemy account by selecting "Already have an account? Sign in"