California Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
California physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Physical Therapy Board of California.
A license must be renewed every two years and expires on the last day of the licensee's birth month. A renewal notice is processed about 90 days before expiration. Continuing competency hours must be earned during the renewal period, meaning the two years before the license expires, or between the initial issue date and the expiration date for a first renewal.
Summary
California physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Physical Therapy Board of California. A license must be renewed every two years and expires on the last day of the licensee's birth month. A renewal notice is processed about 90 days before expiration. Continuing competency hours must be earned during the renewal period, meaning the two years before the license expires, or between the initial issue date and the expiration date for a first renewal. California also mandates specific subjects. Ethics, laws and regulations: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Life support for health care professionals (Basic Life Support): 4 contact hours every renewal cycle.
California 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 | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth monthFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | Alternate pathway activities listed in the table in 16 CCR 1399.94(b), each subject to its own cap and conversion formula |
The board's continuing competency page states in terms that 'Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants are subject to the same continuing competency requirements', so the PTA total matches the PT total: 30 hours in each two-year license cycle under 16 CCR 1399.91(a), which must include 4 hours of basic life support (the board requires a hands-on component) and 2 hours of ethics, laws and regulations under 16 CCR 1399.93. One APTA or CPTA continuing education unit equals ten hours (16 CCR 1399.91(c)). First renewal: under 16 CCR 1399.91(b) a first-time renewal submitted before the original license expires requires one-half of the normal cycle, and the board's chart for a licensee in the first 13 to 24 months of licensure shows 15 hours total (4 basic life support, 2 ethics, laws and regulations, 9 other); a first renewal submitted after the expiration date owes the full 30. Hours come from traditional pathways, which have no cap and are courses from a provider approved through a board-recognized approval agency or college coursework, or from the capped alternate pathways in 16 CCR 1399.94(b). A licensee may apply for an exemption under 16 CCR 1399.99 for a year or more residing abroad, military service, or total disability, and no exemption is granted for two consecutive renewal periods. Placing the license in inactive status exempts the holder from the requirement but does not extend the expiration date.
Required CE topics for California 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethics, laws and regulationsFor each renewal cycle a licensee's continuing competency hours must include two hours in ethics, laws and regulations, or some combination of them. The board's chart lists the same 2 hours for physical therapist assistants, including in the reduced first-renewal total. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 16 CCR 1399.93(a) |
| Life support for health care professionals (Basic Life Support)Four hours in life support for health care professionals, comparable to or more advanced than the American Heart Association Basic Life Support Health Care Provider course. The board's continuing competency page requires a hands-on component and credits any qualifying course at 4 hours regardless of its actual length. | 4 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 16 CCR 1399.93(b) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 5 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The board does not approve individual courses or providers. Coursework must be offered by a PTBC Recognized Continuing Competency Approval Agency or by a provider that one of those agencies has approved (16 CCR 1399.95 and 1399.96); alternate-pathway activities are credited under 16 CCR 1399.94(b). Licensees do not submit proof of completion with the renewal form and payment; they retain documentation for five years after the course or activity concludes (16 CCR 1399.97) and must supply verification if the board audits them. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a California PTA need to renew?
- California physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Physical Therapy Board of California. The board's continuing competency page states in terms that 'Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants are subject to the same continuing competency requirements', so the PTA total matches the PT total: 30 hours in each two-year license cycle under 16 CCR 1399.91(a), which must include 4 hours of basic life support (the board requires a hands-on component) and 2 hours of ethics, laws and regulations under 16 CCR 1399.93. One APTA or CPTA continuing education unit equals ten hours (16 CCR 1399.91(c)). First renewal: under 16 CCR 1399.91(b) a first-time renewal submitted before the original license expires requires one-half of the normal cycle, and the board's chart for a licensee in the first 13 to 24 months of licensure shows 15 hours total (4 basic life support, 2 ethics, laws and regulations, 9 other); a first renewal submitted after the expiration date owes the full 30. Hours come from traditional pathways, which have no cap and are courses from a provider approved through a board-recognized approval agency or college coursework, or from the capped alternate pathways in 16 CCR 1399.94(b). A licensee may apply for an exemption under 16 CCR 1399.99 for a year or more residing abroad, military service, or total disability, and no exemption is granted for two consecutive renewal periods. Placing the license in inactive status exempts the holder from the requirement but does not extend the expiration date.
- How often does a California PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in California renew every two years. A license must be renewed every two years and expires on the last day of the licensee's birth month. A renewal notice is processed about 90 days before expiration. Continuing competency hours must be earned during the renewal period, meaning the two years before the license expires, or between the initial issue date and the expiration date for a first renewal.
- What specific CE topics are required for California physical therapist assistants?
- Ethics, laws and regulations: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Life support for health care professionals (Basic Life Support): 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: ethics, laws and regulations (16 CCR 1399.93(a)) and life support for health care professionals (Basic Life Support) (16 CCR 1399.93(b)).
- Do California physical therapist assistants 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 5 years. The board does not approve individual courses or providers. Coursework must be offered by a PTBC Recognized Continuing Competency Approval Agency or by a provider that one of those agencies has approved (16 CCR 1399.95 and 1399.96); alternate-pathway activities are credited under 16 CCR 1399.94(b). Licensees do not submit proof of completion with the renewal form and payment; they retain documentation for five years after the course or activity concludes (16 CCR 1399.97) and must supply verification if the board audits them.
- Is the first California PTA renewal exempt from CE?
- No. California applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Continuing Competency, Physical Therapy Board of CaliforniaState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- License Renewal, Physical Therapy Board of CaliforniaState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, 1399.91 Continuing Competency Required (LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, 1399.93 Continuing Competency Subject Matter Requirements and Other Limitations (LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- Cal. Code Regs. tit. 16, 1399.94 Authorized Pathways for Obtaining Hours (LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
California is a state where the requirement genuinely is the same for both credentials, and the board says so on the record: the continuing competency page carries the heading 'Required Number of Hours' followed by the sentence 'Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants are subject to the same continuing competency requirements', and the license renewal page labels the continuing competency section 'for PT and PTA license renewal' and lists one biennial renewal fee line for 'Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant'. The 30-hour total, the 15-hour first-renewal figure, the hands-on basic life support requirement, the five-year retention, and the instruction not to submit proof with the renewal were read on those two board pages; 16 CCR 1399.91, 1399.93, and 1399.94 were read on the Cornell mirror to confirm the rule text behind them. The individual alternate pathway rows and caps in the 1399.94(b) table were not read line by line, so they are summarized rather than enumerated. The board states no carryover rule and no separate cap on self-study or online courses, so those fields are null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Physical Therapy Board of California before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.