(a) The department shall issue a license to any person who meets the requirements of this chapter upon payment of a license fee of two hundred dollars. Any person who is issued a license as an occupational therapist under the terms of this chapter may use the words “occupational therapist”, “licensed occupational therapist”, or “occupational therapist registered” or such person may use the letters “O.T.”, “L.O.T.”, or “O.T.R.” in connection with such person's name or place of business to denote such person's registration hereunder. Any person who is issued a license as an occupational therapy assistant under the terms of this chapter may use the words “occupational therapy assistant”, or such person may use the letters “O.T.A.”, “L.O.T.A.”, or “C.O.T.A.” in connection with such person's name or place of business to denote such person's registration thereunder. No person shall practice occupational therapy or hold himself or herself out as an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant, or as being able to practice occupational therapy or to render occupational therapy services in this state unless such person is licensed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(b) No person, unless registered under this chapter as an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant or whose registration has been suspended or revoked, shall use, in connection with such person's name or place of business the words “occupational therapist”, “licensed occupational therapist”, “occupational therapist registered”, “occupational therapy assistant”, or the letters, “O.T.”, “L.O.T.”, “O.T.R.”, “O.T.A.”, “L.O.T.A.”, or “C.O.T.A.”, or any words, letters, abbreviations or insignia indicating or implying that such person is an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant or in any way, orally, in writing, in print or by sign, directly or by implication, represent himself or herself as an occupational therapist or an occupational therapy assistant. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class D felony. For the purposes of this section, each instance of patient contact or consultation which is in violation of any provision of this chapter shall constitute a separate offense. Failure to renew a license in a timely manner shall not constitute a violation for the purposes of this section.

(P.A. 78-253, S. 6, 11; P.A. 84-526, S. 7; P.A. 89-251, S. 81, 203; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 22, 117; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 191; P.A. 13-258, S. 75; P.A. 15-244, S. 116; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 474, 476.)

History: P.A. 84-526 amended section by changing penalty for violation of any provision of section to a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment of not more than five years, and added provisions that each instance of patient contact or consultation shall constitute a separate offense and failure to renew license in timely manner is not a violation for purposes of section; P.A. 89-251 increased the fee for licenses from $25 to $50 and changed the fee for licenses for persons eligible on the basis of foreign licensure from $50 to $100; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 amended Subsec. (a) to increase license fee from $50 to $100 and made technical changes; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (a) to increase license fee from $100 to $200 and made a technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 13-258 amended Subsec. (b) to change penalty from fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment of not more than 5 years to a class D felony; P.A. 15-244 increased license fee from $200 to $205 and made technical changes, effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 changed effective date of P.A. 15-244, S. 116, from July 1, 2015, to October 1, 2015, and applicable to the renewal of a license or certificate that expires on or after that date, effective June 30, 2015, and reduced license fee from $205 to $200, effective October 1, 2015.