Licensure Requirements, Application Process, Renewal, and Continuing Education
Licensure requirements, application, renewal, and continuing education are tested as a sequence: eligibility, documentation, examination, license maintenance, and CE audit. The exam favors precise distinctions between national certification and Oregon licensure.
Initial licensure
Oregon requires graduation from an accredited OT or OTA program, passage of the national certification examination, a completed Board application, fees, and a background check. Applicants must also pass the Oregon jurisprudence examination. National certification alone does not authorize practice in Oregon; the Oregon license is the legal credential.
Renewal and CE
Licenses are renewed on the Board's cycle. The Board requires continuing education each renewal cycle, including an ethics component, and licensees must keep certificates and records available for audit. CE should relate to occupational therapy practice and the licensee's professional development. Late renewal can lead to a lapsed license; practicing while lapsed is unlicensed practice.
Worked example
An OT moves from another state with an active NBCOT credential and a clean record. She begins treating clients while her Oregon application is pending. Even though she is nationally certified, she is practicing without an Oregon license. She must wait for Board issuance; her employer cannot waive the requirement.
Traps
Do not assume reciprocity automatically issues an Oregon license; endorsement still requires Board review and Oregon-specific requirements. Do not count non-OT business meetings as CE without a practice link. Do not ignore audit documentation because renewal was approved online.