Maryland Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Maryland physical therapist assistants must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maryland State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.
Physical therapist assistant licenses renew every two years with a May 31 deadline, on the same schedule as physical therapist licenses; the board's 2026 renewal was for even-numbered licenses only and was due Sunday, May 31, 2026, with late submissions not accepted. Renewal applications and payments are submitted electronically only. The renewal fee the board listed for physical therapist assistants in 2026 was $190, against $271 for physical therapists.
Summary
Maryland physical therapist assistants must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maryland State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Physical therapist assistant licenses renew every two years with a May 31 deadline, on the same schedule as physical therapist licenses; the board's 2026 renewal was for even-numbered licenses only and was due Sunday, May 31, 2026, with late submissions not accepted. Renewal applications and payments are submitted electronically only. The renewal fee the board listed for physical therapist assistants in 2026 was $190, against $271 for physical therapists. Maryland also mandates specific subjects. Implicit Bias and Structural Racism training: a one-time requirement. Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Maryland 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, 05/31 each cycle |
| 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 | Postgraduate academic and professional studies; Attendance at or presentation of seminars, conferences, courses, or workshops; Authoring, co-authoring, or editing books, book chapters, peer-reviewed articles, or abstracts; Home study and self-directed study; Research; Workplace and community service contributions and leadership development; Supervision of physical therapy students in clinical rotations |
COMAR 10.38.08.05 sets the two figures side by side: a physical therapist shall earn 30 CE hours for the renewal period and a physical therapist assistant shall earn 20 CE hours for the renewal period. The board's renewal page repeats it as PT equals 30 hours and PTA equals 20 hours. A CE hour is a 60 minute period in which the licensee is engaged in a learning activity, excluding registration, breaks, social networking, and meals (COMAR 10.38.08.02). Hours must be earned between June 1 and May 31 during the two-year period before renewal; for the 2026 renewal the board accepted hours earned June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2026 and, for that renewal only, hours earned April 1 to May 31, 2024. Hours completed after May 31 of the renewal year do not count. CE hours may not be carried over from one renewal period to the next. The Board may renew a license for the first renewal period after original licensure without any CE hours if the original license was issued one year or less before the renewal period. COMAR 10.38.08.03 states that continuing education is a requirement for renewal or reinstatement of licenses for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants and lists the qualifying activity types without assigning hour values or caps to them.
Required CE topics for Maryland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implicit Bias and Structural Racism trainingThe board's renewal page states that completion of Implicit Bias and Structural Racism training must be attested to by all licensed health care professionals in Maryland, which includes licensed physical therapist assistants. Health Occupations 1-225 requires the attestation on the licensee's first renewal after April 1, 2026, using a program approved by the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program. No hour count is stated in the statute or on the board page. | Not stated | One time | All licensees | Md. Code, Health Occupations 1-225 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Pre-approval is not required. Continuing education offered by APTA (including its academies, sections, and state chapters) and by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy is automatically approved by the Board (COMAR 10.38.08.03). Other providers may apply for board approval. Licensees submit a continuing education form with the renewal application and must maintain records of the CE subject matter, certificates of completion, hours, and dates to present to the Board on request (COMAR 10.38.08.05). The Board audits compliance under COMAR 10.38.08.06, and inability to substantiate hours results in denial of renewal or refusal of reinstatement. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Maryland PTA need to renew?
- Maryland physical therapist assistants must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maryland State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. COMAR 10.38.08.05 sets the two figures side by side: a physical therapist shall earn 30 CE hours for the renewal period and a physical therapist assistant shall earn 20 CE hours for the renewal period. The board's renewal page repeats it as PT equals 30 hours and PTA equals 20 hours. A CE hour is a 60 minute period in which the licensee is engaged in a learning activity, excluding registration, breaks, social networking, and meals (COMAR 10.38.08.02). Hours must be earned between June 1 and May 31 during the two-year period before renewal; for the 2026 renewal the board accepted hours earned June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2026 and, for that renewal only, hours earned April 1 to May 31, 2024. Hours completed after May 31 of the renewal year do not count. CE hours may not be carried over from one renewal period to the next. The Board may renew a license for the first renewal period after original licensure without any CE hours if the original license was issued one year or less before the renewal period. COMAR 10.38.08.03 states that continuing education is a requirement for renewal or reinstatement of licenses for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants and lists the qualifying activity types without assigning hour values or caps to them.
- How often does a Maryland PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in Maryland renew every two years. Physical therapist assistant licenses renew every two years with a May 31 deadline, on the same schedule as physical therapist licenses; the board's 2026 renewal was for even-numbered licenses only and was due Sunday, May 31, 2026, with late submissions not accepted. Renewal applications and payments are submitted electronically only. The renewal fee the board listed for physical therapist assistants in 2026 was $190, against $271 for physical therapists.
- What specific CE topics are required for Maryland physical therapist assistants?
- Implicit Bias and Structural Racism training: a one-time requirement. Citations: Implicit Bias and Structural Racism training (Md. Code, Health Occupations 1-225).
- Do Maryland physical therapist assistants have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. Pre-approval is not required. Continuing education offered by APTA (including its academies, sections, and state chapters) and by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy is automatically approved by the Board (COMAR 10.38.08.03). Other providers may apply for board approval. Licensees submit a continuing education form with the renewal application and must maintain records of the CE subject matter, certificates of completion, hours, and dates to present to the Board on request (COMAR 10.38.08.05). The Board audits compliance under COMAR 10.38.08.06, and inability to substantiate hours results in denial of renewal or refusal of reinstatement.
- Is the first Maryland PTA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Maryland 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.
- COMAR 10.38.08.05 Renewal Requirements, a physical therapist assistant shall earn 20 CE hours for the renewal period (Library of Maryland Regulations)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- COMAR 10.38.08.03 Continuing Education Requirements, qualifying activities and automatically approved providers for physical therapists and physical therapist assistantsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- License Renewals, Maryland State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (PT equals 30 hours and PTA equals 20 hours, May 31 deadline, PTA fee)State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Licensees, Maryland State Board of Physical Therapy ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Md. Code, Health Occupations 1-225, Implicit bias training attestationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
The 20 hour figure was read as a physical therapist assistant figure in two places: COMAR 10.38.08.05 states it in its own sentence next to the 30 hour physical therapist sentence, and the board's renewal page lists Required CE hours: PT equals 30 hours and PTA equals 20 hours. The June 1 to May 31 window, the no-carryover rule, and the first-renewal waiver are written to cover the physical therapist or physical therapist assistant together. COMAR 10.38.08.03 names both credentials expressly. The renewal date, cohort (even-numbered licenses in 2026), and the $190 PTA fee come from the board's renewal page; the board did not state on the pages read how a licensee's renewal year is assigned beyond the even or odd license number, and did not state a licensee record retention period in years. The Cornell LII mirror of 10.38.08.05 still shows an older April 1 to March 31 window, so the official Maryland regulations library text was used instead. The board homepage returned 404 at the URLs tried, so the Licensees page serves as board_url. No topic mandate other than the statewide implicit bias attestation was found for physical therapist assistants.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Maryland State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.