Kentucky Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
Kentucky physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy.
All active licenses expire on March 31 of every odd-numbered year. Continued competency credits for the biennium must be earned between April 1 of the prior odd year and March 31 of the renewal year, and the Jurisprudence Exam must be completed by March 31 of the renewal year. An extension form filed by March 31 allows proof of compliance to be filed by the following July 1.
Summary
Kentucky physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy. All active licenses expire on March 31 of every odd-numbered year. Continued competency credits for the biennium must be earned between April 1 of the prior odd year and March 31 of the renewal year, and the Jurisprudence Exam must be completed by March 31 of the renewal year. An extension form filed by March 31 allows proof of compliance to be filed by the following July 1. Kentucky also mandates specific subjects. Kentucky Jurisprudence Examination: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. The first renewal is exempt.
Kentucky 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, 03/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 18 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Completion or auditing of an accredited postsecondary credit course (12 contact hours per semester credit, 8 per quarter credit); Presenting an approved continued competency course, workshop, seminar, or symposium (hours equal to participant hours, maximum two events of the same course per biennium); Authorship of a peer-reviewed research article, manuscript, or scientific paper (15 contact hours per event, maximum two per biennium); Presented peer-reviewed scientific poster or platform presentation (10 contact hours per event, maximum two per biennium); Teaching part of a PT or PTA credit course when not primary employment (20 contact hours per biennium); ABPTS certification or recertification (28 hours per biennium); Clinical practice of at least 1,000 hours per biennium (5 contact hours); Instruction in a CAPTE-accredited program of at least 1,000 hours per biennium (5 contact hours); Clinical residency or fellowship (up to 5 hours per week, maximum 28 per biennium); APTA membership (1 hour per year, maximum 2 per biennium); Category 2: professional reading (1 hour), attendance at poster sessions or lectures (maximum 2), clinical instruction (1 hour per 16 hours supervised), in-service or study group (2 hours), other health care courses such as CPR (maximum 3 per course), community service health care (maximum 2) |
201 KAR 22:045 and the board's Continued Competency Requirements: physical therapists must complete no fewer than 30 contact hours of continued competency each biennium, a contact hour being 60 minutes of participation. At least 18 hours must be Category 1; hours from Category 2 over 10 will not be awarded. The 2 hour Jurisprudence Examination counts toward the 30 hour total but not toward the Category 1 minimum. Category 1 courses generally must be at least three contact hours and approved by the board, its designee (APTA KY), FSBPT, APTA or its components, or another PT licensing agency; APTA-produced courses under three hours are accepted. Recent graduates who completed their academic and clinical requirements within the current biennium are treated as having met the continued competency requirement for that biennium (board document citing 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(c)) but must still renew and complete the Jurisprudence Exam. Home study courses count as Category 1 and no online cap was stated. Carryover was not addressed in the sources read.
Required CE topics for Kentucky physical therapists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Jurisprudence ExaminationAll credential holders must complete the Kentucky Jurisprudence Examination for the current biennium before the end of the renewal cycle (March 31 of odd-numbered years), taken online on the board's website. Two hours per biennium are awarded on successful completion and count toward the 30 hour total but not toward Category 1. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(1)(a)(1) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 2 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Category 1 activities must be approved by the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy, the board's designee (APTA KY, under an agreement with the board; review takes about four to six weeks), FSBPT, APTA or its components, or another physical therapy licensing agency; certificates for Category 1 courses must show the approving entity and approval code, and it is the licensee's responsibility to verify approval. Licensees track hours on the Continued Competency Tracking Form and submit proof only if audited. Immediately after each renewal cycle the board randomly audits ten (10) percent of all actively licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants; audited licensees must provide evidence within 30 days. 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(4)(a) requires independently verifiable documentation to be retained for at least two (2) years from the end of the biennium; the board's requirements document advises keeping copies for three (3) years. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Kentucky PT need to renew?
- Kentucky physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy. 201 KAR 22:045 and the board's Continued Competency Requirements: physical therapists must complete no fewer than 30 contact hours of continued competency each biennium, a contact hour being 60 minutes of participation. At least 18 hours must be Category 1; hours from Category 2 over 10 will not be awarded. The 2 hour Jurisprudence Examination counts toward the 30 hour total but not toward the Category 1 minimum. Category 1 courses generally must be at least three contact hours and approved by the board, its designee (APTA KY), FSBPT, APTA or its components, or another PT licensing agency; APTA-produced courses under three hours are accepted. Recent graduates who completed their academic and clinical requirements within the current biennium are treated as having met the continued competency requirement for that biennium (board document citing 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(c)) but must still renew and complete the Jurisprudence Exam. Home study courses count as Category 1 and no online cap was stated. Carryover was not addressed in the sources read.
- How often does a Kentucky PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in Kentucky renew every two years. All active licenses expire on March 31 of every odd-numbered year. Continued competency credits for the biennium must be earned between April 1 of the prior odd year and March 31 of the renewal year, and the Jurisprudence Exam must be completed by March 31 of the renewal year. An extension form filed by March 31 allows proof of compliance to be filed by the following July 1.
- What specific CE topics are required for Kentucky physical therapists?
- Kentucky Jurisprudence Examination: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: Kentucky Jurisprudence Examination (201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(1)(a)(1)).
- Do Kentucky 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 2 years. Category 1 activities must be approved by the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy, the board's designee (APTA KY, under an agreement with the board; review takes about four to six weeks), FSBPT, APTA or its components, or another physical therapy licensing agency; certificates for Category 1 courses must show the approving entity and approval code, and it is the licensee's responsibility to verify approval. Licensees track hours on the Continued Competency Tracking Form and submit proof only if audited. Immediately after each renewal cycle the board randomly audits ten (10) percent of all actively licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants; audited licensees must provide evidence within 30 days. 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(4)(a) requires independently verifiable documentation to be retained for at least two (2) years from the end of the biennium; the board's requirements document advises keeping copies for three (3) years.
- Is the first Kentucky PT renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Kentucky 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.
- Continued Competency, Kentucky Board of Physical TherapyState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Continued Competency Requirements (PDF), Kentucky Board of Physical TherapyState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- 201 KAR 22:045 Continued competency requirements and procedures (Kentucky Legislative Research Commission)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy home pageState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
The 30 hour total, March 31 odd-year expiration, biennium dates, 2 hour Jurisprudence Exam, APTA KY approval role, and 10 percent audit were read on the board's Continued Competency page and its requirements PDF; the 30 hours, 18 hour Category 1 minimum, 10 hour Category 2 cap, 60 minute contact hour, jurisprudence award, approving bodies, and two year retention were read from 201 KAR 22:045 on the LRC site. The recent-graduate exemption was read in the board PDF (which cites 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(c)); the rule extract fetched did not surface that clause, so it is recorded from the board document. The board PDF's example dates refer to the 2021 to 2023 biennium and it may be an older edition; the figures match the current rule. Not stated: carryover, online cap, and proration for licensees who are not recent graduates. Record retention: 201 KAR 22:045 requires documentation be kept at least two years from the end of the biennium, while the board Continued Competency Requirements document advises keeping copies for three years. These are compatible (the rule is a minimum); retention_years records the regulatory minimum.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.