A “Compact Privilege” is the authorization to work in a Compact member state other than your home state. To be eligible for a Compact Privilege, you must hold an active PT or PTA license in your home state and meet other eligibility criteria, such as having no disciplinary action against your license for at least two years. When eligibility is verified and all fees are paid, you receive the Compact Privilege and may begin legally working in the other remote state.
PT Compact Privilege Verification - The Physical Therapy Compact Commission provides online primary source verification of Compact Privileges.
To apply for a PT Compact privilege, please visit the website for the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact at www.ptcompact.org.
Do you hold Compact Privileges to practice in other states?
As a reminder, all compact privileges expire on the same date as your home state license. If Virginia is your home state, then your compact privileges are set to expire on December 31 of even numbered years. To avoid the expiration of your compact privileges, you must renew your home state license before you can renew your compact privilege(s) if you want to continue practicing in those state(s). Once your home state license is renewed, visit the PT Compact website
at ptcompact.org to initiate the renewal process for your compact privilege(s).
What is the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact?
The purpose of the Compact is to facilitate interstate practice of physical therapy with the goal of improving public access to physical therapy services. This is accomplished by mutual recognition of physical therapist and physical therapist assistant licensure by Compact member states through a system of “Compact privileges.”
The legislation requires applicants for licensure as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant to undergo a criminal background check as a prerequisite for licensure in Virginia. For more information on Criminal Background Check Requirements, please see our FAQ page.
For more information on the Compact and how the compact privilege process works, please visit the website for the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact at www.ptcompact.org.
Virginia Board of Physical Therapy
Email: ptboard@dhp.virginia.gov
Corie E. Tillman Wolf, J.D., Executive Director
Mira H. Mariano, PT, PhD, OCS, President