Iowa Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Iowa physical therapist assistants must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Iowa Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing).
The biennial license renewal period for a physical therapist assistant begins on the sixteenth day of the birth month and ends on the fifteenth day of the birth month two years later, the same cycle used for physical therapists (481-800.6). An individual issued a license within six months of the renewal date does not renew until the following renewal two years later. Renewal can be submitted 60 days before the expiration date, and the licensee is responsible for renewing whether or not a notice arrives.
Summary
Iowa physical therapist assistants must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Iowa Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing). The biennial license renewal period for a physical therapist assistant begins on the sixteenth day of the birth month and ends on the fifteenth day of the birth month two years later, the same cycle used for physical therapists (481-800.6). An individual issued a license within six months of the renewal date does not renew until the following renewal two years later. Renewal can be submitted 60 days before the expiration date, and the licensee is responsible for renewing whether or not a notice arrives. Iowa also mandates specific subjects. Child abuse identification and reporting training: required on a periodic schedule set by the board (licensees required by Iowa Code section 232.69 to report child abuse). Dependent adult abuse identification and reporting training: required on a periodic schedule set by the board (licensees required by Iowa Code section 235B.3 or 235E.2 to report dependent adult abuse). Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Iowa 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 | 20 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Attending workshops, conferences, or symposiums; Online training, interactive conferences, webinars, and online courses; APTA approved postprofessional clinical residency or fellowship (1 hour of credit per 2 hours in residency, maximum 20 hours); Directly supervising students from an accredited PT or PTA program in a full-time clinical experience (1 hour per 160 contact hours of supervision, maximum 4 hours per biennium for a physical therapist assistant); Presenting professional programs (2 hours of credit per hour presented, first offering only); Academic coursework (15 hours per semester hour, 12 per trimester hour, 10 per quarter hour); Teaching in an approved college, university, or graduate school (same academic conversion, first offering only); Authoring research published in a recognized professional publication (5 hours per page); Active service as an officer, delegate, or committee member of a professional organization (1 hour per 6 months, maximum 4 hours per biennium) |
Iowa Administrative Code 481-803.2(1)"b": each biennium, each person licensed to practice as a physical therapist assistant must complete a minimum of 20 hours of board approved continuing education. Physical therapists must complete 40, so the PTA total is half. The biennial compliance period runs from the sixteenth day of the birth month to the fifteenth day of the birth month two years later. Persons licensed for the first time are not required to complete continuing education for the first renewal, and hours earned any time between initial licensure and the second renewal may be used; after that a PTA needs 20 hours each renewal. No hours carry over into the next biennium except for a new licensee. Under 481-803.3(2)"b" topics that are not directly and primarily related to the clinical application of physical therapy, meaning business topics, personal skills topics, and general health topics such as clinical research, CPR, and mandatory reporter training, must not exceed a combined total of five hours for a physical therapist assistant, against ten hours for a physical therapist. Online training is expressly allowed with no stated cap.
Required CE topics for Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child abuse identification and reporting trainingA physical therapist assistant who is a mandatory reporter indicates on the renewal application that the training was completed in the previous three years, or that a waiver condition applies. The curriculum must be the one provided by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, documentation is kept three years, and the board may audit compliance. Hours are not stated in the rule. | Not stated | Periodic | Licensees required by Iowa Code section 232.69 to report child abuse | 481-800.6(4)"a"; Iowa Code 232.69(3)"b" |
| Dependent adult abuse identification and reporting trainingSame structure as the child abuse training: completion in the previous three years is attested at renewal, the curriculum is the state Department of Health and Human Services curriculum, and documentation is retained three years. No canonical topic key covers dependent adult abuse reporting, so a snake_case key is used. | Not stated | Periodic | Licensees required by Iowa Code section 235B.3 or 235E.2 to report dependent adult abuse | 481-800.6(4)"b"; Iowa Code 235B.16(5)"b" |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Continuing education must be board approved and must meet the general criteria in 481-803.3(1): an organized program of learning contributing directly to professional competency, on subject matter integrally related to the practice, conducted by qualified presenters, meeting stated goals, and providing proof of attendance showing date, location, course title, presenters, contact hours, and a certificate of completion. The board may request presenter qualifications at the time of audit. Mandatory reporter training documentation is retained for three years after the training; the rules read do not state a separate retention period for general continuing education records. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Iowa PTA need to renew?
- Iowa physical therapist assistants must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Iowa Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing). Iowa Administrative Code 481-803.2(1)"b": each biennium, each person licensed to practice as a physical therapist assistant must complete a minimum of 20 hours of board approved continuing education. Physical therapists must complete 40, so the PTA total is half. The biennial compliance period runs from the sixteenth day of the birth month to the fifteenth day of the birth month two years later. Persons licensed for the first time are not required to complete continuing education for the first renewal, and hours earned any time between initial licensure and the second renewal may be used; after that a PTA needs 20 hours each renewal. No hours carry over into the next biennium except for a new licensee. Under 481-803.3(2)"b" topics that are not directly and primarily related to the clinical application of physical therapy, meaning business topics, personal skills topics, and general health topics such as clinical research, CPR, and mandatory reporter training, must not exceed a combined total of five hours for a physical therapist assistant, against ten hours for a physical therapist. Online training is expressly allowed with no stated cap.
- How often does a Iowa PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in Iowa renew every two years. The biennial license renewal period for a physical therapist assistant begins on the sixteenth day of the birth month and ends on the fifteenth day of the birth month two years later, the same cycle used for physical therapists (481-800.6). An individual issued a license within six months of the renewal date does not renew until the following renewal two years later. Renewal can be submitted 60 days before the expiration date, and the licensee is responsible for renewing whether or not a notice arrives.
- What specific CE topics are required for Iowa physical therapist assistants?
- Child abuse identification and reporting training: required on a periodic schedule set by the board (licensees required by Iowa Code section 232.69 to report child abuse). Dependent adult abuse identification and reporting training: required on a periodic schedule set by the board (licensees required by Iowa Code section 235B.3 or 235E.2 to report dependent adult abuse). Citations: child abuse identification and reporting training (481-800.6(4)"a"; Iowa Code 232.69(3)"b") and dependent adult abuse identification and reporting training (481-800.6(4)"b"; Iowa Code 235B.16(5)"b").
- Do Iowa 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 3 years. Continuing education must be board approved and must meet the general criteria in 481-803.3(1): an organized program of learning contributing directly to professional competency, on subject matter integrally related to the practice, conducted by qualified presenters, meeting stated goals, and providing proof of attendance showing date, location, course title, presenters, contact hours, and a certificate of completion. The board may request presenter qualifications at the time of audit. Mandatory reporter training documentation is retained for three years after the training; the rules read do not state a separate retention period for general continuing education records.
- Is the first Iowa PTA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Iowa does not require continuing education for a PTA's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- ARC 7981C, adopted rulemaking for continuing education for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, effective July 1, 2024 (Iowa Administrative Rules, Iowa Legislature)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-803.2 Continuing education requirements, 20 hours for physical therapist assistant licensees (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-803.3 Standards, including the 5 hour nonclinical cap and 4 hour student supervision cap for physical therapist assistants (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-800.6 License renewal for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, including mandatory reporter training (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- Physical and Occupational Therapy, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and LicensingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
The 20 hour PTA requirement is stated in its own lettered paragraph separate from the 40 hour physical therapist requirement, read both on the Iowa Legislature's official Iowa Administrative Rules site (ARC 7981C, the adopted rulemaking effective July 1, 2024, which the board's chapter on continuing education for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants carries) and on the Cornell LII mirror of 481-803.2. Iowa's rules were renumbered from 645 to 481 after that rulemaking, so the ARC page shows the chapter under its former 645 numbering while the current citation is 481-803.2; the text is the same. Two caps are genuinely lower for PTAs: nonclinical topics are capped at 5 hours against 10 for physical therapists, and student clinical supervision at 4 hours against 8. The birth month renewal period and the mandatory reporter attestations were read in 481-800.6, which names physical therapist assistants explicitly. The board's DIAL page loaded but does not state hours or dates, so it is cited only as the board page. The official Iowa Administrative Code chapter files on legis.iowa.gov are PDFs and were not downloaded. Not stated in the rules read: an overall online or self-study cap, a retention period for general continuing education records, and any subject mandate beyond the two mandatory reporter trainings.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Iowa Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy (Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.