PTs and PTAs who want to practice in multiple states can face piles of paperwork, long delays, and significant expenses. An interstate licensure compact system soon may offer a solution.

Imagine you're going on cross-country road trip—Virginia to California, let's say. You gas up and head west. As you cross the border into West Virginia, you're pulled over immediately by the state police, who direct you to the nearest DMV, where you're told that your Virginia license is no good here. You must have a West Virginia driver's license if you want to drive in that state.