To run an Arkansas OT license verification, go to the Arkansas State Medical Board’s public search tool at armedicalboard.adh.arkansas.gov and enter either the practitioner’s license number or last name.1Arkansas State Medical Board. Verify a License The search is free, requires no account, and returns license status, issue and expiration dates, and any disciplinary actions on file in about 30 seconds. Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants both appear in the same database.
How to Run the Search
The verification page accepts two inputs: a license number or a last name.1Arkansas State Medical Board. Verify a License If you have the license number, use it. That returns a single record and skips the sorting step. Searching by last name works, but common names produce lists you have to sift through, so spell the name exactly as it appears on the provider’s credentials.
The board also keeps an occupational-therapy landing page under “Professionals” that links to the same verification tool along with downloadable OT forms.2Arkansas State Medical Board. Occupational Therapist and Assistant
What the Results Show
Selecting a matching name opens a profile page with the practitioner’s full name, primary specialty, mailing address, phone number, license number, original issue date, expiration date, license status, and license category.3Arkansas State Medical Board. Verify License Results
The field that matters most is license status. Only “Active” allows the person to legally provide occupational therapy in Arkansas. The expiration date tells you when renewal is next due, which is useful for spotting a license about to lapse.
At the bottom of the profile, a “Board History” section shows whether any board minutes or board orders are on file.3Arkansas State Medical Board. Verify License Results Board orders reflect formal disciplinary actions: suspensions, revocations, or practice restrictions. When neither category has entries, the record reads “No Board Minutes on file” and “No Board Orders on file.” A clean history there reflects Arkansas actions only; it says nothing about proceedings in other states.
What Each Status Label Means
The database uses several status labels, and each has a specific meaning for whether the practitioner can currently treat patients.4Arkansas State Medical Board. Definitions Used by the Arkansas State Medical Board
- Active. The practitioner is legally authorized to provide occupational therapy in Arkansas.
- Inactive. The practitioner has either chosen to stop practicing or failed to complete renewal requirements.
- Expired. The license lapsed because the holder did not renew by the deadline.
- Suspended. The board has formally barred the person from practicing, usually through a disciplinary proceeding.
If the status reads anything other than Active, the provider should not be treating patients. A license that expired even one day ago is technically unauthorized until it is reinstated.
Verifying an OT Assistant’s Supervisor
Occupational therapy assistants in Arkansas must practice under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist whose license is in good standing.5Arkansas State Medical Board. OT Supervision Log The supervising OT owes at least one hour of face-to-face, on-site supervision for every 40 hours the assistant works, plus a monthly meeting with each patient and the assistant to review progress.
If a COTA is treating you or someone in your care, run the verification twice: once for the assistant and once for the named supervising therapist. Both records should show Active status. If the supervisor’s license is inactive, expired, or suspended, the assistant is not properly supervised, regardless of the assistant’s own status.
Checking National Certification Through NBCOT
State licensure and national certification are separate credentials. The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy operates its own public verification tool at nbcot.org, where you can confirm whether a practitioner holds the OTR (Registered Occupational Therapist) or COTA (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) designation.6NBCOT. OTR and COTA Credential Verification Search by name and state or by NBCOT certification number.
NBCOT describes its database as a primary source verification, meaning the data comes directly from NBCOT’s own records.6NBCOT. OTR and COTA Credential Verification An active NBCOT credential confirms the practitioner passed the national exam and has kept up with NBCOT’s renewal requirements. It does not authorize practice in Arkansas on its own; the state license is still required. Checking both databases gives the fullest picture.
The federal NPI Registry at npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov can confirm a provider’s name, specialty, and practice address, but the registry itself notes that holding an NPI number does not mean a provider is licensed or credentialed.7NPPES NPI Registry. Search NPI Records Treat it as a directory, not a license check.
Ordering an Official Board Certification
The free public search is enough for patients, employers doing an informal check, or a practitioner confirming personal record details. It is not enough when another state’s licensing board asks for formal proof of your Arkansas license. For that, order a Board Certification through the Arkansas State Medical Board’s online services portal for $15.8Arkansas State Medical Board. Arkansas State Medical Board Home The document carries an official seal and moves directly from one board to another.
Arkansas has enacted the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, which is intended to let OTs and OT assistants practice across participating member states without a separate license in each one.9Justia Law. Arkansas Code 17-88-302 – Qualifications of Applicants The compact is still being implemented and not all states have joined, so if you are relocating, ask both the Arkansas board and your destination board which verification method they currently accept.