2023 Utah Code › Title 58 - Occupations and Professions › Chapter 42a - Occupational Therapy Practice Act › Part 3 - Licensing › Section 302 - Qualifications for licensure.

Affected by 63I-1-258 on 7/1/2025
Effective 5/4/2022
58-42a-302.
Qualifications for licensure.
(1) An applicant for licensure as an occupational therapist shall:
(a) submit an application in a form as prescribed by the division;
(b) pay a fee as determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;
(c) graduate with a bachelor's or graduate degree for the practice of occupational therapy from an education program accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association's Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, a predecessor organization, or an equivalent organization as determined by division rule;
(d) if applying for licensure on or after July 1, 2015, complete a minimum of 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork experience;
(e) pass an examination approved by the division in consultation with the board and administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, or by another nationally recognized credentialing body as approved by division rule, to demonstrate knowledge of the practice, skills, theory, and professional ethics related to occupational therapy; and
(f) if the applicant is applying to participate in the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact under Chapter 42b, Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, consent to a criminal background check in accordance with Section 58-42a-302.1 and any requirements established by rule made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(2) All applicants for licensure as an occupational therapy assistant shall:
(a) submit an application in a form as prescribed by the division;
(b) pay a fee as determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;
(c) graduate from an educational program for the practice of occupational therapy as an occupational therapy assistant that is accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association's Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, a predecessor organization, or an equivalent organization as determined by division rule;
(d) if applying for licensure on or after July 1, 2015, complete a minimum of 16 weeks of supervised fieldwork experience;
(e) pass an examination approved by the division in consultation with the board and administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, or by another nationally recognized credentialing body as approved by division rule, to demonstrate knowledge of the practice, skills, theory, and professional ethics related to occupational therapy; and
(f) if the applicant is applying to participate in the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact under Chapter 42b, Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, consent to a criminal background check in accordance with Section 58-42a-302.1 and any requirements established by rule made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(3) Notwithstanding the other requirements of this section, the division may issue a license as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant to an applicant who:
(a) consents to a criminal background check in accordance with Section 58-42a-302 and any requirements established by rule made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act; and
(b)
(i) meets the requirements of receiving a license by endorsement under Section 58-1-302; or
(ii) has been licensed in a state, district, or territory of the United States, or in a foreign country, where the education, experience, or examination requirements are not substantially equal to the requirements of this state, if the applicant passes the applicable examination described in Subsection (1)(e) or (2)(e).
Amended by Chapter 221, 2022 General Session