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Get licensed as a physical therapist assistant

Who decides, in the order you will meet them: the accreditor, the exam body and the state board. We point to each; they decide.

State license

At a glance

Physical therapist assistant
How it is regulated
Licensed by each state
Credential issued by
A state licensing board
Program accreditor
CAPTE
Exam
FSBPT
Interstate compact
Operational

The route

The national steps first, then the state. Each step names the body that decides it.

  1. Step 1

    Graduate from a CAPTE-accredited program

    The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education accredits the programs that lead to this credential. Check a program's accreditation with the accreditor itself before you enroll, not only with the school.

    Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education capteonline.org (official site)
  2. Step 2

    Pass the FSBPT exam

    The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy runs the national exam. Passing it is a step toward a license, not a license itself.

    Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy fsbpt.org (official site)
  3. Step 3

    Apply to the board of the state where you will practice

    The state board decides whether you are eligible and issues the license. Anything beyond the national steps, such as a jurisprudence exam or a background check, is set there.

  4. Step 4

    Practicing in more than one stateOptional

    The Physical Therapy Licensure Compact lets a licensee in one member state practice in another under a privilege, without a second full license. A privilege rests on your home-state license.

    Where the compact stands

State boards

Board links for physical therapist assistants are being compiled

We have not yet listed the state boards for this profession. Each link is added once it has a name and an address we can check. Until then, the FSBPT is the federation of state boards and links to its members.
Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy fsbpt.org (official site)About the FSBPT

Physical Therapy Licensure Compact

Operational

Operational and issuing privileges. The most mature compact in these professions, covering physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.

The commission publishes the current member and issuing states on its own map, which is the only list worth relying on. We have not verified a copy of it, so we do not publish one.

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