Illinois OT and OTA license renewal and continuing education
Illinois rule 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1315.145 states: “Every occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant shall complete 24 contact hours of CE relevant to the practice of occupational therapy during each prerenewal period as a condition of renewal.”
Quoted from official pages checked November 12, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
Sources read on November 12, 2026: Section 1315.145, Continuing Education and Section 1315.140, Renewal of the Illinois Administrative Code on the Illinois General Assembly site.
Cycle
Section 1315.140 sets licenses to expire at the end of each odd-numbered year, and the prerenewal period is the 24 months before that renewal (paraphrased).
Required topics
In each renewal period, one contact hour each must cover ethics, sexual harassment prevention, and implicit bias awareness (paraphrased). The rule adds one hour on dementia recognition, which “shall only apply to licensees who provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adult populations age 26 or older in the practice of the licensee's profession.”
Credit
“A CE contact hour equals 50 minutes.” Independent study is limited to “a maximum of 4 contact hours per renewal period.” It states: “Credit shall not be given for courses taken in Illinois from unapproved sponsors.”
First renewal
“A renewal applicant is not required to comply with CE requirements for the first renewal following the original issuance of the license.”
Records
“It is the responsibility of each renewal applicant to retain or otherwise produce evidence of compliance.” The section read does not set a retention period for licensees or name a carryover allowance.
What this page does not do
It covers the state occupational therapy license only, and only what the official page or pages named above say. It does not cover NBCOT certification renewal, does not list fees, and does not replace the board’s own instructions. Rules change; check the board before you renew.