Physical Therapy continuing education is required by nearly every state for licensure renewal. In my search to complete my own physical therapy CEU requirements, I’ve put together this huge resource to help guide you through the process.
As you may know, Physical Therapists are licensed on a state-by-state level, not through a central organization such as the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association). So the requirements for Physical Therapy continuing education vary from state to state.
Below you can find the Physical Therapy CEU requirements for each state and a link to each state’s practice act page further explaining the requirements in exact detail.
You might notice some states refer to continuing education credits or units differently. The two most common ways to track continuing education are as follows:
A Contact Hour is equal to 50–60 minutes of a continuing education class or activity.
Unless stated otherwise, 1 CEU is equal to 10 Contact Hours.
No; when a state references “hours,” simply follow the hour requirements. Be careful how you read the requirements because not every state uses the same wording.
CME stands for Continuing Medical Education and would most likely satisfy your state’s CEU requirements. The important thing is to make sure the course provider has been approved to provide Physical Therapy CEUs with the completion of the course.
You can keep track of live seminars you’ve attended with the certificate of completion provided at the end of the event. This can be either a paper certificate or a digital one, like a PDF.
If you’re taking online CEUs, most platforms will act as a CEU tracker, recording your completed courses within their system so you can easily reference how many hours you’ve completed.
For other forms of CEUs, such as reading or publishing journal articles, you’ll need to track these items yourself. I personally keep a paper folder at my clinic with the certificates or in-service records that count towards my CEUs. I’d also recommend taking a picture of your certificates and keeping them in a folder for quick reference in case you ever need to show proof of courses you’ve taken.
Help, I need a few last-minute CEU courses! If you need some quick CEUs, you have a few options. Be sure to check with your state to see if the options below count towards your CEU requirements. Most states will allow for “alternative” options to earn CEUs, so here are a few ways to earn last-minute CEUs.
Most PTs have attended Physical Therapy Continuing Education live seminars, but there are many other ways to earn CEUs if your state allows. For example, in Michigan you can earn CEUs 19 different ways, including many of the opportunities listed below. Your state may offer similar opportunities to earn a CEU, so read your state’s requirement page and find inspiration in the following list:
Nearly every state will accept online CEUs for Physical Therapy license renewal. I personally use the online CEU provider MedBridge to satisfy over half of my education requirements for my PT license. While there are many different online CEU providers, the quality of each course can vary significantly. Here are some of the key considerations when selecting an online CEU provider.
State Approval: Many states will accept CEUs that have been approved in other states; however, you need to verify that a course meets the standards for your state’s practice act. A quality CEU provider will clearly show whether the course is accepted in your state.
Affordability and Convenience: While most online CEUs boast convenience, they’re not all created equal. Ideally, you would have access to multiple courses for one price so that you can take as many courses as you want, lowering the average cost of your CEUs dramatically.
Professional and High Quality: We’ve all been in a classroom where the instructor was boring, unorganized, or simply read slides aloud. An online CEU course should have clear objectives, be well organized, and provide you with relevant resources (e.g., powerpoint or handouts).
There’s a good chance that you’ll receive dozens of postcards each year advertising live seminar CEU courses for Physical Therapists. If your state requires a certain number of in-person CEUs, you might be tempted to sign up for a cheap CEU course. Be careful signing up for the first course you see! Do a search on your state’s PT association website to view local courses; otherwise you might overlook an excellent course that didn’t advertise with a postcard.
A quick note: The term “odd years” simply means years ending in an odd number…1,3,5,7,9, etc. “Even years” are years ending in an even number…2,4,6,8,0, etc. I know you didn’t need this explanation, but someone might be confused by my shorthand to simplify the requirements.
Also, some states don’t technically describe education units as a CEU. Some label it as “PDR” or Professional Development Requirement or Continuing Education Credit. Some states describe 1 Continuing Education Credit as equaling 10 hours of learning; so a requirement of “2 CE Credits” really means 20 hours of continuing education.
I’ve simplified the requirements of each state in the list below. For the actual text from the state’s practice act, check out the sections below the immediate list.
Alabama – 10 CEU hours every year by September 30 th .
Alaska – 24 CEU hours every 2 years by June 30 th of even years.
Arizona – 20 CEU hours every 2 years by August 31 st of even years.
Arkansas – 20 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st of even years.
California – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by the last day of the license holder’s birth month.
Colorado – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by October 31 st of even years.
Connecticut – 20 CEU hours every year by the last day of the license holder’s birth month.
Delaware – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by January 31 st of odd years.
District of Columbia – 40 CEU hours every 2 years by January 31 st of odd years.
Florida – 24 CEU hours every 2 years by November 30 th of odd years.
Georgia – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st in odd years.
Hawaii – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st in even years.
Idaho – 16 CEU hours every year by the license holder’s birthdate.
Illinois – 40 CEU hours every 2 years by September 30 th in even years.
Indiana – 22 CEU hours every 2 years by June 30 th in even years.
Iowa – 40 CEU hours every 2 years by the 15th day of license holder’s birth month.
Kansas – 40 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st in even years.
Kentucky – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by March 31 st in odd years.
Louisiana – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by March 31 st in odd or even years (based on the license holder’s birth year).
Maine – No CEU requirements. License renewal is due by March 31 st .
Maryland – 30 CEUs every 2 years by March 31 st on even or odd years (based on license number).
Massachusetts – 24 CEUs every 2 years by the license holder’s birthday.
Michigan – 24 CEU hours every 2 years by July 31 st .
Minnesota – 20 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st .
Mississippi – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by June 30 th in odd years (last name A-L) or even years (last name M-Z).
Missouri – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st in even years.
Montana – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by March 31 st of odd years.
Nebraska – 20 CEU hours every 2 years by November 1 st of odd years.
Nevada – 15 CEU hours every year by the anniversary of issuance or before July 31 st (for licenses issued before 2017).
New Hampshire – 24 CEU hours every 2 years by the issuance date or by December 1 st (for licenses issued before 2023).
New Jersey – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by January 31 st in even years.
New Mexico – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by January 31 st , based on the license number (even years for a license ending in an odd number; odd years for a license ending in an even number).
New York – 36 CEU hours every 3 years by the issuance date.
North Carolina – 30 CEU hours reported every two years by January 31 st ; license renewal is annual.
North Dakota – 25 CEU hours every 2 years by January 31 st ; license renewal is annual.
Ohio – 24 CEU hours every 2 years by January 31 st .
Oklahoma – 40 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st in odd years.
Oregon – 24 CEU hours every 2 years by March 31 st in even years.
Pennsylvania – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st in even years.
Rhode Island – 24 CEU hours every 2 years by March 31 st in even years.
South Carolina – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st in even years.
South Dakota – 15 CEU hours every year by December 31 st .
Tennessee – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by the last day of the month before the license holder’s birthday.
Texas – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by the last day of the license holder’s birth month.
Utah – 40 CEU hours every 2 years by May 31 st in odd years.
Vermont – 24 CEU hours every 2 years by September 30 th in even years.
Virginia – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st in even years.
Washington – 32 CEU hours and 200 employment hours every 2 years by the license holder’s birthdate.
West Virginia – 24 CEU hours every 2 years by December 31 st .
Wisconsin – 30 CEU hours every 2 years by February 28 th in odd years.
Wyoming – 30 CEU hours reported every 2 years by October 1 st ; license renewal is due annually.
From the Alabama Physical Therapy website: (AL source)
“Each license expires on October 1 of the year following its issuance. Annual renewal period is July 1 through September 30 at midnight.
“10 hours of continuing education required at renewal. License by Endorsement must complete a 2-hour Alabama Jurisprudence continuing education course before first renewal.
“All licensees must complete a 2-hour Alabama Jurisprudence continuing education course every 5 years (2020, 2025, 2030, etc.).”
From the Alaska Physical Therapy Board website: (AK source)
“An applicant for renewal of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant license who has been licensed for 12 months or more of the concluding licensing period shall have completed during that period 24 contact hours of continuing education. An applicant for renewal of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant license who has been licensed for less than 12 months of the concluding licensing period shall have (1) completed during that period 12 contact hours of continuing education; or (2) passed the national physical therapy examination within 12 months immediately before the date that the applicant’s license is due to lapse.”
From the Arizona Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (AZ source)
“The rules that describe continuing competence activities…establish 3 categories of activities that can fulfill the requirement for license renewal, which is 20 hours during each 2 year compliance period. A compliance period begins on September 1st of even-numbered years and ends on August 31st of the following even-numbered year. At least 10 contact hours must be from Category A, up to the entire 20 contact hour requirement. No more than 10 hours may be utilized from a combination of Category B and/or Category C activities. Because of the variety of conversions used to determine CEU’s by different organizations, the rules require ‘contact hours’ rather than ‘CEUs’ as the measurement of continuing competence activities.”
From the Arkansas Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (AR source)
“CEU = continuing education unit. One unit is defined as 10 contact hours of an accredited course or program. A contact hour is equal to actual time in a seminar or workshop.
“According to the Arkansas Physical Therapy Practice Act, physical therapists must complete, in each biennium (two-year period), two (2) CEUs and physical therapist assistants are required to complete, in each biennium, one (1) CEU. This must be obtained within the 24-months preceding the odd-numbered year renewal. A passing score on the jurisprudence exam is part of continuing education and required in the same period as continuing education.
“No more than 50% of continuing education can be taken through online courses… Webinars that are both live and interactive are considered to be in-person attendance.”
From the California Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (CA source)
You must complete your continuing competency hours during the renewal period. Your renewal period begins two years before the day after your license expires and ends on your expiration date. For example, if your license expires on September 30, 2021, you must complete your continuing competency hours during the period of October 1, 2019 – September 30, 2021.
Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants are subject to the same continuing competency requirements.
| Renewal Payment Was Submitted to the PTBC | Basic Life Support Hours | Ethics, Laws and Regulations Hours | Other Hours of Coursework Needed* | Total Hours Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Other as used here means continuing competency activity from a traditional or alternate pathway pursuant to Section 1399.94 of the California Code of Regulations. | ||||
| On or Before the License Expiration Date | 4 Hours | 2 Hours | 9 Hours | 15 Hours |
| After the License Expiration Date | 4 Hours | 2 Hours | 24 Hours | 30 Hours |
| Renewal Payment Was Submitted to the PTBC | Basic Life Support Hrs | Ethics, Laws & Reg. Hrs | Other Hours of Coursework Needed* | Total Hours Required | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Other as used here means continuing competency activity from a traditional or alternate pathway pursuant to Section 1399.94 of the California Code of Regulations. | |||||||
| Before OR After the Expiration Date | 4 Hours | 2 Hours | 24 Hours | 30 Hours | |||
From the Colorado Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (CO source)
“The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program entails the following: The licensee shall complete the Reflective Self-Assessment Tool (RSAT) once per 2-year renewal period. A licensee shall use the Board-approved form. The licensee shall complete the Learning Plan once per 2-year renewal period using the Board-approved form. Accrual of 30 hours of Professional Development Activities (PDA) per 2-year renewal period.
“Professional Development Activities (PDA) must be relevant to the licensee’s practice as a physical therapist and pertinent to the licensee’s Learning Plan. The Board will not pre-approve specific courses or providers. The licensee shall determine which activities and topics will meet their Learning Plan, and select an appropriate provider.
“One contact hour equals one credit hour of Professional Development Activities (PDA).
“Professional Development Activities are organized into the following two categories: 1) Educational Coursework, Fellowships, or Residencies; 2) Other Professional Development Activities.
“Hours will be accepted if the activity is included in the Board’s Professional Development Activities list. The Board may accept or reject activities submitted for consideration that are not identified on its list.
“A minimum of 20 of the required 30 hours must be in the Educational Coursework, Fellowships, or Residencies category. Professional Development Activities will only apply for one 2-year renewal period.”
From the Connecticut Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (CT source)
“Each licensee applying for license renewal shall complete a minimum of 20 hours during the one-year period for which the license is being renewed.
“Continuing education hours completed in one registration period shall not be allowed to carry over to a subsequent registration period.
“A licensee who is applying for license renewal for the first time is exempt from continuing education requirements.”
From the Delaware Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (DE Source)
“Three CEU’s are required for every biennial license renewal for Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, and Athletic Trainers. The required CEU’s shall be completed no later than January 31 of every odd-numbered year and every 2 years after such date. The required hours shall include 0.2 units of Ethics and proof of current CPR certification by the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, National Safety Council or other agency approved by the Board and posted on the Division of Professional Regulation’s website. Proof of current CPR certification will count for 0.1 CEU.
“One CEU will be given for every 10 hours of an approved continuing education course. (1 contact hour = .1 CEU.)”
From the District of Columbia Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (DC Source)
“Continuing Education must include the following: Forty (40) CEs which shall include 2 hours of LGBTQ, and 4 hours in Public Health Priorities. No more than ½ of the required credits may be accepted from the online course, home study courses, video courses, telecourses, video conference of Public Health Priorities.
“Continuing Education is NOT required for 1st-time renewal applicants. Submission of CE hours is not required for first (1st) time renewal applicants. DO NOT send documentation verifying your compliance with CE requirement unless asked to do so by the Board.
“Before the initial issuance of a license, all licensees must undergo a fingerprint-based Criminal Background Check. For renewal, all Licensees must undergo a new name-based CBC.
“Licensees will not have to go to any 3rd party website or physical location to complete the CBC process, but will need to agree and allow DC Health to utilize their information on file to perform a name-based CBC and then pay the required fee ($50.00) at the end of the entire renewal application.”
From the Florida Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (FL source)
“Twenty-four (24) contact hours of continuing education (CE/CEU*) must be completed within the current biennium for which the license is being renewed. (Bienniums run from 12/1/odd year-11/30/next odd year.)
“*Continuing Education Unit (CEU): One continuing educational unit shall be considered equivalent to 10 contact hours. You must complete 24 contact hours of approval continuing education per biennium.
“All licensees must complete 2 hours on the Prevention of Medical Errors for each licensure renewal cycle.
“Licenses issued in the second half of the biennium are exempt from the renewal requirements with the exception of 2 hours of Prevention of Medical Errors and 1 hour of HIV/AIDS.”
From the Georgia Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (GA source)
“The Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy requires each licensed physical therapist and physical therapist assistant to participate in a minimum number of thirty (30) clock hours of experience per licensure period to promote continuing competence. The Board recommends the requirements for competence as planned learning experiences which have content beyond the licensee’s present level of knowledge and competence which may be subject to audit by the board. Content of the experience must relate to patient care in physical therapy whether the subject is research, treatment, documentation, education, management, or some other content area. The purpose of this requirement is to assist in assuring safe and effective practices in the provision of physical therapy services to the citizens of Georgia. In the event that a licensee does not meet this requirement, the license will not be renewed.
“The thirty (30) hours of continuing competence requirements per biennium shall include a minimum of four (4) contact hours specifically in ethics and jurisprudence as defined in the Georgia Physical Therapy Act or by passage of the Georgia Jurisprudence Examination. Passage of the examination is equivalent to the four (4) hour requirement.”
From the Hawaii Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (HI Source)
“Beginning with the December 31, 2016 renewal, each physical therapist with an active Hawaii license is required to obtain at least thirty (30) units of approved continuing competence units (“CCU”) in each two-year license renewal period, where one continuing competence unit is equivalent to at least fifty (50) minutes of classroom or hands on instruction.
“The thirty (30) units of CCUs are required to be obtained as follows:
From the Idaho Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (ID Source)
“The annual completion of 16 hours of continuing education (CE) is required to maintain a license to practice physical therapy in Idaho.
“The contact hours of continuing education must be obtained in areas of study germane to the practice for which the license is issues as approved by the board.
“If you are audited, you must submit a listing of all continuing education courses completed during the previous year AND proof of attendance documentation for each course…Failure to submit the required documentation may result in Board action against you.”
From the Illinois Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (IL source)
“Every physical therapist shall complete 40 hours of CE relevant to the practice of physical therapy during each prerenewal period as a condition of renewal. At least 3 hours of the 40 hours must include content related to the ethical practice of physical therapy. At least 1 of the 40 hours must include content related to the sexual harassment prevention training CE.
“A CE hour equals 50 minutes. After completion of the initial CE hour, credit may be given in one-half hour increments.
“Courses that are part of the curriculum of a university, college or other educational institution shall be allotted CE credit at the rate of 15 CE hours for each semester hour or 10 CE hours for each quarter hour of academic credit awarded.
“A renewal applicant is not required to comply with CE requirements for the first renewal following the original issuance of the license.”
From the Indiana Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (IN source)
“Effective February 27, 2013 all PT and PTA licensees will be required to obtain continuing education competency in order to renew their license. The Committee will require all licensees to have completed twenty-two (22) hours of continuing competency activities for the biennial renewal period, of which two (2) hours must be in an ethics and Indiana jurisprudence course as it relates to the practice of physical therapy. These hours must be obtained within the renewal period and cannot be carried over from one renewal period to another.
From the Iowa Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (IA source)
“The biennial continuing education compliance period shall extend for a two-year period that begins on the sixteenth day of the birth month and ends two years later on the fifteenth day of the birth month.
“Each biennium, each person who is licensed to practice as a physical therapist in this state shall be required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of continuing education approved by the board; a minimum of 30 hours shall be directly and primarily related to the clinical application of physical therapy.”
From the Kansas Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (KS source)
“Professional Physical Therapists in Kansas must have a minimum 40 hours of approved continuing eduction during each 2-year cycle.
“Evidence of satisfactory completion of a program of continuing education shall not be required to be submitted with the application for renewal of licensure or certification in even‐numbered years.
“A contact hour shall consist of 60 minutes of activity pertaining to the practice of physical therapy.
“Meals and breaks shall not be included in the contact hour calculation.”
From the Kentucky Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (KY source)
“Physical therapists must complete 30 hours of continued competency activities (20 hours for physical therapist assistants) prior to renewing their credential. Many of those activities, particularly continuing education courses, require application for review and approval by the Kentucky Physical Therapy Association’s Professional Continued Competency Committee.
“The Jurisprudence Exam must be completed by March 31 of every renewal cycle (within the 2 year licensure period), and will count 2 contact hours towards the total continued competency requirement.”
From the Louisiana Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (LA source)
“Unless exempted, licensees shall successfully complete, document and report to the board at least 30 hours of board-approved continuing education courses or activities in the biennial renewal period. No carryover of continuing education hours from one renewal period to another shall be allowed. Continuing education will be granted in the reporting period in which the academic coursework, clinical instruction, tool, residency, or fellowship is completed.
“The four types of approved courses or activities and requirement for each are:
1. jurisprudence ― a minimum of two contact hours;
2. ethics or professionalism ― a minimum of two contact hours;
3. clinical/preventive ― a minimum of 18 contact hours, up to six of which may be earned by completion of a board approved self assessment tool
4. administrative ― a maximum of eight contact hours may be applied during each renewal period. Additional clinical/preventive hours may be substituted for administrative.”
There is no longer a limit to how many hours may be from online learning.
From the Maine Physical Therapy Website: (ME source)
“Do I have to complete continuing education for license renewal requirements?
Maine Law does not require continuing education for this profession.”
From the Maryland Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (MD source)
“Licenses are renewed biennially on an odd-even basis via on-line system. License numbers ending with an odd-number renew in odd-numbered years. License numbers ending with an even number renew in even-numbered years.
“CEUs are not required for the 2021 renewal if you were initially licensed in 2020…CEUs may not be carried over from one renewal period to the next.
“Continuing education is a requirement for renewal or reinstatement of licenses…and may be obtained by:
“Professional education eligible for continuing education credit shall be:
“The Board shall have final approval of the relevancy of the program to the practice of physical therapy.”
From the Massachusetts Physical Therapy Website: (MA source)
“Licensed physical therapy and occupational therapy professionals are required, as a condition of license renewal, to complete a minimum of 24 points of Board recognized activities for maintaining continuing competence during the preceding biennial renewal period.
“For each renewal period, each physical and occupational therapy professional’s continuing competency points must include two points in ethics, laws and regulations governing practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or some combination thereof. Provided, however, that no sooner than four years following April 29, 2022, the Board will review the continuing competence offerings in ethics and law and regulations governing practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in order to assess the continued validity of this mandated subject-matter material, including the breadth, depth, and variety of materials offered to licensees as well as compliance with its mandate.
“For new physical therapy or occupational therapy professionals licensed by examination, this continuing competence requirement commences following their first renewal period after initial licensure.”
From the Michigan APTA Website: (MI source)
“By accepting the renewal attestation you as the licensee are certifying that you have met the following continuing education requirements during the 2-year period immediately preceding the application for renewal:
From the Minnesota Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (MN Source)
“Each licensed physical therapist and physical therapist assistant must complete at least 20 contact hours of continuing education credit every two years as a condition of licensure renewal. A minimum of 2 of the 20 hours of continuing education each cycle shall be on professional ethics directly related to the practice of physical therapy.”
From the Mississippi Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (MS source)
“Regulations set the requirement of 30 continuing competence units (CCU) to be accrued during each 2 year licensing period (July 1 – June 30). No carryover of continuing competence units from one licensure period to another shall be allowed.
“At least 25 percent (7.5 CCU) of the required continuing competence units earned during each licensure period must be directly related to the clinical practice of physical therapy. Continuing Competence (CC) activities claimed as clinical are subject to review if considered questionable.
“All licensees must take three (3) hours of study in ethics, professionalism, or jurisprudence per licensing period as part of their total CC requirements.
“At least 15 of the 30 required continuing competence units must be from Certified Activities (outlined in Rule 5.4).”
From the Missouri Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (MO source)
“All licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants are required to biennially complete thirty hours (30) hours of acceptable continuing education. Hours must be reported to the Advisory Commission each even-numbered year at the time of renewal. The Federation of State Board of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) offers a free continuing competence resource called aPTitude. This service includes a free tracking tool to assist physical therapist and physical therapy assistant’s track completed continuing competency/continuing education (CC/CE) activities. During the audit of CC/CE, licensees may submit the aPTitude report in lieu of each CC/CE certification of completion.”
From the Montana Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (MT source)
“Each licensee shall obtain 30 hours/credits of continuing education in each 24-month period prior to the renewal date in odd-numbered years…No continuing education is required for licensees renewing for the first time.
“There is no limit to the number of online CE hours/credits that a licensee may report during a 2 year reporting cycle as long as 15 hours/credits of the online courses meet the requirements of category A…Category A activities are considered to be certified.“
From the Nebraska Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (NE source)
“On or before November 1 st of each odd-numbered year, individuals holding an active license in the State of Nebraska must complete at least 20 hours of acceptable continuing education for a physical therapist and 10 hours of acceptable continuing education for a physical therapist assistant during the preceding 24-month period.
“The Board does not approve continuing education programs or activities. In order for a continuing education activity or program to be accepted for renewal or reinstatement of a license, the activity or program must relate to physical therapy and may focus on research, treatment, documentation, management, or education. 1 hour of credit will be awarded for each hour of attendance.
“A licensee or certificate holder may complete a maximum of 10 hours of continuing education by home study each 24-month renewal period…A licensee or certificate holder may complete a maximum of 10 hours of continuing education utilizing webinars each 24-month renewal period.”
From the Nevada Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (NV source)
“Each licensed physical therapist and physical therapist assistant is required to complete 15 hours of continuing competency within the year immediately preceding his or her application for renewal of a license. There are several options for licensees to satisfy their annual training requirements…Certified Activities, Advanced Competency Activities, and Professional Activities.
“NOTE: licensees can complete as many CCUs ABOVE the minimum requirement, but at this time no additional credit will be given and CCUs cannot be carried over to any additional licensing period.”
From the New Hampshire Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (NH source)
“A licensee wishing to renew his or her current license shall. Have completed 24 hours of maintenance of continuing competence…; and Have taken and passed the jurisprudence examination… in the year ending in ‘0’ or ‘5’ immediately preceding the date of renewal.”
Note that, as of February 22 nd 2023, all newly-issued NH licenses will be set to expire two years from the last day of the month they were issued.
From the New Jersey Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (NJ source)
“…each applicant for biennial license renewal as a licensed physical therapist and as a licensed physical therapist assistant shall complete during the preceding biennial period a minimum of 30 credits of continuing education, which shall include four credits of jurisprudence and professional ethics.”
“A maximum of 10 of the mandatory 30 continuing education credits from any or all of the following:
From the New Mexico Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (NM Source)
“Thirty (30) hours of continuing education will be required biennially. All continuing education hours must be earned during the current two (2) year renewal period of February 1 through January 31.
“A licensed physical therapist and a physical therapist assistant shall apply for license renewal and pay the renewal fee as set forth in 16.20.5 NMAC, Schedule of Fees.
The board office will mail a renewal notice to each licensee no later than December 15 at the address on record. Timely renewal of license is the full and complete responsibility of the licensee. If the renewal form is not received by the licensee within a reasonable time after December 15, it is the responsibility of the licensee to contact the board office. Non-receipt of the renewal form by the licensee will not exempt licensure expiration or late penalty fees.”
From the New York Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (NY source)
“As a practicing physical therapist or physical therapist assistant, you are required to complete 36 hours of approved continuing education during each three-year registration period. However, during the initial phase-in period, the number of hours necessary is pro-rated at one-half hour per month.
“The awarding of continuing education hours is based on a contact hour which is equivalent to 50 minutes of an organized learning activity.”
“Also, if you are newly licensed, you will not have to complete continuing education coursework in the first three-year registration period; and if you have been inactive or have been practicing in another jurisdiction, the coursework required is pro-rated.
“Some regulations restrict licensees to a certain percentage of self-study for continuing education requirements. In response to the evolving situation with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), and for those licensees whose registrations are due to renew March 1, 2020 – January 1, 2022, the Department will grant an adjustment to all licensees to complete up to 100% of the continuing education as self-study, provided that it is taken from a Department-approved provider and is in an acceptable subject area for the specific profession.”
From the North Carolina Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (NC Source)
“NEW PT licensees in NC are assigned to the continuing competence reporting period that begins on January 1 following the date of first licensure. Each PT licensee must accumulate 30 points and each PTA licensee must accumulate 20 points of continuing competence activities during the assigned reporting period to be eligible for license renewal. The points must include one mandatory point from a Jurisprudence Exercise.
“There is a 25 month period to complete the continuing competence requirement. License renewal is EVERY year.
“Up to 10 extra points earned during one reporting period may be carried over to the next reporting period, except that points earned for the Jurisprudence Exercise, Clinical Practice and Self-Assessment categories may not be carried forward.”
From the North Dakota Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (ND source)
“All physical therapists and physical therapist assistants must obtain twenty-five units of continuing competence every two years to be eligible for licensure or relicensure. Unit values are determined by the board based on the complexity and educational value of the activity. There shall be no carryover of continuing competence units to the next reporting period.
“The units may include:
From the Ohio Physical Therapy Association Website: (OH source)
“1 contact hour is one clock hour spent in a continuing education activity. Physical therapists are required to complete a minimum of 24 contact hours per renewal cycle. Remember that all continuing education activities require valid Ohio Approval Numbers issued by the OPTA (www.ohiopt.org).
“NOTE: The two-hour ethics requirement can be met by taking the jurisprudence assessment module (JAM). The JAM is required for PTs starting with the 2022 license renewal; required for PTAs starting with the 2023 license renewal.“
From the Oklahoma Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (OK source)
“If you are a Physical Therapist you must obtain forty (40) hours of approved continuing education every two (2) years. If you are a Physical Therapist Assistant you must obtain thirty (30) hours of approved continuing education every two (2) years.
“The continuing education requirements (methods of obtaining hours) and a list of approved continuing education courses are available on our web site… If a course is not on the list it has not been approved. The application to request approval is also available on the web site.
“Please note that the number of hours on your certificate of completion may not match the number of hours approved by the Committee – always check the approved course list.
“At least half of the required hours must be Category A as set out in subsection 435:20-9-3(b) except as provided in 435:20-9-3(a)(3). Three of the required hours must contain ethics education that includes the APTA Guide for Professional Conduct and the APTA Code of Ethics. No continuing education hours may be carried over from one compliance period to another.”
From the Oregon Board of Physical Therapy Website: (OR source)
“The current Certification Period is 2022 and runs from April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2022. The number of hours required during this certification period depends on when your initial license is effective, as described below:
“Effective April 1, 2020, all licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants must complete a minimum of one hour of continuing competence that meets the criteria for cultural competency education. This requirement must be completed each certification period.”
From the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy Website: (PA source)
“For each license renewal, a licensee shall complete within the immediately preceding two-year period at least 30 hours of continuing physical therapy education as approved by the board.
“A contact hour is one hour of education. This can be either webinar or in-person format.
“Courses must be clinically related. Practice management courses are not included in the mandatory 30 hours of education.
“CPR is not required unless you have direct access certification and may count up to 4 hours each renewal cycle. PTAs need 4 contact hours for emergency management – CPR can be included in this total time.
“Child Abuse is required of all licensees and must be an approved course by the PA State Board of Physical Therapy. 3 contact hours are required for the first issuance of license and then 2 contact hours for each following renewal period. The 2 contact hours must be approved by the PA State Board for proper automatic recognition.”
From the Rhode Island Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (RI source)
“A license to practice physical therapy in this state, unless sooner suspended or revoked, shall expire on the first day of May of the next even year following the date of issuance of the original license.
“On application for renewal of license, physical therapists shall attest to completion of twenty- four (24) hours biennially in scope of practice-specific offerings that may include, but not be limited to: formal presentations, conferences, coursework from a regionally accredited college/university and/or self-study courses, such as on-line courses, one (1) continuing education hour awarded for each hour completed. Teaching and/or clinical supervision of student affiliates by licensed physical therapists in APTA approved programs shall be approved for a maximum of three (3) hours per licensure cycle. Such programs or offerings shall be approved or sponsored by a Board-approved organization.”
From the South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Website: (SC source)
“A licensed PT or PTA shall earn three (3.0) CEUs per biennium period and at least fifteen (15) contact hours of the three (3.0) CEUs total must be obtained through the completion of Certified Activities. PTs and PTAs licensed in South Carolina are not subject to this requirement for the first biennium renewal period in which they are initially licensed.
“A PT or PTA must complete three (3) contact hours of study in ethics, professionalism, and/or South Carolina jurisprudence per biennium as part of his/her CEU requirements. This requirement shall be obtained by participation in a Certified Activity and will count towards the licensee’s required Certified Activity hours.
“‘CEU’ or ‘continuing education unit’ means ten (10) contact hours of participation in Certified Activities and/or participation in Approved Activities as set forth herein.
“‘Contact hour’ means a minimum of fifty (50) minutes of instruction or participation in Certified Activities or Approved Activities.”
From the South Dakota Legislature Website: (SD source)
“An applicant to renew a license shall complete 15 continuing education hours in a one-year period in professional education activities updating competency in physical therapy.
“Activities that qualify for credit toward completion of the continuing education requirement include programs sponsored or approved by the American Physical Therapy Association or other national or state physical therapy association,activities conducted by a hospital or related institution, and programs sponsored by a college or university. The educational activities must have significant intellectual or practical content dealing primarily with matters directly related to the practice of physical therapy or to the professional responsibility or ethical obligations of the participants.”
From the Tennessee Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (TN source)
“The rules require all licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants to obtain 30 hours of credits for the 24 months that precede their licensure renewal month. For physical therapists, at least twenty hours must be in Category 1 activities and no more than ten hours may be acquired online. Up to ten of the thirty hours requirement may be from Category 2 activities.
“For both physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, four (4) of the required hours must consist of ethics and jurisprudence courses which are a minimum of two (2) hours each in duration and must be Category 1 continuing competence. Proof of completion of courses in ethics and jurisprudence is required every license renewal cycle.”
From the Texas Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (TX source)
“A license may be renewed at any time in the three months prior to its expiration date, with no change in expiration date.
“The requirements for renewal are:
From the Utah Physical Therapy Licensing Website: (UT source)
“Before proceeding with renewal, the following requirements must be met:
“Complete the required hours of Continuing Education:
– PTs: Complete at least 40 contact hours.
– PTAs: Complete at least 20 contact hours.
At least 2 hours of the total must be in topics relating to ethics.”
From the Vermont Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (VT source)
“Physical Therapists attain/document 24 Continuing Competence Units (CCUs) in each 2 year reporting period and Physical Therapist Assistants attain/document 16 CCUs in each 2 year reporting period.”
From the Virginia Board of Physical Therapy Website: (VA source)
“A total of 30 hours of Continuing Education and at least 320 hours of active practice in the preceding four years. A minimum of 20 of the contact hours required for physical therapists and 15 of the contact hours required for physical therapist assistants shall be in Type 1 courses. No more than 10 of the contact hours required for physical therapists and 15 of the contact hours required for physical therapist assistants may be Type 2 activities or courses.”
From the Washington Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (WA source)
“To renew a physical therapist license, you must have 32 hours of continuing education and 200 hours of physical therapy employment every two years.
“To renew a physical therapist assistant license, you must have 24 hours of continuing education and 200 hours of physical therapy employment every two years.
“Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants must have completed this requirement by their birth date every two years.”
From the West Virginia Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (WV source)
“All licensees desiring to remain active and in good standing must complete 24 hours of WV board approved CEs within the 2 year licensing period. Do not send proof of CE compliance unless you are notified by the board that you have been chosen for a random audit.”
From the Wisconsin Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (WI source)
“Physical therapists are required to complete at least 30 contact hours of approved continuing education during each biennial (2 year) registration period. The 30 required contact hours must be Board approved continuing education activities as described in the administrative code listing PT 9.04. In addition, at least 4 contact hours of the 30 must be in ethics and jurisprudence.”
From the Wyoming Physical Therapy Practice Act Website: (WY source)
“It is the license or certificate holder’s responsibility to renew before the October first deadline. Renewal of a license or certificate shall include: 1)The successful completion of thirty (30) continuing competence units, including successful completion of the jurisprudence examination every two years; (2)A score of at least seventy-five percent (75%) is required on the jurisprudence examination.”
Tim Fraticelli, DPT Physical Therapist
Tim Fraticelli is a Physical Therapist, Certified Financial Planner™ and founder of PTProgress.com. He loves to teach PTs and OTs ways to save time and money in and out of the clinic, especially when it comes to documentation or continuing education. Follow him on YouTube for weekly videos on ways to improve your financial health.
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Tim Fraticelli, DPT, CFP®
Physical Therapist
Founder, PTProgress.com
