Florida Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
Florida physical therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice.
Licenses renew biennially and expire at midnight Eastern Time on November 30 of odd-numbered years; the current biennium runs December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2027. Continuing education must be completed within the biennium and reported to CE Broker, where the Department checks it electronically at renewal.
Summary
Florida physical therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice. Licenses renew biennially and expire at midnight Eastern Time on November 30 of odd-numbered years; the current biennium runs December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2027. Continuing education must be completed within the biennium and reported to CE Broker, where the Department checks it electronically at renewal. Florida also mandates specific subjects. Prevention of Medical Errors: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. HIV/AIDS: 1 contact hour at the first renewal only. Human trafficking awareness training: a one-time requirement of 1 contact hour. No more than 12 contact hours may be self-study or online and the first renewal is exempt.
Florida 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, 11/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 24 contact hours |
| Live or interactive minimum | 12 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 12 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Instructing a continuing education course (up to 6 contact hours per biennium, excluding an instructor's normal course of instruction); APTA-credentialed clinical instructor supervising clinical internships (1 contact hour per 120 internship hours, maximum 8 per biennium); Passing the Florida laws and rules examination with form DH-MQA 1144 (2 hours per biennium); Attending Florida Board meetings where disciplinary cases are heard (risk management hours); Former board members serving on the Probable Cause Panel (4 hours per meeting, up to 8 per biennium); College courses from accredited PT or PTA programs (1 credit hour equals 15 contact hours) |
Rule 64B17-9.001(1), F.A.C., and s. 486.109, F.S., require 24 contact hours of board-approved continuing education in the 24 months preceding each biennial renewal. A contact hour is 50 minutes; ten contact hours make one CEU. At least 12 hours must be formal live lecture or an approved interactive webinar (real-time programs with instructor communication count as live), and no more than 12 hours may be self-paced (home study, recorded video, online modules, apps). No more than 5 hours of risk management count per biennium; up to 3 hours of HIV/AIDS and up to 3 hours of medical error prevention may be included in the 24. Licensees who become licensed in the second half of the biennium are exempt from the requirement for their first renewal except for the required prevention of medical errors and HIV/AIDS courses. The board may grant waivers or extensions for emergency or hardship. Carryover is not addressed in the rule.
Required CE topics for Florida physical therapists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prevention of Medical ErrorsThe board's renewal page lists 2 hours of medical error prevention within the 24. Rule 64B17-9.001(3) allows up to 3 medical-error hours to count toward the 24. Required even for licensees otherwise exempt at their first renewal. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Rule 64B17-9.001(1) and (3), F.A.C.; course content per Chapter 64B17-8, F.A.C. |
| HIV/AIDSThe board's renewal page lists 1 hour of HIV/AIDS for the first renewal only. Rule 64B17-9.001(3) allows up to 3 HIV/AIDS hours to count toward the 24 in any biennium. | 1 contact hour | First renewal only | All licensees | Rule 64B17-9.001(1) and (3), F.A.C.; course content per Chapter 64B17-8, F.A.C. |
| Human trafficking awareness trainingSection 456.0341, F.S., requires each licensee under chapter 486 to complete a one-time 1-hour board-approved continuing education course on human trafficking (initial deadline January 1, 2021) and directs boards to count the hour within the total required continuing education. The board's own renewal page does not list this course among its CE requirements; the statute applies to chapter 486 licensees by its terms. | 1 contact hour | One time | All licensees | s. 456.0341, F.S. |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Courses must be sponsored or approved by an accredited college or university physical therapy program, the American Physical Therapy Association, or the Florida Physical Therapy Association (s. 486.109, F.S.; Rule 64B17-9.001(6)). Completed courses are reported to CE Broker, not sent to the board; the Department reviews the licensee's CE Broker record at renewal and blocks renewal until missing hours are entered. Licensees keep receipts, vouchers, or certificates for at least four years from the date the course was taken. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Florida PT need to renew?
- Florida physical therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice. Rule 64B17-9.001(1), F.A.C., and s. 486.109, F.S., require 24 contact hours of board-approved continuing education in the 24 months preceding each biennial renewal. A contact hour is 50 minutes; ten contact hours make one CEU. At least 12 hours must be formal live lecture or an approved interactive webinar (real-time programs with instructor communication count as live), and no more than 12 hours may be self-paced (home study, recorded video, online modules, apps). No more than 5 hours of risk management count per biennium; up to 3 hours of HIV/AIDS and up to 3 hours of medical error prevention may be included in the 24. Licensees who become licensed in the second half of the biennium are exempt from the requirement for their first renewal except for the required prevention of medical errors and HIV/AIDS courses. The board may grant waivers or extensions for emergency or hardship. Carryover is not addressed in the rule.
- How often does a Florida PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in Florida renew every two years. Licenses renew biennially and expire at midnight Eastern Time on November 30 of odd-numbered years; the current biennium runs December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2027. Continuing education must be completed within the biennium and reported to CE Broker, where the Department checks it electronically at renewal.
- What specific CE topics are required for Florida physical therapists?
- Prevention of Medical Errors: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. HIV/AIDS: 1 contact hour at the first renewal only. Human trafficking awareness training: a one-time requirement of 1 contact hour. Citations: prevention of Medical Errors (Rule 64B17-9.001(1) and (3), F.A.C.; course content per Chapter 64B17-8, F.A.C.), HIV/AIDS (Rule 64B17-9.001(1) and (3), F.A.C.; course content per Chapter 64B17-8, F.A.C.), and human trafficking awareness training (s. 456.0341, F.S.).
- Do Florida physical therapists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and records must be kept for 4 years. Courses must be sponsored or approved by an accredited college or university physical therapy program, the American Physical Therapy Association, or the Florida Physical Therapy Association (s. 486.109, F.S.; Rule 64B17-9.001(6)). Completed courses are reported to CE Broker, not sent to the board; the Department reviews the licensee's CE Broker record at renewal and blocks renewal until missing hours are entered. Licensees keep receipts, vouchers, or certificates for at least four years from the date the course was taken.
- Is the first Florida PT renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Florida does not require continuing education for a PT's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Physical Therapist licensing and renewal (expiration, CE requirements), Florida Board of Physical Therapy PracticeState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Continuing Education (CE Broker), Florida Board of Physical Therapy PracticeState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Rule 64B17-9.001 Continuing Education, Florida Administrative Code (effective August 14, 2025)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Section 486.109, Florida Statutes, Continuing educationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Section 456.0341, Florida Statutes, Requirements for instruction on human traffickingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
The November 30 odd-year expiration, 24 contact hours, 2-hour medical errors and 1-hour first-renewal HIV/AIDS components, 12-hour home-study cap, 5-hour risk management cap, and CE Broker reporting were read on the board's physical therapist page; the rule text (12 live hours, 12 self-paced maximum, second-half-of-biennium first-renewal exemption, instructor and clinical instructor credits, four-year retention) came from the Florida Administrative Code rule file. Chapter 64B17-8, which defines the medical errors and HIV/AIDS course content, was not read. The board pages do not mention the human trafficking course required by s. 456.0341; it is included because the statute names chapter 486 licensees. Florida has no laws-and-rules CE mandate for PTs; the laws and rules exam is optional for 2 hours of credit. Whether the board audits beyond the CE Broker check at renewal was not stated, so audited is null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.