Kentucky Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Kentucky physical therapist assistants must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy.
Kentucky certifies physical therapist assistants, and the board states that all active licenses and certificates expire on March 31 of every uneven-numbered year, the same date as physical therapists. 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 Examination must be completed by March 31 of the renewal year.
Summary
Kentucky physical therapist assistants must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy. Kentucky certifies physical therapist assistants, and the board states that all active licenses and certificates expire on March 31 of every uneven-numbered year, the same date as physical therapists. 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 Examination must be completed by March 31 of the renewal year. Kentucky also mandates specific subjects. Kentucky Jurisprudence Examination: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle.
Kentucky 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 | Same date for every licensee, 03/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 20 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 10 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Completion or auditing of an accredited postsecondary credit course (12 contact hours per semester credit, 8 per quarter credit) (Category 1); Presenting an approved continued competency course, workshop, seminar, or symposium (up to 3 hours of preparation credit per participant contact hour, maximum two events of the same course per biennium) (Category 1); Authorship of a published research article, manuscript, or scientific paper (15 contact hours per event, maximum two per biennium) (Category 1); Presented scientific poster or platform presentation (10 contact hours per event, maximum two per biennium) (Category 1); Teaching part of a PT or PTA credit course when it is not the primary employment (maximum 20 contact hours per biennium) (Category 1); ABPTS certification (28 contact hours) or recertification and other in-scope certifications (maximum 28 contact hours) (Category 1); Clinical residency or fellowship program (up to 5 contact hours per week, maximum 28 per program per biennium) (Category 1); Engaging in the practice of physical therapy at least 1,000 hours per biennium (5 contact hours) (Category 1); Instruction in a CAPTE accredited PT or PTA program at least 1,000 hours per biennium (5 contact hours) (Category 1); Completion of the APTA PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathways Program (maximum 10 contact hours in the biennium the certification is granted) (Category 1); Service as an officer or committee chair with APTA Kentucky, APTA, or FSBPT (4 contact hours), committee or task force membership (1 contact hour), APTA membership (1 hour per year, maximum 2 per biennium) (Category 1); Healthcare Regulatory Research Institutes Healthy Practice Resource modules (maximum 6 contact hours) (Category 1); Category 2: self-instruction from professional literature (1 hour), attendance at unapproved poster sessions or lectures (maximum 3 hours per course), clinical instruction (1 hour per 16 hours of student supervision), in-service or study group (maximum 2 hours), health care community service (maximum 2 hours), APTA KY mentorship (maximum 4 hours per biennium), and other healthcare courses such as CPR or bloodborne pathogens (maximum 2 hours) |
201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(1)(b) sets the physical therapist assistant requirement separately from the physical therapist requirement: for a physical therapist assistant the board requires twenty (20) contact hours as a condition of renewal, against thirty (30) for a physical therapist. Three numbers differ. The PTA needs at least ten (10) Category 1 hours where a PT needs eighteen (18), and Category 2 hours above eight (8) are not awarded to a PTA where the PT cap is ten (10). The two (2) hours awarded for successful completion of the Jurisprudence Examination per biennium are the same for both and count toward the 20 hour total but not toward the Category 1 minimum. The board's Continued Competency page states 20 hours for physical therapist assistants. Category 1 courses generally must be at least three contact hours and approved by the board, its designee (APTA Kentucky), FSBPT, APTA or its components, or another physical therapy licensing agency; APTA produced courses under three hours are accepted, and home study courses count as Category 1. No contact hours are awarded for a course repeated more than once in the same biennium. One Category 1 item is PTA-specific: the APTA PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathways Program, up to 10 contact hours. Carryover and any online cap are not addressed in the sources read.
Required CE topics for Kentucky 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Jurisprudence ExaminationThe requirement is written into the physical therapist assistant paragraph of the rule: two (2) hours shall be awarded for successful completion of the Jurisprudence Examination per biennium. The exam is taken online on the board's website and must be completed by March 31 of the renewal year. The two hours count toward the 20 hour total but not toward the 10 hour Category 1 minimum. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(1)(b)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 Kentucky), FSBPT, APTA or its components, or another physical therapy licensing agency, and certificates must show the approving entity. Credential holders track their own hours 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 all actively certified physical therapist assistants. 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(4) requires independently verifiable documentation of completion to be retained for at least two (2) years from the end of the biennium. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Kentucky PTA need to renew?
- Kentucky physical therapist assistants must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy. 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(1)(b) sets the physical therapist assistant requirement separately from the physical therapist requirement: for a physical therapist assistant the board requires twenty (20) contact hours as a condition of renewal, against thirty (30) for a physical therapist. Three numbers differ. The PTA needs at least ten (10) Category 1 hours where a PT needs eighteen (18), and Category 2 hours above eight (8) are not awarded to a PTA where the PT cap is ten (10). The two (2) hours awarded for successful completion of the Jurisprudence Examination per biennium are the same for both and count toward the 20 hour total but not toward the Category 1 minimum. The board's Continued Competency page states 20 hours for physical therapist assistants. Category 1 courses generally must be at least three contact hours and approved by the board, its designee (APTA Kentucky), FSBPT, APTA or its components, or another physical therapy licensing agency; APTA produced courses under three hours are accepted, and home study courses count as Category 1. No contact hours are awarded for a course repeated more than once in the same biennium. One Category 1 item is PTA-specific: the APTA PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathways Program, up to 10 contact hours. Carryover and any online cap are not addressed in the sources read.
- How often does a Kentucky PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in Kentucky renew every two years. Kentucky certifies physical therapist assistants, and the board states that all active licenses and certificates expire on March 31 of every uneven-numbered year, the same date as physical therapists. 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 Examination must be completed by March 31 of the renewal year.
- What specific CE topics are required for Kentucky physical therapist assistants?
- Kentucky Jurisprudence Examination: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: Kentucky Jurisprudence Examination (201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(1)(b)1).
- Do Kentucky 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 2 years. Category 1 activities must be approved by the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy, the board's designee (APTA Kentucky), FSBPT, APTA or its components, or another physical therapy licensing agency, and certificates must show the approving entity. Credential holders track their own hours 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 all actively certified physical therapist assistants. 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(4) requires independently verifiable documentation of completion to be retained for at least two (2) years from the end of the biennium.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 201 KAR 22:045 Continued competency requirements and procedures, Section 2(1)(b) physical therapist assistant requirements (Kentucky Legislative Research Commission)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Continued Competency, Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy (20 hours for physical therapist assistants, March 31 uneven-year expiration, 10 percent audit)State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy home pageState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
The 20 contact hour total, the 10 hour Category 1 minimum, the 8 hour Category 2 cap, and the 2 hour Jurisprudence Examination award were read in the physical therapist assistant paragraph of 201 KAR 22:045 Section 2(1)(b) on the Legislative Research Commission site, and the board's Continued Competency page independently states 20 hours for physical therapist assistants. Kentucky certifies PTAs: the board's page refers to licenses and certificates expiring on March 31 of every uneven year and to auditing ten percent of all actively certified physical therapist assistants. The board page did not restate the Category 1 minimum or Category 2 cap for PTAs, and did not say in so many words that the Jurisprudence Examination applies to PTAs, but the rule places that requirement inside the PTA paragraph. The board's Continued Competency Requirements PDF was not opened. Not stated in the sources read: carryover, an online or home study cap (home study is Category 1 with no separate limit), and any proration or first-renewal exemption for physical therapist assistants.
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.