To run a Missouri OT license lookup, go to mopro.mo.gov/license/s/license-search, choose Occupational Therapist or Occupational Therapy Assistant from the profession list, and enter a name or license number. The Missouri Division of Professional Registration updates the database daily, and the search is free with no account required. For employers or out-of-state boards that need documentation on official letterhead, the Board of Occupational Therapy also issues a formal verification letter for a $10 fee.
Running the Search
The public search page gives you a short set of filters. Toggle the radio buttons to Active or Non-Active depending on what you need to confirm. Pick the profession from the multi-select list. County is optional. The “Additional Search Criteria” dropdown lets you choose a partial name search or an exact license number search, with a text box for the value.
If you have the license number, use it. One field, one record, no ambiguity. A partial name search works when that’s all you have, but common names return multiple hits and you’ll need to click into each record to find the right person. The Division of Professional Registration handles license issuance, renewal, and verification clerical functions across all the boards it oversees, so the same search interface covers OTs and OTAs together.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 324.001 – Division of Professional Registration Established, Duties
What the Results Tell You
Each practitioner record shows the license number, the license type (OT or OTA), the original issue date, and the current expiration date. Missouri licenses run on a two-year renewal cycle, so expiration will fall roughly two years out from the last renewal.
The field that matters most is status. Active means the person is currently authorized to practice occupational therapy in Missouri. Inactive means the practitioner voluntarily placed the license on hold. Lapsed usually means they missed a renewal deadline. In either non-active case, the person cannot legally treat patients in Missouri. Practicing on a non-active license violates the Occupational Therapy Practice Act at Missouri Revised Statutes Sections 324.050 through 324.089.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 324.050 – Occupational Therapy Practice Act
The record also flags whether the board has taken public disciplinary action against the licensee. The flag tells you something exists; the underlying board order generally requires a separate records request to the board office to read in full.3Missouri Division of Professional Registration. Board of Occupational Therapy
When You Need a Formal Verification Letter
A screenshot of the online record is enough for most informal checks. It isn’t enough for credentialing bodies, hospitals, or another state’s licensing board. Those situations call for primary source verification, which the Missouri board issues as a signed letter on official letterhead.
The fee is a flat $10 for an endorsement verification sent to another jurisdiction.4Cornell Law Institute. Missouri Code 20 CSR 2205-1.050 – Fees Payment can now be submitted through the MOPRO system online rather than mailed as a check to Jefferson City.5Missouri Division of Professional Registration. MO PRO The letter is mailed directly to the receiving jurisdiction and includes license number, status, issue and expiration dates, and any disciplinary history.6Cornell Law Institute. Missouri Code 20 CSR 2205-3.020 – Application for Licensure as an Occupational Therapy Assistant
Allow at least ten business days from the date the board receives the request for the verification to be processed and sent.7Missouri Department of Professional Registration. Missouri Board of Occupational Therapy – Check the Status of a Pending Application Build that lead time into any credentialing deadline.
If the Lookup Returns Inactive or Lapsed
A non-active status is a hard stop for anyone verifying a candidate’s ability to work. The licensee cannot see patients until they return to active status, and that process takes time.
To reactivate, the practitioner must complete a renewal form, pay the full active renewal fee, and show evidence of at least 24 approved continuing competency credits earned within the previous two years.8Cornell Law Institute. Missouri Code 20 CSR 2205-3.050 – Inactive Status Paying the fee alone doesn’t flip the status back. If you’re an employer and your candidate’s Missouri record shows inactive or lapsed, plan on several weeks before they can lawfully start clinical work.
Checking National Certification Separately
State licensure and national certification are different credentials. The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) issues the OTR and COTA designations and runs its own verification tool at nbcot.org, searchable by name or certification number. That lookup counts as primary source verification of national certification status.9National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. OTR and COTA Credential Verification
NBCOT also publishes a Disciplinary Action Summary covering sanctions it has imposed, including censure, suspension, revocation, probation, voluntary surrender, and permanent ineligibility. These national actions are separate from any Missouri board action. A practitioner can have a clean state record and an NBCOT sanction, or the reverse, so a thorough check covers both databases.10National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Disciplinary Action Summary
Verifying Across State Lines Under the Compact
The Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact lets practitioners who hold a license in good standing in one member state practice in other member states through a compact privilege. The system uses a database called CompactConnect for real-time cross-state verification.11OT Compact. Status of the OT Compact
As of early 2026, 32 states have enacted the compact, but only five are actually issuing privileges: Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, and West Virginia. If you are checking whether a Missouri-licensed practitioner can work in another state under the compact, confirm current status at otcompact.gov, because more states are being added as they complete the technical integration.
The home-state license is still the anchor. A compact privilege rides on the Missouri license: if the Missouri credential lapses or faces discipline, every privilege in every other member state is affected. The mopro.mo.gov lookup is the first check in any compact scenario, not an optional one.