Alabama Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Alabama physical therapist assistants must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy.
Renewals are annual. Each license expires on October 1 of the year following its issuance, and the renewal window runs July 1 through September 30 at midnight. The annual renewal fee for a physical therapist assistant is $93. Continuing education is counted over a compliance period of October 1 through September 30.
Summary
Alabama physical therapist assistants must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy. Renewals are annual. Each license expires on October 1 of the year following its issuance, and the renewal window runs July 1 through September 30 at midnight. The annual renewal fee for a physical therapist assistant is $93. Continuing education is counted over a compliance period of October 1 through September 30. Alabama also mandates specific subjects. Alabama physical therapy jurisprudence (Practice Act and Administrative Code): 2 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board. Up to 10 excess contact hours carry over to the next cycle and the first renewal is exempt.
Alabama Physical Therapist Assistant renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 10/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 10 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Yes, up to 10 contact hours |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Physical therapy related academic coursework (15 hours per semester hour); Clinical residency or fellowship participation (15 hours per 1,000 hours completed); Specialty certification or recognition of advanced proficiency (3 hours initial, 1 hour recertification); Peer-reviewed publication (5 hours for a book, 3 for a chapter or single-author publication, 2 for a multi-author publication); Teaching or lecturing in a physical therapy continuing education activity (2 hours per hour taught); Formal peer review of practice once every five years (3 hours); Limited activities capped at 40 percent of the annual requirement: published abstract or book review, manuscript review, clinical practice guideline publication, poster or platform presentation, primary clinical instructor for CAPTE PT or PTA students (1 hour per 200 hours), alternative media development (1 hour per project) |
Ala. Admin. Code 700-X-2-.10(5)(d)1 states that each physical therapist and physical therapist assistant licensed by this Board shall complete a minimum of ten (10) hours of continuing education for each compliance period, so the PTA total is the same as the PT total. One hour of continuing education is 50 minutes of engagement, and October 1 through September 30 of the next year is a compliance period. Hours earned above 10 by a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant may be carried forward, but no more than 10 hours (700-X-2-.10(5)(d)3). Individuals licensed within one year of graduation from a CAPTE approved program are not required to meet the continuing education requirement for initial licensure or the first renewal, with the exception of jurisprudence (700-X-2-.10(5)(d)1(ii)). An applicant who has held a license in another state for more than one year must show 10 hours in the 12 months before application. The rule sets no cap on self-study or online learning; self-directed methods may use a post-test but cannot result in a pass/fail grade. The 12-hour Direct Access total on the board's renewal page applies to PT licensees only ('PT Licensees who plan to see patients without a referral'), so it does not reach PTAs. Unacceptable activities include employer orientations, in-services, staff meetings, informal rounds, case conferences, CPR and blood-borne pathogen training, policy and committee meetings, entry-level coursework, and activities under 50 minutes.
Required CE topics for Alabama physical therapist assistants
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama physical therapy jurisprudence (Practice Act and Administrative Code)At least 2 hours of continuing education on Alabama physical therapy jurisprudence every fifth year. The rule states that both PTs and PTAs must fulfill this requirement when renewing in years ending in zero or five (2030, 2035, and so on). The board's renewal page also requires 2 hours of Alabama jurisprudence at the first renewal for anyone initially licensed in the prior year, and 2 jurisprudence hours plus 8 additional hours for licensees by endorsement or score transfer. General physical therapy or medical ethics courses do not satisfy it. The separate Alabama Jurisprudence Assessment Module (AL JAM) is required only of new applicants, not renewing licensees. | 2 contact hours | Periodic | All licensees | Ala. Admin. Code 700-X-2-.10(5)(d)4 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Not stated |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 5 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | None. Effective October 1, 2014 the board does not pre-approve continuing education providers, sponsors, or individual programs; the licensee decides, using professional judgment, whether an activity is directly related to their practice of physical therapy and meets the general guidelines in 700-X-2-.10(5)(a). Licensees retain records of completed courses for five years and must give the board a copy, or access to any online recording and reporting system they use. No license renews without satisfactory evidence that the required hours were earned; on audit, an unacceptable activity gives the licensee 60 days to cure before disciplinary action. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Alabama PTA need to renew?
- Alabama physical therapist assistants must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy. Ala. Admin. Code 700-X-2-.10(5)(d)1 states that each physical therapist and physical therapist assistant licensed by this Board shall complete a minimum of ten (10) hours of continuing education for each compliance period, so the PTA total is the same as the PT total. One hour of continuing education is 50 minutes of engagement, and October 1 through September 30 of the next year is a compliance period. Hours earned above 10 by a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant may be carried forward, but no more than 10 hours (700-X-2-.10(5)(d)3). Individuals licensed within one year of graduation from a CAPTE approved program are not required to meet the continuing education requirement for initial licensure or the first renewal, with the exception of jurisprudence (700-X-2-.10(5)(d)1(ii)). An applicant who has held a license in another state for more than one year must show 10 hours in the 12 months before application. The rule sets no cap on self-study or online learning; self-directed methods may use a post-test but cannot result in a pass/fail grade. The 12-hour Direct Access total on the board's renewal page applies to PT licensees only ('PT Licensees who plan to see patients without a referral'), so it does not reach PTAs. Unacceptable activities include employer orientations, in-services, staff meetings, informal rounds, case conferences, CPR and blood-borne pathogen training, policy and committee meetings, entry-level coursework, and activities under 50 minutes.
- How often does a Alabama PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in Alabama renew every year. Renewals are annual. Each license expires on October 1 of the year following its issuance, and the renewal window runs July 1 through September 30 at midnight. The annual renewal fee for a physical therapist assistant is $93. Continuing education is counted over a compliance period of October 1 through September 30.
- What specific CE topics are required for Alabama physical therapist assistants?
- Alabama physical therapy jurisprudence (Practice Act and Administrative Code): 2 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board. Citations: alabama physical therapy jurisprudence (Practice Act and Administrative Code) (Ala. Admin. Code 700-X-2-.10(5)(d)4).
- Do Alabama physical therapist assistants have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- The board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation and records must be kept for 5 years. None. Effective October 1, 2014 the board does not pre-approve continuing education providers, sponsors, or individual programs; the licensee decides, using professional judgment, whether an activity is directly related to their practice of physical therapy and meets the general guidelines in 700-X-2-.10(5)(a). Licensees retain records of completed courses for five years and must give the board a copy, or access to any online recording and reporting system they use. No license renews without satisfactory evidence that the required hours were earned; on audit, an unacceptable activity gives the licensee 60 days to cure before disciplinary action.
- Is the first Alabama PTA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Alabama does not require continuing education for a PTA's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Ala. Admin. Code r. 700-X-2-.10 Renewal of License (LII mirror of the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy rule, amended eff. 6/14/2024)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- License Renewal, Alabama Board of Physical TherapyState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Continuing Education, Alabama Board of Physical TherapyState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
The 10-hour requirement was read as a PTA number: rule 700-X-2-.10(5)(d)1 names 'each physical therapist and physical therapist assistant', and (5)(d)3 and (5)(d)4 likewise name both. Alabama therefore applies the same annual total, the same 10-hour carryover cap, and the same every-fifth-year 2-hour jurisprudence requirement to PTAs as to PTs. The one PT-only element is the Direct Access add-on of 2 hours (12 total), which the board's renewal page limits to PT licensees. The official Alabama Administrative Code chapter is served as a PDF by the legislature's admincode API, which the no-download rule excludes, so the rule text was read on the Cornell LII mirror and the annual cycle, October 1 expiration, July 1 to September 30 renewal window, and the $93 PTA fee were read on the board's own renewal page. Whether certificates are uploaded with the renewal or produced only on audit is not stated clearly (the renewal page says hours are required with the renewal application, the rule says no license renews without satisfactory evidence), so proof_at_renewal is null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.