Louisiana Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Louisiana physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board.
Louisiana licenses physical therapist assistants and renews them on the same two-year cycle as physical therapists, keyed to birth year: licensees born in an odd-numbered year renew in odd-numbered years. The renewal period opens February 1 and the last day of the renewal season is March 31, with the license expiring April 30 of the renewal year. For the 2027 cycle the board lists February 1, 2027, March 31, 2027, and April 30, 2027 for odd birth year licensees.
Summary
Louisiana physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board. Louisiana licenses physical therapist assistants and renews them on the same two-year cycle as physical therapists, keyed to birth year: licensees born in an odd-numbered year renew in odd-numbered years. The renewal period opens February 1 and the last day of the renewal season is March 31, with the license expiring April 30 of the renewal year. For the 2027 cycle the board lists February 1, 2027, March 31, 2027, and April 30, 2027 for odd birth year licensees. Louisiana also mandates specific subjects. Jurisprudence: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Ethics or professionalism: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Hours do not carry over between cycles.
Louisiana 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, 04/30 each cycleFirst 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 | No |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Serving as the primary clinical instructor for PT or PTA students or provisional licensees; Board approved self-assessment tools; Postgraduate academic coursework and teaching in a CAPTE accredited program; Approved post-professional clinical residency or fellowship; Publications, abstracts, textbook chapters, and poster or platform presentations; Elected or appointed office in a national or state physical therapy organization |
LAC 46:LIV.194 states that unless exempted under Section 198, licensees shall successfully complete, document, and report to the board at least 30 hours of board approved continuing education in the biennial renewal period, broken into jurisprudence (minimum 2 contact hours), ethics or professionalism (minimum 2 contact hours), and clinical or administrative content (minimum 26 contact hours). The rule sets one figure for licensees and does not give physical therapist assistants a separate or smaller number; LAC 46:LIV.123 defines a license as the lawful authority of a PT or PTA to engage in the practice of physical therapy, and LAC 46:LIV.198 speaks of PTs or PTAs licensed in Louisiana, so the 30 hour requirement reaches physical therapist assistants on the same terms as physical therapists. No carryover of continuing education hours from one renewal period to another is allowed. New graduates: a PT or PTA is exempt for the continuing education year (April 1 to March 31) in which they graduate from an accredited physical therapy education program, and 15 contact hours must be completed for the second year of the renewal period. Additional exemptions are available on board approval for extended military active duty, illness, natural disaster, or personal hardship, requested at least 45 days before the renewal period ends. The board states there is no live-hour requirement and all hours may be completed through board approved online courses.
Required CE topics for Louisiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JurisprudenceA minimum of 2 contact hours of the 30 in each biennial renewal period. The rule applies the same minimum to every licensee, physical therapists and physical therapist assistants alike, and the board's renewal page repeats it without distinguishing the two. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | LAC 46:LIV.194 |
| Ethics or professionalismA minimum of 2 contact hours of the 30 in each biennial renewal period, on the same terms for physical therapist assistants as for physical therapists. New graduates completing the reduced 15 hour second-year requirement still owe 2 jurisprudence and 2 ethics hours. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | LAC 46:LIV.194 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Every course must be board approved. Courses and activities sponsored by APTA, the Louisiana Physical Therapy Association, and any Louisiana CAPTE accredited program that meet the content criteria in LAC 46:LIV.195 are automatically approved. Other providers submit courses for review using the form on the board website, and an individual licensee may apply for approval of a course that is not board approved, which is then credited only to that licensee; those applications cannot be filed in the last 60 days of the license term. No licensee receives credit for time not actually spent attending the program, and course sponsors may be required to submit verified attendance records to the board. LAC 46:LIV.194 requires licensees to complete, document, and report their hours to the board at renewal. The sources read do not state a licensee record retention period or an audit percentage. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Louisiana PTA need to renew?
- Louisiana physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board. LAC 46:LIV.194 states that unless exempted under Section 198, licensees shall successfully complete, document, and report to the board at least 30 hours of board approved continuing education in the biennial renewal period, broken into jurisprudence (minimum 2 contact hours), ethics or professionalism (minimum 2 contact hours), and clinical or administrative content (minimum 26 contact hours). The rule sets one figure for licensees and does not give physical therapist assistants a separate or smaller number; LAC 46:LIV.123 defines a license as the lawful authority of a PT or PTA to engage in the practice of physical therapy, and LAC 46:LIV.198 speaks of PTs or PTAs licensed in Louisiana, so the 30 hour requirement reaches physical therapist assistants on the same terms as physical therapists. No carryover of continuing education hours from one renewal period to another is allowed. New graduates: a PT or PTA is exempt for the continuing education year (April 1 to March 31) in which they graduate from an accredited physical therapy education program, and 15 contact hours must be completed for the second year of the renewal period. Additional exemptions are available on board approval for extended military active duty, illness, natural disaster, or personal hardship, requested at least 45 days before the renewal period ends. The board states there is no live-hour requirement and all hours may be completed through board approved online courses.
- How often does a Louisiana PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in Louisiana renew every two years. Louisiana licenses physical therapist assistants and renews them on the same two-year cycle as physical therapists, keyed to birth year: licensees born in an odd-numbered year renew in odd-numbered years. The renewal period opens February 1 and the last day of the renewal season is March 31, with the license expiring April 30 of the renewal year. For the 2027 cycle the board lists February 1, 2027, March 31, 2027, and April 30, 2027 for odd birth year licensees.
- What specific CE topics are required for Louisiana physical therapist assistants?
- Jurisprudence: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Ethics or professionalism: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: jurisprudence (LAC 46:LIV.194) and ethics or professionalism (LAC 46:LIV.194).
- Do Louisiana physical therapist assistants have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal. Every course must be board approved. Courses and activities sponsored by APTA, the Louisiana Physical Therapy Association, and any Louisiana CAPTE accredited program that meet the content criteria in LAC 46:LIV.195 are automatically approved. Other providers submit courses for review using the form on the board website, and an individual licensee may apply for approval of a course that is not board approved, which is then credited only to that licensee; those applications cannot be filed in the last 60 days of the license term. No licensee receives credit for time not actually spent attending the program, and course sponsors may be required to submit verified attendance records to the board. LAC 46:LIV.194 requires licensees to complete, document, and report their hours to the board at renewal. The sources read do not state a licensee record retention period or an audit percentage.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Renewal Information for 2027, Louisiana Physical Therapy Board (renewal window, April 30 expiration, birth year cohorts, 30 hours with 2 jurisprudence and 2 ethics, PT and PTA graduation-year exemption)State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Continuing Education Policy and Procedure, Louisiana Physical Therapy BoardState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- CE Resource Center, Louisiana Physical Therapy BoardState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Louisiana Physical Therapy Board home page, board licenses and regulates physical therapists and physical therapist assistantsState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46, LIV-194 Continuing Education Requirements, 30 hours per biennial renewal period (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46, LIV-193 Course approval and automatically approved sponsors (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46, LIV-198 Exemptions, PTs or PTAs graduating in the continuing education year (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- La. Admin. Code tit. 46, LIV-123 Definitions, license means the lawful authority of a PT or PTA to practice (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
Louisiana is a state where the rule applies one requirement to both credentials rather than a smaller number to physical therapist assistants. LAC 46:LIV.194 says licensees shall complete at least 30 hours with 2 jurisprudence, 2 ethics or professionalism, and 26 clinical or administrative hours, and there is no separate physical therapist assistant provision anywhere in Subchapter J. Two things tie that to PTAs directly: LAC 46:LIV.123 defines license as the lawful authority of a PT or PTA to engage in the practice of physical therapy, and LAC 46:LIV.198 states that PTs or PTAs licensed in Louisiana are exempt for the continuing education year in which they graduate, which the board's 2027 renewal page repeats in the same words. The board's renewal page is the source for the February 1 to March 31 renewal window, the April 30 expiration, and the odd or even birth year cohorts, and it does not set a different date for physical therapist assistants. The rule text was read on the Cornell LII mirror because the board publishes the Practice Act and Rules only as a PDF, which was not downloaded. Not stated in the sources read: a licensee record retention period, an audit percentage, a Category 1 style minimum, or an online cap, and the board states there is no live-hour requirement.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Louisiana Physical Therapy Board before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.