Kentucky Physical Therapy CE Requirements (2026): 30 Hours Every 2 Years
Requirements Overview
The Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy, under regulation 201 KAR 22:045, requires physical therapists to log 30 contact hours of continued competency each 2-year biennium, while physical therapist assistants need 20 hours. Every credential holder must also pass a 2-hour Jurisprudence Examination online at pt.ky.gov before March 31 of the renewal year.
Hours split into two tiers: PTs need at least 18 hours from Category 1 (approved courses, research, teaching) with no more than 10 Category 2 hours (self-study, in-service groups); PTAs need at least 10 Category 1 hours with an 8-hour Category 2 cap. Hours do not carry over between bienniums, and recent graduates are exempt from the hour total but still owe the Jurisprudence Exam.
Licensees who can't finish on time may request a hardship extension or pay a $250 nonhardship fee; active-duty military members are fully exempt under KRS 12.355.
Mandatory Topics
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisprudence Examination | 2 | Every renewal | A 2-hour online Jurisprudence Examination covering Kentucky PT law and rules, taken via pt.ky.gov. These hours count toward the total requirement but do NOT count toward the Category 1 minimum. |
Renewal Pathways
Exemptions
- Recent Graduate Exemption — Recent PT and PTA graduates (those who completed academic and clinical degree requirements within the current biennium) are deemed to have already met that biennium's continued competency hour requirement, per 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(c). They must still renew on the fixed renewal date and still must complete the 2-hour Jurisprudence Exam within the required timeframe.Jurisprudence Exam is still required even for recent graduates.Must still renew credentials during the fixed-date renewal cycle.
- Military Exemption — A licensee on active military duty shall be granted an exemption from continued competency requirements, as established under KRS 12.355.
- Hardship Extension — A licensee unable to meet continued competency requirements by the March 31 renewal deadline may request a hardship extension by filing by April 30 of the odd-numbered year with documentation of undue hardship due to disability, medical condition, financial condition, or other clearly mitigating circumstance. Grants additional time, up to one renewal cycle, to complete outstanding hours.
- Nonhardship Extension — A licensee may alternatively request a nonhardship (discretionary) extension by paying a $250 fee, provided they have not received a nonhardship extension in the prior renewal cycle, and by filing proof of compliance by the following July 1.Not available if a nonhardship extension was already granted in the immediately prior renewal cycle.
How You Can Complete Your CE
Kentucky CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to Kentucky that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- Kentucky measures continued competency directly in contact hours (no CCU/point conversion needed): 30 hours per biennium for PTs, 20 hours per biennium for PTAs.
- All credential holders (PT and PTA) must complete a 2-hour online Jurisprudence Examination each biennium at pt.ky.gov, by March 31 of the odd-numbered renewal year; these 2 hours count toward the total but NOT toward the Category 1 minimum.
- Category split: PTs need at least 18 of 30 hours in Category 1, with a maximum of 10 hours credited from Category 2. PTAs need at least 10 of 20 hours in Category 1, with a maximum of 8 hours credited from Category 2.
- Recent PT/PTA graduates (degree/clinical requirements completed within the current biennium) are deemed to have met that biennium's hour requirement under 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(c), but must still complete the Jurisprudence Exam and still must renew on the fixed renewal date.
- No carry-over between bienniums: hours are earned and used strictly within the single 2-year biennium being renewed; a course repeated more than once in the same biennium is not awarded additional hours.
- Two types of extensions exist if a licensee cannot finish on time: a Hardship Extension (filed by April 30 of the odd-numbered year, requires documentation of disability/medical/financial/other mitigating hardship) and a Nonhardship Extension ($250 fee, not available if used in the immediately prior renewal cycle, proof of compliance due by the following July 1).
- Military exemption: a licensee on active military duty is granted a full exemption from continued competency requirements under KRS 12.355.
- Course approval: Category 1 courses generally require pre-approval by the Board, its designee APTA KY, FSBPT, APTA or components, or another PT licensing agency; APTA KY review takes 4-6 weeks. Home-study/online courses of 3+ hours are an explicitly approved Category 1 activity type.
- Minor source discrepancy on recordkeeping retention: the Board's own PDF instructs credential holders to keep documentation for 3 years, while 201 KAR 22:045 (via Cornell LII) states licensees must retain documentation for 'at least two (2) years from the end of the biennium.' The Board's stricter 3-year guidance is the practical instruction to follow.
- Kentucky PT/PTA licenses renew biennially, expiring March 31 of every odd-numbered year; the Board audits 10% of licensees each cycle immediately after renewal closes.
Provider Requirements
The Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy has an agreement with the American Physical Therapy Association Kentucky Chapter (APTA KY) to review and approve continued competency courses on the Board's behalf, through APTA KY's Professional Continued Competency Committee. Category 1 courses must be pre-approved by the Board, APTA KY (the Board's designee), FSBPT, APTA or its components, or another physical therapy licensing agency; course approval review by APTA KY typically takes 4-6 weeks. Category 2 activities are largely self-attested (reading, attendance, study groups, community service) without a formal pre-approval process. The credential holder bears responsibility for verifying a course's approval status before submitting it.
Tips for Kentucky PTs
- Take the 2-hour Jurisprudence Exam early in your biennium at pt.ky.gov — it's easy to forget since it's separate from your coursework hours, but it's due by March 31 alongside everything else.
- Track your Category 1 vs. Category 2 hours separately as you go: PTs need 18 of 30 hours from Category 1, PTAs need 10 of 20, and Category 2 hours beyond the cap (10 for PTs, 8 for PTAs) simply won't be credited.
- Submit continuing education courses for APTA KY approval well before your deadline — review typically takes 4-6 weeks, so last-minute submissions risk missing the March 31 renewal cutoff.
- Don't bank extra hours hoping they'll help next cycle — Kentucky doesn't allow carry-over, and a course repeated more than once in the same biennium won't earn additional credit.
- If you're going to miss the deadline, file a hardship extension by April 30 (with supporting documentation) or pay the $250 nonhardship extension fee rather than letting your license lapse — but note the nonhardship option isn't available if you used it the prior cycle.
Sources
Each figure on this page is taken directly from the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy's official rules and continuing-education sources and recorded with the exact source excerpt. Last verified Jul 2026. Read how we compile and verify this data.