Physical Therapy Continuing Education (CE) Requirements by State (2026)
Licensed Physical Therapists (PTs) must complete continuing education — often called continuing competence and measured in contact hours or Continuing Competence Units (CCUs) — to renew their license. There is no national requirement: the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) sets none, so each state's physical therapy board defines its own hours, renewal cycle, and mandatory topics, which range from roughly 20-40 contact hours every 1-3 years to no requirement at all. Compare requirements across all states below.
50
States Covered
8-40
Typical Hours Range
1-3 years
Most Common Cycle
FSBPT
National Body
Disclaimer: Requirements are set by each state's licensing board and may change. Always verify with your state board before making CE decisions.
National Overview
Physical Therapist (PT) requirements vary significantly by state. Among states that mandate continuing education, totals typically range from 8-40 hours per renewal cycle, and most follow a 1-3 years cycle. The national coordinating body is FSBPT. Online CE is widely accepted, though some states impose limits on self-study hours.
All States Comparison
| State | Hours | Cycle | Online? | Key Topics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 10 | 1 yr | Yes | Alabama Physical Therapy Jurisprudence (Practice Act & Administrative Code), Direct Access supplemental CE (professional standard of care) | View → |
| Alaska | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | Jurisprudence questionnaire (Alaska PT practice act AS 08.84 and 12 AAC 54) | View → |
| Arizona | 20 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Arkansas | 20 | 2 yr | Yes | Arkansas Physical Therapy Jurisprudence Examination | View → |
| California | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Basic Life Support (hands-on), Ethics, Laws and Regulations | View → |
| Colorado | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Connecticut | 20 | 1 yr | Yes | PTSD screening, suicide risk/depression/grief screening, and suicide prevention training | View → |
| Delaware | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics (related to the practice of physical therapy and/or athletic training), Current CPR certification (American Red Cross, American Heart Association, National Safety Council, or other Board-approved agency, with a live lab component) | View → |
| Florida | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | Prevention of Medical Errors, HIV/AIDS Education | View → |
| Georgia | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Georgia Ethics and Jurisprudence | View → |
| Hawaii | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics, Laws, and Rules (Jurisprudence), Life Support for Health Care Professionals (CPR/BLS) | View → |
| Idaho | 32 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Illinois | 40 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethical practice of physical therapy, including jurisprudence, Sexual Harassment Prevention Training | View → |
| Indiana | 22 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics and Indiana Jurisprudence | View → |
| Iowa | 40 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Kansas | 40 | 2 yr | Yes | Physical Therapy Jurisprudence Assessment Module (JAM) | View → |
| Kentucky | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Jurisprudence Examination | View → |
| Louisiana | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | ethics, jurisprudence | View → |
| Maine | None | — | — | — | View → |
| Maryland | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Massachusetts | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics, Laws and Regulations | View → |
| Michigan | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | Pain and Symptom Management | View → |
| Minnesota | 20 | 2 yr | Yes | Professional ethics | View → |
| Mississippi | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics, professionalism, or jurisprudence | View → |
| Missouri | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Montana | 8 | 1 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Nebraska | 20 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Nevada | 15 | 1 yr | Yes | Cultural, Access, and Ethical Standards (DEI) | View → |
| New Hampshire | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | Clinical application of physical therapy, General physical therapy practice | View → |
| New Jersey | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Jurisprudence Assessment Module (NJ JAM), Professional ethics course | View → |
| New Mexico | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| New York | 36 | 3 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| North Carolina | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Jurisprudence Exercise | View → |
| North Dakota | 25 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Ohio | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | Ohio PT Jurisprudence Assessment Module (Ohio JAM) / ethics | View → |
| Oklahoma | 40 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics (APTA Guide for Professional Conduct and APTA Code of Ethics) | View → |
| Oregon | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | Pain Management (Oregon Pain Management Commission module), Cultural Competence | View → |
| Pennsylvania | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Law or ethics applicable to the practice of physical therapy, Child abuse recognition and reporting | View → |
| Rhode Island | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| South Carolina | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics, Professionalism, and/or South Carolina Jurisprudence | View → |
| South Dakota | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Tennessee | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics and Jurisprudence | View → |
| Texas | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Texas Jurisprudence Assessment Module (TX JAM) - jurisprudence & ethics/professional responsibility, Human Trafficking Prevention Training | View → |
| Utah | 40 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics or law | View → |
| Vermont | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Virginia | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Washington | 32 | 2 yr | Yes | Health equity, Suicide assessment training | View → |
| West Virginia | 24 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
| Wisconsin | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Ethics and/or jurisprudence | View → |
| Wyoming | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Jurisprudence Examination, Dry Needling Competence Training | View → |