Certification & Licensure

Certification:

Upon successful completion of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, graduates are eligible to obtain national certification and licensure to practice in the state of California. The certification exam is offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Students must have successfully completed and graduated from the OTA Program, completed, and submitted all required documentation for the examination, and have paid all required exam fees.

Questions regarding the certification exam?
Contact NBCOT:
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
One Bank Street, Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Tel: (301) 990-7979
Web: https://www.nbcot.org/

Licensure:

After passing the NBCOT exam, the graduate is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). A license is required to practice in the State of California. Licenses are issued by the California Board for Occupational Therapy (CBOT) to qualified applicants.

Provisional License: Students who have completed all requirements and have applied for taking the national certification examination are eligible to apply for a provisional license to practice in the state of California through CBOT. Students may work with a provisional license for a maximum of 4 months until they pass the certification examination. A provisional license cannot be extended.

Questions regarding Licensure?
Contact CBOT:
California Board of Occupational Therapy
1610 Arden Way, Suite 121
Sacramento, CA 95815
Tel: (916) 263-2294
Fax: (916) 567-9534

Note: The application for the certification examination with NBCOTCBOT requires individuals to answer questions related to the topic of felonies. Finger printing is required for CBOT application for state licensure. For information about limitations based on felonies you are advised to call NBCOT and CBOT (address and phone numbers above) prior to the application process.