Arizona Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
Arizona physical therapists must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy.
A licensee submits the electronic renewal application on or before August 31 of an even-numbered year (A.A.C. R4-24-208(A)). The Board not sending a renewal notice does not excuse a late renewal. A license not renewed on time is administratively suspended.
Summary
Arizona physical therapists must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy. A licensee submits the electronic renewal application on or before August 31 of an even-numbered year (A.A.C. R4-24-208(A)). The Board not sending a renewal notice does not excuse a late renewal. A license not renewed on time is administratively suspended. Hours do not carry over between cycles.
Arizona 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, 08/31 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 20 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 10 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | Category B and C activities such as teaching, publishing, presenting, and clinical instruction (no more than 10 contact hours per compliance period) |
A.A.C. R4-24-401(A) requires a licensed physical therapist to earn 20 contact hours of continuing competence per compliance period. At least 10 must come from Category A activities, of which no more than 5 may be nonclinical course work; no more than 10 may come from Categories B and C combined, of which no more than 5 may be nonclinical. Physical therapist assistants earn 10. The compliance period is the two-year cycle that begins September 1 following issuance of an initial or renewal license and ends August 31 of even-numbered years (R4-24-101(10) and R4-24-401(D)). A licensee whose initial license runs one year or less earns 10 Category A contact hours in that first compliance period instead of the full 20. No credit is given for repeating the same activity, and hours do not carry over between periods. The Board may waive the requirement for extreme hardship such as illness, disability, or active military service.
Required CE topics for Arizona physical therapists
The Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy pages and rules we read do not mandate specific subject areas for this license type. Hours may be in any approved subject.
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The renewal application carries a signed statement of whether the continuing competence requirement has been met (R4-24-401(F)). Audits are random, with notice sent within 60 calendar days after the renewal deadline, and the licensee has 30 days to submit evidence showing the date, place, course title, sponsor, schedule, presenter, contact hours, and proof of completion (R4-24-401(H)). Evidence of participation is retained for two compliance periods, which is four years (R4-24-401(I)). A licensee found out of compliance gets six months to cure (R4-24-401(K)). |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Arizona PT need to renew?
- Arizona physical therapists must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy. A.A.C. R4-24-401(A) requires a licensed physical therapist to earn 20 contact hours of continuing competence per compliance period. At least 10 must come from Category A activities, of which no more than 5 may be nonclinical course work; no more than 10 may come from Categories B and C combined, of which no more than 5 may be nonclinical. Physical therapist assistants earn 10. The compliance period is the two-year cycle that begins September 1 following issuance of an initial or renewal license and ends August 31 of even-numbered years (R4-24-101(10) and R4-24-401(D)). A licensee whose initial license runs one year or less earns 10 Category A contact hours in that first compliance period instead of the full 20. No credit is given for repeating the same activity, and hours do not carry over between periods. The Board may waive the requirement for extreme hardship such as illness, disability, or active military service.
- How often does a Arizona PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in Arizona renew every two years. A licensee submits the electronic renewal application on or before August 31 of an even-numbered year (A.A.C. R4-24-208(A)). The Board not sending a renewal notice does not excuse a late renewal. A license not renewed on time is administratively suspended.
- Does Arizona require specific CE topics for physical therapists?
- The Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy does not list mandated subject areas for PT renewal on the pages we verified; the 20 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Arizona physical therapists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 4 years. The renewal application carries a signed statement of whether the continuing competence requirement has been met (R4-24-401(F)). Audits are random, with notice sent within 60 calendar days after the renewal deadline, and the licensee has 30 days to submit evidence showing the date, place, course title, sponsor, schedule, presenter, contact hours, and proof of completion (R4-24-401(H)). Evidence of participation is retained for two compliance periods, which is four years (R4-24-401(I)). A licensee found out of compliance gets six months to cure (R4-24-401(K)).
- Is the first Arizona PT renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Arizona 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.
- Arizona Administrative Code Title 4, Chapter 24, Board of Physical Therapy (Supp. 25-3, September 30, 2025): R4-24-101, R4-24-208, R4-24-401Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
All values were read from the official Arizona Administrative Code Title 4 Chapter 24 published by the Arizona Secretary of State (Supp. 25-3, September 30, 2025): the August 31 even-year renewal deadline in R4-24-208(A), the compliance period definition in R4-24-101(10), and the 20 contact hours, category minimums and caps, first-period proration, no-carryover rule, attestation, audit process, and two-compliance-period retention in R4-24-401. The Secretary of State host returns 403 to automated clients and serves the chapter only as a PDF, so it was opened and read in a browser and is recorded in data/licensure/link-verified-exceptions.json. The board's own site (ptboard.az.gov) sits behind a Cloudflare challenge that no automated client passes, so board_url is listed but not cited for any value and no renewal_url is given. Arizona's jurisprudence examination is a condition of initial licensure under R4-24-201, not a renewal subject mandate, so no mandatory CE topics are recorded. The rule states no separate self-study or online cap beyond the nonclinical course work limits described in the notes.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.