Alaska Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
Alaska physical therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alaska State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing).
Licenses are issued for two years and expire on June 30 of even-numbered years regardless of the issue date, except that a license issued within 90 days of the expiration date runs to the next biennial expiration. The renewal cycle is July 1 of an even year through June 30 of the next even year. One renewal notice is sent at least 30 days before expiration, but the licensee is responsible for renewing on time.
Summary
Alaska physical therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alaska State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing). Licenses are issued for two years and expire on June 30 of even-numbered years regardless of the issue date, except that a license issued within 90 days of the expiration date runs to the next biennial expiration. The renewal cycle is July 1 of an even year through June 30 of the next even year. One renewal notice is sent at least 30 days before expiration, but the licensee is responsible for renewing on time. Alaska also mandates specific subjects. Jurisprudence questionnaire prepared by the board (AS 08.84 and 12 AAC 54): required every renewal cycle.
Alaska Physical Therapist 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 | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 06/30 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 24 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | No |
12 AAC 54.410(a) requires an applicant licensed for 12 months or more of the concluding licensing period to complete 24 contact hours of continuing education during that period. An applicant licensed for less than 12 months of the period must complete 12 contact hours or have passed the national physical therapy examination within the 12 months before the license lapses. At least one-half of the required hours must be in courses or programs offered by an accredited academic institution or a professional organization approved under 12 AAC 54.420(a). One contact hour is at least 50 minutes; one CEU from a professional health care association equals 10 contact hours; one semester credit equals 15 and one quarter credit equals 10 contact hours. Not accepted: routine staff meetings, rounds conducted by the applicant, and routine employer-required courses such as CPR, first aid, and OSHA training. Separately from continuing education, renewal also requires documenting continuing professional practice under 12 AAC 54.405: at least 60 hours of physical therapy services during the licensing period, or one alternative (passing the NPTE, 40 additional contact hours of continuing education, an APTA-approved review course, or a 150-hour board-approved internship). Carryover and caps on self-study are not addressed in the regulations read; the 'alternatives' in 54.405 substitute for practice hours, not for the 24 contact hours, so alternatives_accepted is empty.
Required CE topics for Alaska physical therapists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisprudence questionnaire prepared by the board (AS 08.84 and 12 AAC 54)Every renewal applicant must document completion of the board's jurisprudence questionnaire covering the practice act and chapter 54 regulations. No contact-hour value is stated. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | 12 AAC 54.405(a) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Approved activities (12 AAC 54.420) are courses recognized by the Alaska Physical Therapy Association, APTA, FSBPT, other state physical therapy associations or licensing boards; AMA category one and two courses that involve physical therapy; and activities sponsored by a professional organization or university approved by the Alaska Physical Therapy Association or APTA. Every course must contribute directly to professional competency in physical therapy. 12 AAC 54.400 requires the renewal applicant to document continuing competency by submitting proof of the practice requirement and the contact hours; records must be kept for three years from the date the hours were obtained. After each renewal period the board audits renewal applications at its discretion, and a licensee selected has 30 days to submit documentation; refusal to cooperate is treated as obtaining a license by material misrepresentation. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Alaska PT need to renew?
- Alaska physical therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alaska State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing). 12 AAC 54.410(a) requires an applicant licensed for 12 months or more of the concluding licensing period to complete 24 contact hours of continuing education during that period. An applicant licensed for less than 12 months of the period must complete 12 contact hours or have passed the national physical therapy examination within the 12 months before the license lapses. At least one-half of the required hours must be in courses or programs offered by an accredited academic institution or a professional organization approved under 12 AAC 54.420(a). One contact hour is at least 50 minutes; one CEU from a professional health care association equals 10 contact hours; one semester credit equals 15 and one quarter credit equals 10 contact hours. Not accepted: routine staff meetings, rounds conducted by the applicant, and routine employer-required courses such as CPR, first aid, and OSHA training. Separately from continuing education, renewal also requires documenting continuing professional practice under 12 AAC 54.405: at least 60 hours of physical therapy services during the licensing period, or one alternative (passing the NPTE, 40 additional contact hours of continuing education, an APTA-approved review course, or a 150-hour board-approved internship). Carryover and caps on self-study are not addressed in the regulations read; the 'alternatives' in 54.405 substitute for practice hours, not for the 24 contact hours, so alternatives_accepted is empty.
- How often does a Alaska PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in Alaska renew every two years. Licenses are issued for two years and expire on June 30 of even-numbered years regardless of the issue date, except that a license issued within 90 days of the expiration date runs to the next biennial expiration. The renewal cycle is July 1 of an even year through June 30 of the next even year. One renewal notice is sent at least 30 days before expiration, but the licensee is responsible for renewing on time.
- What specific CE topics are required for Alaska physical therapists?
- Jurisprudence questionnaire prepared by the board (AS 08.84 and 12 AAC 54): required every renewal cycle. Citations: jurisprudence questionnaire prepared by the board (AS 08.84 and 12 AAC 54) (12 AAC 54.405(a)).
- Do Alaska physical therapists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 3 years. Approved activities (12 AAC 54.420) are courses recognized by the Alaska Physical Therapy Association, APTA, FSBPT, other state physical therapy associations or licensing boards; AMA category one and two courses that involve physical therapy; and activities sponsored by a professional organization or university approved by the Alaska Physical Therapy Association or APTA. Every course must contribute directly to professional competency in physical therapy. 12 AAC 54.400 requires the renewal applicant to document continuing competency by submitting proof of the practice requirement and the contact hours; records must be kept for three years from the date the hours were obtained. After each renewal period the board audits renewal applications at its discretion, and a licensee selected has 30 days to submit documentation; refusal to cooperate is treated as obtaining a license by material misrepresentation.
- Is the first Alaska PT renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Alaska applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Alaska Board of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, PT/PTA Reinstatement Application form 08-4388 (rev. 02/04/2025) with General Information on license term and appended regulations 12 AAC 54.400 through 54.430State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- 12 AAC 54.410 Physical therapy continuing education requirements (LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- 12 AAC 54.405 Physical therapy continuing professional practice requirements and alternatives (LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- 12 AAC 54.400 Physical therapy license renewal requirements (LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- 12 AAC 54.420 Approved physical therapy courses and activities (LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- 12 AAC 54.430 Audit of physical therapy continuing competency requirements (LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
The board's own web pages on commerce.alaska.gov return HTTP 403 to automated fetches and professionallicense.alaska.gov serves a JavaScript challenge, so the board_url listed could not be fetched; it is included only as the board's address and no board web page is cited as a source. The state-published application form 08-4388 (fetched from commerce.alaska.gov) states the June 30 even-year term and reproduces the full text of 12 AAC 54.400 through 54.430, which is where the 24-hour requirement, 12-hour partial-period rule, half-from-approved-organization rule, jurisprudence questionnaire, 60-hour practice requirement, three-year retention, and audit provisions were read; the Cornell LII pages were used to confirm the same text is current (54.400 effective March 27, 2024). The regulations do not address carryover or a cap on self-study. Renewal fees are set in 12 AAC 02.320 and were not read. The military exemption in 12 AAC 54.435 was not read.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Alaska State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board (Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.