§ 5-40.1-8 - Requirements for licensure.
SECTION 5-40.1-8
§ 5-40.1-8 Requirements for licensure.– (a) Any applicant seeking licensure as an occupational therapist oroccupational therapy assistant in this state must:
(1) Be at least eighteen (18) years of age;
(2) Be of good moral character;
(3) Have successfully completed the academic requirements ofan education program in occupational therapy accredited by the AmericanOccupational Therapy Association's Accreditation Council for OccupationalTherapy Education or other therapy accrediting agency that may be approved bythe board;
(4) Have successfully completed a period of supervisedfieldwork experience arranged by the recognized educational institution wherehe or she met the academic requirements:
(i) For an occupational therapist, a minimum of twenty-four(24) weeks of supervised fieldwork experience shall be required;
(ii) For an occupational therapy assistant, a minimum oftwelve (12) weeks shall be required;
(5) Have successfully passed the National CertificationExamination for Occupational Therapists, Registered, or National CertificationExamination for Occupational Therapy Assistants, of the National Board forCertification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) or other occupational therapycertification examination as approved by the board.
(b) Application for licensure to practice occupationaltherapy in this state either by endorsement or by examination shall be made onforms provided by the division, which shall be completed, notarized, andsubmitted to the board thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled date of theboard meeting. The application shall be accompanied by the following documents:
(1) Three (3) affidavits from responsible persons attestingto the applicant's good moral character;
(2) For U.S. citizens: a certified copy of birth record ornaturalization papers;
(3) For non-U.S. citizens: documented evidence of alienstatus, such as immigration papers or resident alien card or any otherverifying papers acceptable to the administrator;
(4) Documented evidence and supporting transcripts ofqualifying credentials as prescribed in this section;
(5) One unmounted passport photograph of the applicant (headand shoulder view) approximately 2x3 inches in size;
(6) A statement from the board of occupational therapy ineach state in which the applicant has held or holds licensure, or is otherwisesubject to state regulation, to be submitted to the board of this stateattesting to the licensure status of the applicant during the time period theapplicant held licensure in that state; and
(7) The results of the written national examination of theNational Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
(c) Applicants seeking licensure as occupational therapistsor occupational therapy assistants are required to pass the national writtenexamination of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy(NBCOT) approved by the board to test the applicant's fitness to engage in thepractice of occupational therapy pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(2) The date, time, and place of examinations shall beavailable from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy(NBCOT).
(d) In case any applicant fails to satisfactorily pass anexamination, the applicant shall be entitled to re-examination.
(e) Occupational therapists and occupational therapyassistants who are licensed or regulated to practice under laws of anotherstate or territory or the District of Columbia may, upon receiving a receiptfrom the division, perform as an occupational therapist or occupational therapyassistant under the supervision of a qualified and licensed occupationaltherapist or occupational therapy assistant. If this applicant fails to receivelicensure when the board reviews the application, all previously mentionedprivileges automatically cease.
(f) Applicants from foreign occupational therapy schools mustmeet the requirements of the National Board for Certification in OccupationalTherapy (NBCOT) and present evidence of passage of the National CertificationExamination for Occupational Therapists or the National CertificationExamination for Occupational Therapy Assistants of the NBCOT. Applicants mustmeet all of the appropriate requirements for licensure to the satisfaction ofthe board and in accordance with the statutory and regulatory provisions ofthis chapter.