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United States · Certification exam

NBCOT verification and certification lookup

Anyone can check whether a person holds the Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) or Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) credential with the lookup on the site of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). You search by last and first name with a country and state, or by certification number. NBCOT says this NBCOT verification counts as primary source verification, drawn straight from its own database.

  • Name or numberWhat you search by
  • No costVerification letter you order yourself
  • Primary sourceHow NBCOT describes its lookup
Verify an OTR or COTA on nbcot.org

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How does NBCOT verification work?

  1. Open Verify an OTR/COTA on nbcot.org.
  2. Enter the person’s last and first name and pick the country and state, or enter a certification number instead.
  3. Search, and read the result NBCOT returns.

NBCOT says the data is provided and maintained only by NBCOT, can’t be changed by anyone outside, and is checked by its staff. It also says it takes no responsibility for errors caused by technical problems.

Sending proof of your own certification

  • A Verification of Certification letter, which confirms your status to a state board, employer or agency. You order it in MyNBCOT, and NBCOT lists it at no cost.
  • A score transfer, which sends your exam score to a state board within three business days of your request.
  • Your digital certificate, badge and wallet card, which NBCOT emails after you pass and after each renewal.
Score transfer fees →

Before you’re certified: the eligibility confirmation notice

While you’re still waiting to test, NBCOT can send an eligibility confirmation notice to a state board or employer, confirming that your application, fees and academic documents are processed and that you’re approved to schedule. It’s often used for a temporary permit, but these 15 states don’t accept it:

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • Hawaii
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • New Hampshire
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

Certification lookup or license lookup?

NBCOT’s lookup shows national certification only. A state license is issued by the state board, so to check a license, go to that board. NBCOT’s state contact list has each one.

NBCOT state board contact list (PDF) ↗What the certification statuses mean →
Sources: NBCOT and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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