Montana Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Montana physical therapist assistants must complete 8 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (Department of Labor and Industry; formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners).
Physical therapist assistant licenses must be renewed every year by April 1, the same renewal date the board uses for physical therapists. The renewal period opens 60 days before the renewal date. A license not renewed on time is treated as lapsed for 45 days, during which the licensee may still practice; after 45 days the license is expired and the licensee may not practice.
Summary
Montana physical therapist assistants must complete 8 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (Department of Labor and Industry; formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners). Physical therapist assistant licenses must be renewed every year by April 1, the same renewal date the board uses for physical therapists. The renewal period opens 60 days before the renewal date. A license not renewed on time is treated as lapsed for 45 days, during which the licensee may still practice; after 45 days the license is expired and the licensee may not practice. The first renewal is exempt.
Montana 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 04/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 8 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
ARM 24.119.2101(1)(d), effective July 25, 2026, sets one figure for both credentials: physical therapists and assistants must obtain 8 hours of continuing education annually. The requirement for a physical therapist assistant is therefore the same as for a physical therapist, unlike the occupational therapy line in the same rule, which uses 10 hours. Acceptable activities must directly relate to the licensee's scope of practice, review existing concepts and techniques, convey information beyond the basic professional education, update knowledge of practice advances, or reinforce professional conduct or ethical obligations. Continuing education requirements do not apply until after the licensee's first renewal, and a licensee may ask the department for an exemption due to undue hardship. The rule does not define a contact hour length and states no category, live, self-study, or carryover limits.
Required CE topics for Montana physical therapist assistants
The Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (Department of Labor and Industry; formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) pages and rules we read do not mandate specific subject areas for this license type. Hours may be in any approved subject.
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | ARM 24.119.2101 states no pre-approval of courses or providers; licensees select programs that meet the rule's criteria. Licensees must maintain continuing education documentation and produce it on request, and the department is authorized to audit, setting the percentage audited from a statistically relevant sample of licensees and the compliance rate of past audits. The rule states no retention period. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Montana PTA need to renew?
- Montana physical therapist assistants must complete 8 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (Department of Labor and Industry; formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners). ARM 24.119.2101(1)(d), effective July 25, 2026, sets one figure for both credentials: physical therapists and assistants must obtain 8 hours of continuing education annually. The requirement for a physical therapist assistant is therefore the same as for a physical therapist, unlike the occupational therapy line in the same rule, which uses 10 hours. Acceptable activities must directly relate to the licensee's scope of practice, review existing concepts and techniques, convey information beyond the basic professional education, update knowledge of practice advances, or reinforce professional conduct or ethical obligations. Continuing education requirements do not apply until after the licensee's first renewal, and a licensee may ask the department for an exemption due to undue hardship. The rule does not define a contact hour length and states no category, live, self-study, or carryover limits.
- How often does a Montana PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in Montana renew every year. Physical therapist assistant licenses must be renewed every year by April 1, the same renewal date the board uses for physical therapists. The renewal period opens 60 days before the renewal date. A license not renewed on time is treated as lapsed for 45 days, during which the licensee may still practice; after 45 days the license is expired and the licensee may not practice.
- Does Montana require specific CE topics for physical therapist assistants?
- The Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (Department of Labor and Industry; formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) does not list mandated subject areas for PTA renewal on the pages we verified; the 8 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Montana 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. ARM 24.119.2101 states no pre-approval of courses or providers; licensees select programs that meet the rule's criteria. Licensees must maintain continuing education documentation and produce it on request, and the department is authorized to audit, setting the percentage audited from a statistically relevant sample of licensees and the compliance rate of past audits. The rule states no retention period.
- Is the first Montana PTA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Montana 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.
- ARM 24.119.2101 Continuing Education, Administrative Rules of Montana (NEW, 2026 MAR Notice No. 2026-148, effective 7/25/26), Montana Secretary of State rules siteStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- License Information (renewal dates by license type), Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care ProfessionalsState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Montana licenses physical therapist assistants and the board's License Information page lists Physical Therapist Assistant with an April 1 annual renewal date, the same date as Physical Therapist. The 8-hour annual requirement was read directly in ARM 24.119.2101(1)(d), which covers physical therapists and assistants together, so the PTA number matches the PT number in this state. The rule text was pulled from the rules.mt.gov public document endpoint because the browse site is JavaScript only. No Montana-specific CE subject mandates for physical therapist assistants were found, so mandatory_topics is empty. The rule states no carryover rule, no delivery-method limits, and no record retention period, so those fields are null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Montana Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals (Department of Labor and Industry; formerly the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.