Pennsylvania PT and PTA license renewal and continuing education
Pennsylvania rule 49 Pa. Code § 40.67 requires, during each biennial renewal period, “at least 30 contact hours of continuing physical therapy education, including at least 2 contact hours in law or ethics applicable to the practice of physical therapy, and at least 2 contact hours in child abuse recognition and reporting”.
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: 49 Pa. Code § 40.67, Continuing education for licensed physical therapist and 49 Pa. Code § 40.192, Continuing education for certified physical therapist assistant on the Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin site. Section 40.67 covers licensed physical therapists and § 40.192 covers certified physical therapist assistants; the sections below quote § 40.67 unless they say otherwise.
Physical therapist assistants
Section 40.192 states: “During each biennial renewal period, a certified physical therapist assistant shall complete qualifying continuing education equal to at least 30 contact hours of continuing physical therapy education, including at least 4 contact hours in identifying and responding to emergency health conditions, at least 2 contact hours in law or ethics applicable to the practice of physical therapy and at least 2 contact hours in child abuse recognition and reporting”.
For assistants, the same section limits each contact hour to one biennium, allows a waiver or extension for disability, illness, or undue hardship on written request, and requires a 30-day response to an audit notice (paraphrased). It states: “A certified physical therapist assistant is not required to complete continuing education during the biennial renewal cycle in which the certified physical therapist assistant was first certified.” Assistants “shall retain proof of completion of continuing education for 5 years after completion of the continuing education or after the completion of the renewal period during which the continuing education was required or applied, whichever is later.”
Carryover
Continuing education counts only for the biennium in which it was completed, with limited exceptions (paraphrased). “A contact hour of continuing education may not be used to satisfy the requirement of paragraph (1) for more than 1 biennium.”
First renewal
“A licensee is not required to complete continuing education during the biennial renewal cycle in which the licensee was first licensed.”
Waivers
The board may grant a waiver or extension for physical disability, illness, or undue hardship on written request; the documentation must reach the board “no later than 90 days preceding the biennial renewal.”
Records and audits
“A licensee shall retain proof of completion of continuing education for 5 years after completion of the continuing education or after the completion of the renewal period during which the continuing education was required or applied, whichever is later.” It states: “The Board will audit licensees to verify compliance with continuing education requirements. A licensee shall fully respond to an audit notice within 30 days or other time period allowed in the notice.”
Topics not credited
“Continuing education credit may not be earned in a course in office management or practice building.”
What this page does not do
It covers the state physical therapy license only, and only what the official page or pages named above say. It does not list fees and does not replace the board’s own instructions. Rules change; check the board before you renew.