PT state license renewal and continuing education: a first set of states
Each state board sets its own physical therapy license renewal cycle and continuing education hours. This page summarizes twenty-seven states from their official board, rule, or statute pages. Each state page quotes its source and says whether that source covers physical therapist assistants too. Other states are not yet covered here.
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.
Some states also require a jurisprudence exam; see jurisprudence exams. Under the PT Compact, the official site says you only need to meet the continuing competence requirements for your home state license.
Twenty-seven states at a glance
| State | PT and PTA continuing education | Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 30 contact hours (PT: at least 20 Type 1; PTA: at least 15 Type 1) | Two years before biennial renewal |
| Washington | PT 32 hours, PTA 24 hours, including 2 on health equity | Every two years |
| Florida | 24 contact hours, including 2 on prevention of medical errors | Biennium |
| New York | 36 hours of approved continuing education | Three-year registration period |
| Texas | PT 30 CCUs, PTA 20, including the Jurisprudence Assessment Module and human trafficking training | Two-year renewal cycle |
| California | 30 hours: 4 basic life support, 2 ethics and laws, 24 other | Two years before expiration |
| Illinois | PT 40 hours, PTA 20, at least 3 on ethics including jurisprudence | 24-month prerenewal period |
| Pennsylvania | PT and PTA 30 contact hours, including 2 on law or ethics and 2 on child abuse recognition; PTAs also 4 on emergency health conditions | Biennial renewal period |
| Wisconsin | PT 30 hours, PTA 20, including 4 on ethics or jurisprudence | Biennial registration period |
| South Carolina | 30 hours, at least 15 certified, including 3 on ethics or professionalism | Biennial |
| Kentucky | PT 30 contact hours, PTA 20, including 2 for the Jurisprudence Examination | Biennium |
| Missouri | 30 hours for PTs and PTAs | Biennial, reported in even-numbered years |
| Nevada | 1.5 units (15 hours) of approved courses, no more than 0.8 units nonclinical | Each annual renewal |
| Idaho | 32 contact hours | Every two years |
| Colorado | PT 30 PDA, at least 20 in coursework, fellowships, or residencies; PTA 20, at least 15 | 2-year license or certification period |
| New Mexico | 30 hours; none at first renewal; no carryover | Biennial |
| Iowa | PT 40 hours, PTA 20; up to half may carry over | Two-year birth-month compliance period |
| Michigan | PT 36 PDR credits, PTA 24, including 1 in pain and symptom management | 3 years before expiration |
| Utah | PT 40 contact hours, PTA 20, at least 2 on ethics | Expires in odd-numbered years |
| Alabama | 10 hours with each renewal; 12 for Direct Access | Each renewal |
| Tennessee | 30 hours, at least 20 Class I, 4 in ethics and jurisprudence | 24 months before the renewal month |
| South Dakota | 30 hours | Two-year license period |
| North Dakota | 25 units; no carryover | Every two years |
| Massachusetts | 24 points, 2 in ethics or Massachusetts law | Biennial |
| Oklahoma | PT 40 hours, PTA 30; 3 in ethics; no carryover | Every two years |
| Minnesota | 20 contact hours, 2 in ethics | Two-year cycle |
| Louisiana | 30 hours, including 2 jurisprudence and 2 ethics; no carryover | Biennial renewal period |
Summaries of official pages read November 12, 2026. Exemptions, first-renewal rules, and assistant rules differ; read the state page and the board’s own site.
Other states
For a state not listed, find its board in the state and territory directory and read the board’s renewal page.