RES-NBCOT — National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
What does RES-NBCOT say?
The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) is the national certification body for occupational therapists (OTR) and occupational therapy assistants (COTA) in the United States. NBCOT maintains Practice Standards and a Code of Conduct that all certificants must uphold, separate from the AOTA Code of Ethics. Key distinctions: AOTA's Code applies to AOTA members and is enforced by the AOTA Ethics Commission; NBCOT's Code of Conduct applies to all NBCOT certificants and candidates, and violations can result in certification actions (reprimand, probation, suspension, or revocation of the OTR/COTA credential). State licensure boards are a third, legally binding layer. Practitioners facing an ethical issue should consider obligations under all three: AOTA (professional association), NBCOT (certification), and their state regulatory board (license). NBCOT's Practice Standards and enforcement procedures are available at nbcot.org.
Official source: read the full text in the AOTA Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics (2025) (official document).