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HB 2569
Starting on August 27, 2019, Arizona's licensing boards will recognize out-of-state occupational licenses for people who:
- Have been licensed in their profession for at least one year
- Are in good standing in all states where they are licensed
- Do not have any past or pending investigations or complaints
- Pay applicable Arizona fees
- Meet all residency, testing, and background check requirements per law.
Individuals seeking to work in occupations that require a background check will still need to complete those background checks. In addition, professionals receiving licenses under the new law can only become licensed in practice within areas they have been trained and certified to practice in their original state. Arizona licensing boards will be required to verify that an individual is in good standing in all states where they are licensed.
What the new law does not do: The new law DOES NOT recognize other states’ occupational licenses automatically. For example, workers licensed in other states who move to Arizona still must apply for a license through the appropriate Arizona licensing board before working. However, under the new law, workers will not be required to duplicate training and other requirements that often needlessly delay or prevent them from getting to work.
Instructions
Pathways to Licensure
Application for Licensure by Examination
This is the traditional license application type. Use this if you have passed the NBCOT exam and do not qualify for licensure by universal recognition. (More Info)
Application for Licensure by Universal License Recognition
If you have recently established residency in Arizona AND hold a license in another state (for at least one year), you may qualify for licensure by universal license recognition. With this option, you are not required to submit proof of NBCOT certification and professional recommendations. (See A.R.S. 32-3402) (Application Information)
Limited License
If you have you recently graduated and have not taken the NBCOT exam, you may qualify for a limited license. (More Info)
Fee Waiver
If your 2019 income was below 200% of the Federal poverty level, you may qualify for a fee waiver. (Application)
Military Spouse Applications
A.R.S. 32-3402 also states that a license shall be issued without an examination to a person who is married to an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States and who is accompanying the member to an official permanent change of station to a military installation located in this state. The Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners doesn't require a jurisprudence exam, so you would apply for licensure by universal recognition, as the requirements are the same.
Definition of Occupational Therapy
The World Federation of Occupational Therapists defines occupational therapy as a profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by enhancing the individual's ability to participate, by modifying the environment, or by adapting the activity to better support participation.
Another way of thinking about the ideas contained in these definitions could be: occupational therapy is about understanding the importance of an activity to an individual, being able to analyze the physical, mental and social components of the activity and then adapting the activity, the environment and/or the person to enable them to resume the activity. Occupational therapists would ask, "Why does this person have difficulties managing his or her daily activities (or occupations), and what can we adapt to make it possible for him or her to manage better and how will this then impact his or her health and well-being?”
COVID-19
BOARD OPERATIONS
In order to protect their health and well-being and that of their families, Occupational Therapy Board staff are telecommuting until further notice. We continue to work regular office hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) from home and are able to receive phone calls (which are forwarded to our cell phones) and emails.
The customer service window at 1740 West Adams Street is closed until further notice. Please do not bring applications, documents, or payments to the building, as there is nobody available to accept them. You are encouraged to submit all documents online. If you are unable to do so, please mail them via US Mail. DO NOT MAIL CASH.
We ask that you have patience during this critical time. Many executive orders have been issued and we are doing our best to adapt our processes as quickly as possible. We have also received more than the normal number of emails and voicemails and are doing our best to respond in a timely manner. If you have sent an email regarding telemedicine and have not received a response, please read the information under Executive Order 2020-15 below for up-to-date information.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 2020-15 EXPANSION OF TELEMEDICINE
News Release | Executive Order 2020-15
Board staff received clarification on this order from the Governor's office on 3/26/2020. This order includes occupational therapy assistants, as item 6 states telehealth services may be provided by "any Arizona licensed healthcare provider type including but not limited to...". Item 9 means that the practice of occupational therapy is the same as it was before telemedicine was allowed. Any treatments you were not authorized to provide before telemedicine are still not authorized.
For information regarding the practice of telemedicine, please refer to Arizona Revised Statutes Title 36: Chapter 36.
Please do not contact Board members, as they are not able to speak for the Board outside of Board meetings. Questions can be emailed to [email protected], or you can call Karen Whiteford at (602) 284-7433.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 2020-17 CONTINUITY OF WORK
News Release | Executive Order 2020-17
Executive Order 2020-17 helps licensed professionals in the state stay licensed and defers certain requirements for six months.
ABOTE is complying with this executive order by:
- Giving six-month license extensions to those who cannot complete their continuing education in time because of COVID-19
- Issuing six-month provisional licenses to new graduates that cannot take the NBCOT exam because the testing centers are closed
- Issuing six-month provisional licenses to those applying for a new license who cannot obtain fingerprints
Request COVID-19 Fee Waiver Request License Expiration Date Extension
COVID-19 UPDATES
PROMETRIC TESTING CENTERS CLOSED
Prometric (NBCOT's testing centers) has temporarily closed its test centers in the United States and Canada for a period of 30 days, starting March 18. For more information on Prometric’s COVID-19 response and actions, please visit Prometric COVID-19 Update. The website will be updated when new information is available.
NBCOT will work with all candidates who are impacted by the test center closures. These candidates will be issued a new 90-day ATT letter at no charge to allow for future scheduling.
If you have completed your program, have not taken the NBCOT exam, and have an employer who is willing to sign a direct supervision agreement, you can apply for a Limited License.
AOTA CONFERENCE CANCELLED
For more information on the cancellation, please visit https://www.aota.org/Conference-Events/annual-conference.aspx.
If you were relying on continuing education hours from the AOTA conference, please explore other opportunities for continuing education. There are many online courses available that you can do from home.
