Physical Therapy Continuing Education
Know what your state requires, compare physical therapy continuing education courses with confidence, and build a CE plan that works across every PT license you keep active.
Physical therapy continuing education can look simple until you compare the rules from one state to another. There is no single national CE requirement for PT license renewal. States can set different totals, required topics, approval rules, course formats, and record keeping periods. That matters even more if you hold licenses in more than one state or practice through the PT Compact. This guide breaks down continuing education for physical therapists so you can start with the right board rule, check whether a course will count before you pay, compare common learning formats and providers, and keep the proof you may need at renewal. Use it as a planning tool, then confirm the current requirement with the licensing authority for each license you renew.
PT Continuing Education at a Glance
Start with the rule for the license you are renewing. A CE provider can explain its course, but your licensing authority decides what counts toward renewal.
What Is Continuing Competence?
PTs often use 'CE' as a catch-all term, but many boards use the broader term continuing competence. APTA describes continuing competence as maintaining and applying current knowledge, skills, and abilities within your role and practice setting.
Courses are one way to build or document continuing competence, but they are not always the only option. Depending on the state, qualifying activities can also include specialty certification, residencies, teaching, professional service, or other approved professional activities.
How PT CE Rules Change by State
Physical therapy continuing education requirements vary by more than the total number of hours. Required topics, accepted activities, course formats, approval paths, and renewal timing can all change from one state to another.
| State example | Typical total | What makes it different |
|---|---|---|
| California | 30 hours Most repeat renewals |
4 hours of hands-on basic life support, 2 hours of ethics, laws, and regulations, and 24 hours of other approved continuing competency activity for repeat renewals. |
| Texas | 30 CCUs Each two-year cycle |
Texas uses continuing competence, and traditional CE is only one qualifying activity. PTs need 30 CCUs in each two-year renewal cycle, including the TX JAM and an HHS-approved human trafficking prevention training course as part of the total. |
| Georgia | 30 clock hours Per biennium |
At least 4 contact hours must cover Georgia ethics and jurisprudence, or the licensee may satisfy that component by passing the Georgia Ethics and Jurisprudence Examination. |
| Florida | 24 contact hours Per biennium |
24 hours of continuing education biennially, including 2 hours on prevention of medical errors. No more than 12 hours may come from home study. HIV/AIDS education is required for the first renewal. |
These examples show why the total alone is not enough. Always use the current rule for the PT license you are renewing. This page focuses on PT requirements; PTA requirements can be different.
PT Licensing and CE Requirements by State
Choose a state to see its licensing authority, renewal cycle, and PT Compact status alongside its continuing education rule.
Hover a state for its PT Compact category. Click, tap, or choose a state to keep its continuing education summary open.
Choose a state
Select a state from the map or the menu above to review its continuing education requirement and licensing authority.
Will This PT CE Course Count?
The number and type of continuing education credits for physical therapists can vary by state. A few minutes of checking before you enroll can save you from finding out at renewal that a course does not count.
Start With the State Board
Read the current renewal and continuing competence rule for the PT license you are renewing, then note how many hours, units, points, or approved activities you still need.
Match the Course to the Rule
Check the topic, the delivery format, the credit the board will accept for the activity, and the provider or approval path behind it.
Check Required Topics Separately
A general clinical course may not replace a required ethics, jurisprudence, medical-error, or human-trafficking course.
Save Proof When You Finish
Keep the certificate and the details you may need if the board audits your renewal, including the provider and any course or approval number.
FSBPT's Licensure Reference Guide is useful for comparing jurisdictions, but the state licensing authority remains the final source for current requirements.
Compare Physical Therapy Continuing Education Courses by Format
Continuing education for physical therapists comes in several formats. The right option depends on both how you learn best and what your licensing board accepts.
Online Physical Therapy Continuing Education
Online physical therapy continuing education can be easier to fit around travel assignments and changing schedules. On-demand courses give you more control over timing, while live webinars add real-time instruction without requiring travel.
Online does not automatically mean accepted. Check the board's rules for home study, live participation, provider approval, and credit limits before you enroll. Florida, for example, limits home-study hours.
Hands-on skills may be a better fit for an in-person or hybrid course. That can be true even when an online course would earn credit.
Free vs. Paid PT CE
Free CE can be useful when one approved course fills a specific need. Paid subscriptions can make more sense when you need several courses, a broader library, live instruction, or hands-on options. Either way, acceptance matters more than price.
Compare PT CE Providers and Course Options
There is no single best CE provider for every PT. The examples below show how physical therapy continuing education courses are currently packaged and priced so you can compare cost, format, and course access. They aren't endorsements, and the provider names aren't linked.
| Provider | Est. Price | What You Get | Best Fit For |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhysicalTherapy.com |
$129/yr
Annual subscription
|
500+ physical therapy continuing education courses, with live webinar, recorded webinar, audio, and text formats. |
Lower-cost unlimited online
State search
|
| MedBridge Education |
$339/yr
Annual subscription
|
3,000+ accredited courses across disciplines, plus a PT course library, live webinars, certification prep, and other education tools. |
Large PT library
Specialty depth
Career development
|
| Summit |
$279.99/yr
Online Access
$309.99/yr
Virtual Access
$329.99/yr
All Access
|
Online Access covers 600+ on-demand video and text courses. Virtual Access adds 200+ live interactive webinars and 50+ live streams a year. All Access adds 500+ in-person courses. |
On-demand only
Live webinars
Hands-on in one plan
|
Pricing note: Public prices and features were checked September 1, 2026 and can change. Confirm current pricing and state acceptance before you enroll.
What to Compare Before You Choose a Provider
Does the provider cover your states? Does it cover the PT licenses you keep?
Can you find the state-specific education you need? That may include ethics, jurisprudence, medical errors, human trafficking, or another required topic.
Does the provider clearly show the approval path for each course?
Do you need on-demand, live webinar, in-person, or a mix?
Can you download certificates and track completed education in one place?
Compare the plan price with the courses you will use. Look at both the number and the type.
What Does PT CE Cost?
There is not one useful national average for PT CE costs. Some courses are free, while live or in-person education can add travel, lodging, parking, and time away from work. Compare the full cost of the education you actually need.
A $129 online subscription may be a good value if several accepted courses fit your renewal needs. A live course may be worth the added cost when hands-on learning matters. If your employer or agency offers education support, confirm eligibility, limits, and covered expenses before you register.
Choose CE That Fits Your PT Setting
License renewal may be the reason you need CE, but your current setting and future goals can help you decide what is worth learning next.
Exercise progression, pain science, post-op rehab, sports, manual skills
Mobility, cardiopulmonary care, medically complex patients, ICU recovery
Falls, geriatrics, home safety, chronic disease, documentation, functional mobility
Neurologic rehab, stroke, spinal cord injury, mobility, team-based care
Geriatrics, falls, dementia, mobility, complex chronic conditions
Development, mobility, positioning, family or school collaboration when relevant to your work
Multi-State CE Planning for Travel PTs
If you hold more than one PT license, you may be managing different renewal dates, totals, mandatory topics, approval rules, and recordkeeping requirements at the same time.
Do not assume the strictest state covers everything. A state with fewer total hours can still require a unique topic or format. Review each license separately, then use course overlap only where each board allows it.
| License | Renewal date | Total required | Mandatory items | Completed | Still needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State / license | |||||
| State / license | |||||
| State / license |
Copy this into your own notes and fill one row per license you plan to keep active.
A Simple Multi-License Process
List Every License You Keep
Include each PT license you plan to keep active.
Write Down Dates and Totals
Note each renewal date and the required total for that license.
Flag the State-Only Rules
Mark required topics, online or live limits, and approval rules.
Match Courses to Each License
Match completed courses to each license separately.
Use Overlap Only Where It's Allowed
Use overlap when a board allows it, but keep state-only requirements separate.
Keep the Proof Together
Save the proof for every activity in one place.
How the PT Compact Changes CE Planning
A PT Compact privilege is not a second full state license. To stay eligible, you must maintain a valid home-state PT license. For continuing competence, the Compact uses the requirements of your home-state license rather than a separate full CE requirement for every remote state.
Remote-state requirements still matter. A Compact state may require jurisprudence before you obtain or renew a privilege, and you must follow the practice laws of the state where the patient is located. Check the PT Compact process and requirements and the remote-state board before relying on a privilege. For license-level details, use the Advantis Physical Therapy Licensing Center.
Build Your PT CE Plan Before Renewal Gets Urgent
You do not need to wait until renewal is close. Checking early gives you more time to catch a missing topic, find an approved course, and avoid last-minute questions about whether your credits count.
This is a planning schedule, not a board deadline. Your actual renewal date and board rules come first.
Keep Your CE Records in One Place
Do not rely on a provider account being available years later. Download your certificates and keep a simple record for every license you plan to renew.
PT CE Checklist
Check the board rule; know the renewal date; know what you still need; flag required topics.
Verify course or provider approval; check format; check credit amount; review refund or cancellation terms.
Download the certificate; save approval details; update your CE record; note which license it supports.
Add the totals; confirm mandatory items; finish reporting; keep your records.
PT CE FAQs
How many continuing education hours do physical therapists need?
There is no national number. Each state sets its own renewal rule. California requires 30 hours for most repeat PT renewals, while Texas requires 30 CCUs in each two-year renewal cycle. Required topics or activities may be included within those totals, so check the current rule for the license you are renewing.
Do all states require the same type of PT continuing education?
No. Some states use traditional CE hours, while others use a broader continuing competence model. Required topics, accepted activities, provider approval, format limits, and recordkeeping can all differ. Compare the full rule for each license, not just the total number of hours.
Do online physical therapy continuing education courses count?
Often, but not automatically. Online physical therapy continuing education courses still have to fit your board's rules for provider approval, topic, credit, and format. Florida's home-study limit is one example of why it is worth checking before you enroll.
How do I know if a PT CE course is approved?
Start with the licensing authority for your state. Check how it recognizes providers, approving organizations, or activity types, then compare those rules with the course details. If the provider's claim and the board rule do not match, verify before you pay or count the course toward renewal.
Can one PT CE course count for more than one state license?
Sometimes. A course can support more than one license when each board accepts the activity. But one state may still require a different topic, approval path, or format. Check each license separately before applying the same course to multiple renewals.
Are there free continuing education courses for physical therapists?
Yes. Free courses can count when they meet your board's requirements and provide the documentation you need. Price does not determine acceptance, so verify a free course the same way you would verify a paid one.
Do PT Compact privileges have separate continuing education requirements?
No separate full CE load is added for each remote-state Compact privilege. You meet the continuing competence requirement for your home-state license. A remote state may still require jurisprudence or other privilege-specific steps, so check the current PT Compact requirements before renewal.
How long should I keep PT continuing education certificates?
Follow the record-retention rule for each licensing authority. There is no national retention period. Keep your certificate, course details, and approval information where you can find them later. California, for example, requires continuing competency records to be kept for five years after the activity ends.
Keep Your PT License Ready for the Next Assignment
Continuing education is one part of staying ready to work. Search current travel therapy jobs by setting, location, shift, and weekly pay.
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State requirements on this page are based on official licensing and Compact sources. Provider prices and features were checked September 1, 2026 and can change. Use this page for planning, then confirm the current board rule before counting a course toward renewal.