Hey travel PTs! Today’s a great day for you—it’s the day that South Carolina has officially been added to the list of PT compact states. This now means that the list of PT compact states is up to 28.
What Is the PT Compact?
The PT compact is a list of states that agree to accept one another’s PT license process. This means that if you have a license in a state that participates in the PT compact, your license grants you a license in any other state that participates, though you may have to pass a jurisprudence requirement or exam before you can work in that state (don’t skip this step when needed—if you do, you may face disciplinary action). All physical therapists and PT assistants with a South Carolina license are now eligible to work in any other PT compact state. To qualify for the PT compact, you need to be a permanent resident of a state that currently participates. This means the state where your driver’s license is issued and your permanent home address. If you’re an active duty military member or military spouse, you may have some flexibility in the driver’s license requirement.
What Are the PT Compact States
Currently, these are the states that participate in the PT compact:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Another few states have legislation enacted, but they’re not yet issuing or accepting compact privileges. These states include Kansas, Alabama, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Still more states have introduced legislation that would add to the compact, but nothing has been passed. These states include Hawaii, Minnesota, Illinois, Florida, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Maine, New York, Michigan, Wyoming, New Mexico, Idaho, Nevada, California and Alaska currently have no plans to join the PT compact.
It’s important to verify your compact license before you take a traveling PT job. While the process is meant to be streamlined, it’s not automatic. You will still need to follow the steps of the state you want to travel to in order to practice in another state. Your Triage recruiter can help you through the process. If you’re interested in looking for travel PT jobs, check out our job board and connect with a Triage recruiter today.