Arkansas Occupational Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
Arkansas occupational therapists must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Arkansas State Medical Board (Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee).
Renew every year during your birth month, online through the Arkansas State Medical Board website. The reregistration fee and the continuing education completed must be presented to the board and the occupational therapy committee before or during your birth month, and a license not renewed by midnight on the last day of your birth month automatically expires and cannot be renewed without the late fee. The board emails a renewal notice 60 days before your birth month and a second notice 30 days before expiration. A delinquent license of less than five years can be reinstated by paying all delinquent fees plus a $25 penalty for each year or part of a year, providing proof of the continuing education for each year, and completing the renewal application; after five consecutive years without renewal the licensee must reapply.
Summary
Arkansas occupational therapists must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Arkansas State Medical Board (Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee). Renew every year during your birth month, online through the Arkansas State Medical Board website. The reregistration fee and the continuing education completed must be presented to the board and the occupational therapy committee before or during your birth month, and a license not renewed by midnight on the last day of your birth month automatically expires and cannot be renewed without the late fee. The board emails a renewal notice 60 days before your birth month and a second notice 30 days before expiration. A delinquent license of less than five years can be reinstated by paying all delinquent fees plus a $25 penalty for each year or part of a year, providing proof of the continuing education for each year, and completing the renewal application; after five consecutive years without renewal the licensee must reapply. The first renewal is exempt.
Arkansas Occupational 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth month |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 10 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Workshops, refresher courses, professional conferences, seminars or facility based programs designated for occupational therapists, hour for hour on program content only; Evaluating professional skills with the NBCOT online self assessment tool or a similar tool, limited to 1 credit; Volunteering for an organization that enhances practice roles, 5 volunteer hours equal 1 credit, limited to 2 credits, verified on the organization's letterhead; Mentoring an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant colleague, limited to 2 credits, using the NBCOT form filed with the board; Receiving mentoring from a licensed occupational therapist or assistant, limited to 2 credits, using the NBCOT form filed with the board; Participating in a professional occupational therapy study group or online study group, limited to 2 credits; Fieldwork supervision: Level I equals 2 credits and Level II equals 4 credits, limited to 4 credits; Level III fieldwork or doctoral capstone experience equals 6 credits; Professional presentation at a state, national or international workshop, seminar or conference, one time per topic, preparation time excluded, limited to 10 credits; Formal academic coursework in occupational therapy: a 1 to 2 semester hour class equals 5 credits and a 3 to 4 semester hour class equals 10 credits; Serving as adjunct faculty teaching an occupational therapy course, if it is not your primary role, limited to 10 credits; Research or grant activity, 10 credits, with the grant complete and the committee's preapproval, requested in writing 30 days before the license expires; Developing training manuals, multimedia or software that advance professional skills, limited to 5 credits nonpeer reviewed and 10 credits published peer reviewed; Authoring a practice area article: 5 credits nonpeer reviewed, 10 credits peer reviewed, 1 credit for a newsletter or community newspaper, 10 credits for a textbook chapter; Self study book, journal or video reviews with a one page typed review submitted, 1 credit per review, two hour maximum per year; Self study coursework, with the credit amount set by the committee, course outline and proof of completion submitted 30 days before the license expires |
17 CAR 140-404(d)(3)(A) requires each occupational therapist and each occupational therapy assistant to complete ten continuing education credits each year as a prerequisite for renewal, and subsection (d)(3)(B)(iii)(c) repeats the total as ten continuing education hourly units annually. The rule counts credits hour for hour on program content for courses, and the board's FAQ states the requirement as 10 hours per renewal period. Credits must be earned between the first day following last year's birth month and the last day of the current birth month. All programs must directly pertain to the profession of occupational therapy, and the committee will not preapprove programs. Any activity outside the listed categories is reviewed case by case, and a request for special consideration or exemption must be in writing 60 days before the license expires. If the committee decides submitted credit is unrelated to occupational therapy the licensee gets three months to earn replacement hours, and those replacement hours cannot be counted in the next licensure period. A new licensee does not have to submit continuing education for the first partial year of licensure.
Required CE topics for Arkansas occupational therapists
The Arkansas State Medical Board (Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) 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 | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | There is no approved provider list and the Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee will not preapprove continuing education programs; every program must directly pertain to the profession of occupational therapy. The licensee signs the renewal application verifying the ten hours were completed and keeps proof for three years for audit. The board's FAQ states random audits are performed monthly and that certificates of completion must be submitted if you are audited. Acceptable documentation is an official transcript for academic coursework, a signed verification from the program director or instructor on the sponsoring agency's letterhead with a brochure or agenda showing program content, or a letter from your supervisor on agency letterhead listing the programs, location, dates, subjects and hours. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Arkansas OT need to renew?
- Arkansas occupational therapists must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Arkansas State Medical Board (Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee). 17 CAR 140-404(d)(3)(A) requires each occupational therapist and each occupational therapy assistant to complete ten continuing education credits each year as a prerequisite for renewal, and subsection (d)(3)(B)(iii)(c) repeats the total as ten continuing education hourly units annually. The rule counts credits hour for hour on program content for courses, and the board's FAQ states the requirement as 10 hours per renewal period. Credits must be earned between the first day following last year's birth month and the last day of the current birth month. All programs must directly pertain to the profession of occupational therapy, and the committee will not preapprove programs. Any activity outside the listed categories is reviewed case by case, and a request for special consideration or exemption must be in writing 60 days before the license expires. If the committee decides submitted credit is unrelated to occupational therapy the licensee gets three months to earn replacement hours, and those replacement hours cannot be counted in the next licensure period. A new licensee does not have to submit continuing education for the first partial year of licensure.
- How often does a Arkansas OT license need to be renewed?
- Occupational Therapist licenses in Arkansas renew every year. Renew every year during your birth month, online through the Arkansas State Medical Board website. The reregistration fee and the continuing education completed must be presented to the board and the occupational therapy committee before or during your birth month, and a license not renewed by midnight on the last day of your birth month automatically expires and cannot be renewed without the late fee. The board emails a renewal notice 60 days before your birth month and a second notice 30 days before expiration. A delinquent license of less than five years can be reinstated by paying all delinquent fees plus a $25 penalty for each year or part of a year, providing proof of the continuing education for each year, and completing the renewal application; after five consecutive years without renewal the licensee must reapply.
- Does Arkansas require specific CE topics for occupational therapists?
- The Arkansas State Medical Board (Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) does not list mandated subject areas for OT renewal on the pages we verified; the 10 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Arkansas occupational 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 3 years. There is no approved provider list and the Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee will not preapprove continuing education programs; every program must directly pertain to the profession of occupational therapy. The licensee signs the renewal application verifying the ten hours were completed and keeps proof for three years for audit. The board's FAQ states random audits are performed monthly and that certificates of completion must be submitted if you are audited. Acceptable documentation is an official transcript for academic coursework, a signed verification from the program director or instructor on the sponsoring agency's letterhead with a brochure or agenda showing program content, or a letter from your supervisor on agency letterhead listing the programs, location, dates, subjects and hours.
- Is the first Arkansas OT renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Arkansas does not require continuing education for a OT's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 10, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 17 CAR 140-404, Licensing (Rules Governing the Licensing and Practice of Occupational Therapists), Code of Arkansas RulesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- 17 CAR 140-406, Fees for occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants, Code of Arkansas RulesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- 17 CAR 140-403, Examination (NBCOT examination adopted by the Arkansas State Medical Board), Code of Arkansas RulesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- 17 CAR 140-407, Principles and standards, Code of Arkansas RulesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 10, 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions, Occupational Therapist / Occupational Therapist Assistant, Arkansas State Medical BoardState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- OT / OTA licensee page, Arkansas State Medical BoardState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Arkansas State Medical Board home pageState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
Arkansas follows the second board pattern in an unusual form: occupational therapy has no board of its own and is not attached to the physical therapy board. The Arkansas State Medical Board licenses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, advised by the Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee, under 17 CAR Part 140 Subpart 4, Rules Governing the Licensing and Practice of Occupational Therapists (historically the board's Regulation 6). The Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy is a separate agency under the Department of Health, so nothing from the Arkansas physical therapy records was carried over, and the physical therapy figures do not apply here. The ten credit annual total, the birth month deadline, the three year retention and the first partial year exemption were read in the rule text on the state's official Code of Arkansas Rules site, and the birth month renewal and the ten hour total were confirmed again on the board's own FAQ page for occupational therapists. NBCOT matters only at entry: 17 CAR 140-403 adopts the NBCOT examination as the licensure examination and the board follows NBCOT's schedule, format and passing scores, but no readable source requires current NBCOT certification as a renewal condition or credits it toward the hours. Two continuing education activities use NBCOT tools, the online self assessment (1 credit) and the mentoring forms (2 credits each), which is an activity credit and not a certification requirement. No subject mandate exists for Arkansas occupational therapists: the rule requires only that programs pertain to occupational therapy, and 17 CAR 140-407 points to the AOTA Code of Ethics as a practice standard without requiring ethics continuing education. Supervision of occupational therapy assistants is a practice requirement handled through the board's supervision log and OTA supervision form, and it is not continuing education, although supervising a Level I or Level II fieldwork student is a creditable activity. The board's Guidelines for Acceptable Continuing Education exist only as a PDF that was not opened, so anything appearing solely there is not reflected here.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Arkansas State Medical Board (Arkansas State Occupational Therapy Examining Committee) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.