Restoration
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW: SEE THE FULL ACT AND RULES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND REGULATIONS.
New Requirement to Restore on or After 9/1/2020 – HHSC-Approved Training Course on the Prevention of Human Trafficking
See the Human Trafficking Training tab on the Continuing Education page to access information concerning approved training courses. Refer to Sec. 370.3 and the OT Rules for further information.
You must hold a current, unexpired Texas license to practice occupational therapy in any way (including consulting) or to represent yourself as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant.
Restoration is the process to return to licensure for former licensees whose Texas license has been expired one year or more. There are three restoration categories.
- You now have a current license in another state or territory of the U.S, or if not currently licensed in another state or territory of the U.S., are applying from the U.S. military or a non-licensing state or territory of the U.S. and can substantiate occupational therapy employment for at least two years immediately preceding application for a Texas license.
- Your Texas license has been expired at least one year but less than two years and you are not currently licensed in another state or territory of the U.S. or, if not currently licensed in another state or territory of the U.S., are applying from the U.S. military or a non-licensing state or territory of the U.S. and cannot substantiate occupational therapy employment for at least two years immediately preceding application for a Texas license.
- Your Texas license has been expired two years or more and you are not currently licensed in another state or territory of the U.S. or, if not currently licensed in another state or territory of the U.S., are applying from the U.S. military or a non-licensing state or territory of the U.S. and cannot substantiate occupational therapy employment for at least two years immediately preceding application for a Texas license.
Refer to §370.3 for further information regarding these categories and regulations regarding restoration.
The Restoration of an OT/OTA License Form may be accessed from the following link: OT Forms.
Other Restoration Information
1. Make sure you download the Restoration Form and not the Renewal Form.
2. A current color, passport-type 2” x 2” photograph is required. This is a head-and-shoulders shot, and note that eyeglasses may not be worn in the photo. See the information below regarding further requirements. The photo MAY NOT be faxed. DO NOT send a copy of your passport or driver’s license.
The photo may be submitted in paper or electronic form. See below.
Submitted in paper form: Photos must be on standard photographic paper, with the printed name and DOB of the applicant on the reverse side. For information regarding passport photo requirements, see the link below. See the footer at the bottom of this page for our mailing address.
Submitted in electronic form: An emailed digital photo is acceptable if it adheres to the U.S. Department of State specifications; see the link below. Email a digital photo as an attachment in JPG, PDF, or PNG form to
exam@ptot.texas.gov. Include in the body of your email your name as it appears on your application and your DOB; be sure to indicate that the photo is concerning your application to restore an OT or OTA license.
3. List all the states where you have been licensed on the application. The applicant must submit a verification of license for any of the occupational therapy licenses (past and current) that the Board cannot verify, including disciplinary action. The verification must be an original verification sent directly to the Board by the licensing board of the U.S. state or territory. Disciplinary action must be reported to the Board. See below for further information.
This is NOT a copy of your license or an online lookup of your license that you send the Board.
After the restoration application and required fees have been received and initially processed, applicants may check the lack letter they are emailed for information regarding the licenses the Board was not able to verify and for which verification must be ordered by the applicant.
States and territories that do not have sufficient information on their websites for primary source verification and for which verifications must be ordered include Rhode Island, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands*. The verification can be emailed to exam@ptot.texas.gov or mailed directly from the other board. *For other territories of the U.S., contact us.
If you are not currently licensed in a state or territory of the U.S. and are applying from the U.S. military or a non-licensing state or territory of the U.S. and are applying for restoration as per §370.3(a), a Verification of Employment form (found on the OT Forms page of the website) must be submitted substantiating occupational therapy employment for at least two years immediately preceding application for a Texas license.
- Select the exam link for the OT Application Jurisprudence Exam.
- Do not use the forward, back, or refresh buttons on your browser/the browser tab in which the exam is open during the exam.
- The exam will time out after a period of time (usually approximately three hours). Try to take the exam in one sitting to reduce technical difficulties.
- Individuals using Internet Explorer as their browser may experience problems when taking the exam. We suggest using Google Chrome, for example, as an alternative to Internet Explorer.
- After you pass the exam, you must enter and submit your personal information; be sure to complete all steps. After you have done so, you will receive a message that your score has been reported to the Board.
5. Fulfill the requirements for your type of restoration. For questions, call the Renewal Department at 512/305-6900.
6. Submit fingerprints; see the document on the
homepage for further information. Applicants may access the agency’s Service Code from the email they are sent after the restoration application is received. Applicants needing further assistance accessing the Service Code may send an email to
exam@ptot.texas.gov to request the code.
An individual is not required to submit fingerprints for restoration if the individual has previously submitted fingerprints for and satisfied the fingerprinting requirement under one of the following:
Chapter 364 of the OT Rules (relating to Requirements for Licensure) for the initial issuance of the license;
Chapter 370 of the OT Rules (relating to License Renewal) as part of a prior license renewal (including license restoration); or
Chapter 371 of the OT Rules (relating to Inactive and Retired Status) as part of a prior license renewal or change of license status.
Military Applicants
If you are a military service member, military veteran, or military spouse who previously held a license in Texas, please see
§370.3 for information regarding expedited services and eligibility requirements for such.
In a hurry?
Use overnight mail. See the footer at the bottom of this page for our mailing address.
All licenses are sent by USPS. If you are in a rush, you can mail or email the Board as an attachment a pre-paid FedEx or UPS overnight air bill or send us a pre-paid overnight envelope. If you send an alternate means of delivery, when the license is restored, it may be sent by the indicated method. Please send such to the Board in a timely manner so it will be received prior to license restoration and note that the dimensions of the regular license are 8 1/2 x 11 inches.
When Can I Begin Working?
You may begin working as an OT or OTA once you can verify on the
Board’s License Verification page that your license has been restored, which means that it must appear on that page as being current and unexpired.
Note: The links below are not exclusive and the Board does not endorse any programs. Contact the Board for questions regarding whether a certain program is a re-entry one.
Re-Entry Programs
OT and OTA Re-Entry Program:
Lonestar College-Tomball – Occupational Therapy Practitioner Reentry Program
OT Re-Entry Program:
