Occupational Therapists

Licence renewal for 2026/2027

The CHCPBC Bylaws were amended to align renewal cycles for licensing, certification, and health profession corporations to a deadline of March 31, across all nine professions regulated by the College, starting in 2026. The amendments were approved by the CHCPBC Board following public consultation.

Licence renewal for 2026/2027 will open February 18, 2026 in the Licensee Portal for occupational therapy. March 31, 2026 is the renewal deadline.

To view the CHCPBC Fee Schedule, see Fees.

More information about licence renewal for 2026/2027 will be posted on the CHCPBC website.

Why?

The CHCPBC Bylaws that have been drafted to comply with the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) and will come into effect on April 1, 2026 remove the Non-Practising registration class. CHCPBC has just under 400 registrants in this class across eight of the nine professions we regulate.

This change is not required by the HPOA, but the Non-Practising class no longer serves its intended purpose. For many colleges this class allowed registrants to stay in touch with their college while they were temporarily away from practice: they could receive newsletters, which were sent by mail in those days, and other communications. The pathway back to full registration may also have been simpler in those days. Newsletters, and much more information, are now available on the College website. For many years, the pathway to return to full registration from Non-Practising has been virtually the same as returning from “Former” (cancelled). In addition, removing the Non-Practising registration class provides a clearer message to the public that an individual is either licensed to practice or they are not.

When?

The class will be discontinued when the HPOA comes into effect on April 1, 2026. Because this coincides with the first day of the new registration year, non-practising registrants will not be able to renew as Non-Practising licensees during renewal in February/March 2026.

What are my options?

If you are currently a Non-Practising registrant, you have 3 options:

Option 1: Do nothing, and your registration will expire automatically on April 1, 2026. You may return to practice in BC at a later date by meeting the requirements in place at that time. Please refer to the draft HPOA Bylaws for Licensure, section 6-31 (PDF).

Option 2: Cancel your registration during renewal. You may return to practice in BC at a later date by meeting the requirements in place at that time. Please refer to the draft HPOA Bylaws for Licensure, section 6-31 (PDF).

• During the renewal period you will have the option to cancel your registration in the registrant portal.

Option 3 Apply for reinstatement to full registration until March 31, 2026. There are 2 possible scenarios depending on your practice hours.

a. If you have 600 practice hours within the last 3 years

Steps and requirements to apply for reinstatement to full registration

• Login to your Registrant Portal to complete your reinstatement.
• Upload a copy of your Professional Liability Insurance.
• Criminal Record Check: CHCPBC will check if a new criminal record check is required upon reviewing your submitted form.
• Proof of eligibility to work in Canada.
• Regulatory History Form(s)/Letter(s) of Good Standing.

See the OT Reinstatement section for more information.

Timeline
Once all requirements have been received, your application for reinstatement can be approved within a few business days. Delays can occur while waiting for completed regulatory history forms from other jurisdictions. Please factor this in when applying.

Cost

$348.75

$28.00 CRC fee

b. If you have less than 600 practice hours within the last 3 years

Steps and requirements to apply for reinstatement to full registration

A re-entry program is required, including a Competence Confirmation Practicum (CCP) (PDF). The number of supervised hours required in the practicum is based on how long you have been out of practice:

• Less than 3 years: 150 hours within 90 days.
• 3 to 5 years: 300 hours within 180 days.
• 5 to 10 years: 600 hours within one year.
• Over 10 years: 600 hours within one year.

Applicants who have been out of practice for over 10 years may also be required to participate in additional educational activities and pass the National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam (NOTCE).

Timeline
The Registration Committee Occupational Therapy panel must approve your CCP proposal before you begin the practicum. To ensure your application is reviewed in a timely fashion, please inquire about upcoming committee dates as you develop your proposal with your supervisor.

Cost
$348.75

$28.00 CRC fee

$755.00 for NOTCE (if applicable)

There are two ways to return to practice, that depend on your currency status at the time of application. The College of Health and Care Professionals of British Columbia (CHCPBC) bylaw requires that occupational therapists have 600 practice hours in the three years immediately preceding the date of application for reinstatement.

To confirm your status, please see Currency Hour Requirements to determine whether you meet the currency requirement.

Reinstatement

If you have previously been on the College register, and meet the currency hour requirement, you can reinstate online through the registrant portal.

Provisional Re-entry

If you have previously been on the College register, and you do not have 600 practice hours within the last 3 years, you are required to complete a re-entry program.

Do You Meet the Currency Requirement?

You can reinstate to Full registration with the College of Health and Care Professionals of British Columbia (CHCPBC) through the online registration portal if you are a Former registrant or hold nonpractising registration status and meet the Currency Hour Requirements (600 practice hours in the three years immediately preceding the date of your application for reinstatement).

If you do not meet the currency hour requirements, see Provisional Re-entry.

Prepare for Your Registration

Before logging into the registrant portal to complete your application, ensure you have the documents ready for upload. Note the maximum upload size for PDF documents is 1.5 MB (1500 KB).

A copy of your professional liability insurance: Occupational therapists must maintain professional liability insurance with a limit of liability of not less than five million dollars ($5,000,000) per occurrence. If your insurance is provided through your employer, such as a Health Authority, contact your human resources department or team lead for a copy.

Proof of eligibility to work in Canada: If you are not a Canadian citizen, you must include a copy of your work permit or permanent residency card.

Criminal Record Check: CHCPBC initiates criminal record checks on behalf of occupational therapists. Follow the instructions on the reinstatement form to give CHCPBC consent to initiate the criminal record re-check on your behalf if required.

• If you are moving from the Inactive-Former registration category to Practising registration, an updated criminal record check is mandatory.
• If you are moving from the nonpractising category to Practising registration, a new criminal record check may be required. If you are currently in the nonpractising category CHCPBC will check if a new criminal record check is required upon your submitted form.
• If a criminal record check is required, you will be invoiced for the $28 fee.

Regulatory History Form(s) / Letter of Good Standing: If you have worked as an Occupational Therapist in any other jurisdiction since your registration status changed to nonpractising or Former Registrant, complete the top half of the Regulatory History Form and forward to the regulatory authority in each of the jurisdiction(s) where you are/or were registered to practice. Ensure you complete the other jurisdictions section in the online form.

To get started on reinstating your registration, log in to the CHCPBC registration portal.

Apply Online

All applicants need to meet the College Bylaw regarding currency hour requirements (600 hours within the last three years). Applicants who do not meet the requirement must complete a re-entry program. These programs differ with each individual and must be approved by the Registration Committee, which checks that safeguards are in place to ensure no significant risk to public health and safety.

All re-entry programs include a competence confirmation practicum (CCP) where applicants have the opportunity to demonstrate that they meet the professional standards as outlined in the Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada.

The CCP requires applicants to work under the supervision of an occupational therapist with Full registration with the College. The required hours of supervised practice are based on the number of years they have been out of practice, as follows:

• Out of practice less than three years, with less than 600 hours of practice = 150 hours in 90 days
• Out of practice between three and five years = 300 hours in 180 days
• Out of practice between five and 10 years = 600 hours in one year
• Out of practice for over 10 years = 600 hours in one year

Applicants, especially those out of practice for more than 10 years, may also be required to participate in additional educational activities and pass the National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam (NOTCE).

Applying for Provisional Re-entry: If you are a first-time applicant to CHCPBC, you will apply online as a new applicant for Provisional Re-Entry. To begin the application, sign up for an account within the Registrant Portal.

Prepare for Your Re-Entry Application

Note: All forms related to the Provisional Re-Entry application can be found within Registration Documents.

Before initiating the application, ensure you have the following documents ready:

Notarized Identification: All applicants must provide two (2) pieces of notarized ID as part of their application. Both copies must be verified by a notary public or lawyer with a stamp and / or seal. Photocopies not notarized will not be accepted. Have your notarized ID ready before starting your application as it is required in Step 1.

CCP Proposal and Letter of Undertaking: Complete the supervision plan and letter of undertaking and upload them in the appropriate section within the online application or email them to the College once completed. As a reference, you can view a filled-out CCP Proposal Example.

Employer Acknowledgment: Complete the CCP Employer Acknowledgement Form with your CCP proposal. Once completed upload them in the appropriate section within the Registrant Portal.

Criminal Record Check: CHCPBC initiates criminal record checks on behalf of registrants. Follow the instructions on the reinstatement form to give CHCPBC consent to begin the criminal record re-check on your behalf if required.

• If you are moving from the Inactive-Former registration category to Practising registration, an updated criminal record check is mandatory.
• If you are moving from the nonpractising category to Practising registration, a new criminal record check may be required. If you are currently in the nonpractising category CHCPBC will check if a new criminal record check is required upon your submitted form.

If a criminal record check is required, you will be invoiced for the $28 fee.

Professional Liability Insurance: Upload your current liability insurance if available. If not available, email a copy to the College one you receive it.

Regulatory History Form: If you have ever been registered in another province/state or country, complete the first section of the Regulatory History Form and send it to all the regulatory organizations you have been licensed with.

After Your Re-entry Program is Complete

Once you have completed your Re-Entry program, fill out these two documents and submit them to CHCPBC.

• CCP Evaluation
• CCP Declaration of Successful Completion

Apply Online

CHCPBC signed and adopted the Memorandum of Understanding on Cross-Jurisdictional Remote Practice in Occupational Therapy in Canada (PDF) in May 2025. Under this agreement, occupational therapists registered in British Columbia who wish to provide remote services to clients located in:

• Ontario, Alberta*, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon
  are permitted to do so under their BC registration. Occupational therapists are encouraged to confirm any local requirements with the provincial regulator. *Occupational therapists must register in Alberta to provide any restricted activities to clients located in Alberta.
• Quebec and Saskatchewan
  must contact the regulators in these provinces to obtain special authorization before providing remote services.

These requirements apply whether clients are temporarily or permanently located outside of British Columbia.

Client Concerns

Occupational therapists must understand and adhere to the regulations, standards, and guidelines of the jurisdiction in which they are registered and the jurisdiction where the client is located.
If a client has concerns about the services received, they may file a complaint with the regulatory organization where the occupational therapist is registered.

Please refer to the Practice Across Jurisdictions for Occupational Therapists (PDF) resource for additional guidance on providing virtual care within Canada.