Nebraska Occupational Therapy Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Nebraska occupational therapy assistants must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Nebraska Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit).
Occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant licenses expire August 1 of each even numbered year, so renewal is every two years on the same date for everyone. The Licensure Unit mails a renewal notice and an affidavit of continuing education to the licensee's last address of record at least 30 days before August 1 of the renewal year.
Summary
Nebraska occupational therapy assistants must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Nebraska Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit). Occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant licenses expire August 1 of each even numbered year, so renewal is every two years on the same date for everyone. The Licensure Unit mails a renewal notice and an affidavit of continuing education to the licensee's last address of record at least 30 days before August 1 of the renewal year.
Nebraska Occupational Therapy 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, 08/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 15 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Supervising a student through an entire level II fieldwork experience (1 contact hour per student, maximum 2 per cycle); Research or scholarly activity resulting in a juried publication (4 contact hours per publication, maximum 10 per cycle); Informal self-study: reading, observing other therapists, viewing videotapes, quality assurance or peer review studies (maximum 2 per cycle); Passing a nationally recognized specialty certification examination in an advanced practice area (20 contact hours); Scientific presentations at workshops, seminars, in-service training, conferences or guest lectures (maximum 4 per cycle, initial presentation only); University or college sponsored courses related to occupational therapy; Formal self-study with a testing mechanism |
Occupational therapy assistants must complete at least 15 hours of acceptable continuing education on or before August 1 of each even numbered year, five hours fewer than the 20 required of occupational therapists. Management courses count toward the total but are capped at 7.5 hours per 24 month renewal period for an occupational therapy assistant, a separate and smaller cap than the 10 hours allowed an occupational therapist. An hour means at least 60 minutes of participation in an organized learning experience, which 172 NAC 114 calls a contact hour. Hours must be obtained during the 24 months preceding the August 1 deadline. The rule sets no live or interactive minimum and no cap on formal self-study or webinars, so no online cap is recorded. Credit is not awarded for medical terminology courses, on the job training, occupational therapy orientation programs, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation and related training. Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-2521 lets the department waive continuing competency for a two year period in defined circumstances, including holding a Nebraska license while not residing or practising in Nebraska. NBCOT certification is not a Nebraska renewal condition; the rule credits 20 contact hours for passing a nationally recognized specialty certification examination in an advanced practice area, which is a credit for hours rather than a certification mandate. Physical agent modality certification is a separate Nebraska credential with its own board approved training courses; that training is not part of the base continuing education total.
Required CE topics for Nebraska occupational therapy assistants
The Nebraska Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) 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 | Not stated |
| Approved providers | 172 NAC 114 section 008 does not require board approved providers. It lists acceptable activity categories and the documentation each one needs, such as a certificate of attendance plus a program outline or objectives, an official transcript for college courses, and the signature page of the fieldwork evaluation for student supervision. Credit is not given for medical terminology courses, on the job training, occupational therapy orientation programs, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation and related training. Renewal is by an affidavit of continuing education that the Licensure Unit mails with the renewal notice, so certificates are not filed with the renewal. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Nebraska OTA need to renew?
- Nebraska occupational therapy assistants must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Nebraska Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit). Occupational therapy assistants must complete at least 15 hours of acceptable continuing education on or before August 1 of each even numbered year, five hours fewer than the 20 required of occupational therapists. Management courses count toward the total but are capped at 7.5 hours per 24 month renewal period for an occupational therapy assistant, a separate and smaller cap than the 10 hours allowed an occupational therapist. An hour means at least 60 minutes of participation in an organized learning experience, which 172 NAC 114 calls a contact hour. Hours must be obtained during the 24 months preceding the August 1 deadline. The rule sets no live or interactive minimum and no cap on formal self-study or webinars, so no online cap is recorded. Credit is not awarded for medical terminology courses, on the job training, occupational therapy orientation programs, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation and related training. Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-2521 lets the department waive continuing competency for a two year period in defined circumstances, including holding a Nebraska license while not residing or practising in Nebraska. NBCOT certification is not a Nebraska renewal condition; the rule credits 20 contact hours for passing a nationally recognized specialty certification examination in an advanced practice area, which is a credit for hours rather than a certification mandate. Physical agent modality certification is a separate Nebraska credential with its own board approved training courses; that training is not part of the base continuing education total.
- How often does a Nebraska OTA license need to be renewed?
- Occupational Therapy Assistant licenses in Nebraska renew every two years. Occupational therapist and occupational therapy assistant licenses expire August 1 of each even numbered year, so renewal is every two years on the same date for everyone. The Licensure Unit mails a renewal notice and an affidavit of continuing education to the licensee's last address of record at least 30 days before August 1 of the renewal year.
- Does Nebraska require specific CE topics for occupational therapy assistants?
- The Nebraska Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) does not list mandated subject areas for OTA renewal on the pages we verified; the 15 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Nebraska occupational therapy assistants have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates. 172 NAC 114 section 008 does not require board approved providers. It lists acceptable activity categories and the documentation each one needs, such as a certificate of attendance plus a program outline or objectives, an official transcript for college courses, and the signature page of the fieldwork evaluation for student supervision. Credit is not given for medical terminology courses, on the job training, occupational therapy orientation programs, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation and related training. Renewal is by an affidavit of continuing education that the Licensure Unit mails with the renewal notice, so certificates are not filed with the renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 9, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Occupational Therapy, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Licensure UnitState board page, accessed September 9, 2026
- 172 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 114 section 008, Continuing Education (Cornell LII mirror of the Nebraska Administrative Code)Third-party summary, accessed September 9, 2026
- 172 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 114 section 007, Renewal, Waiver of Continuing Education, and Inactive Status (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 9, 2026
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-2521, Continuing competency requirements; waiverStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-2505, Board, defined (Board of Occupational Therapy Practice)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
Nebraska follows the allied health department pattern: occupational therapy is licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services Licensure Unit under the Uniform Credentialing Act, advised by the Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, and is entirely separate from the Nebraska Board of Physical Therapy. The assistant total was confirmed as its own figure twice: the department's occupational therapy licensure page states 15 hours for an occupational therapy assistant against 20 for an occupational therapist, and 172 NAC 114 section 008 opens with the same split. Section 008.01(E) sets a separate assistant specific management course cap of 7.5 hours against 10 for therapists, so the two credentials differ on both the total and a category limit. Both credentials expire on the same date, August 1 of each even numbered year. The rule level detail comes from the Cornell LII mirror of 172 NAC 114 section 008, cited as a third party summary because the department publishes chapter 114 only as a PDF on govdocs.nebraska.gov, which was not opened. Supervision of an occupational therapy assistant by an occupational therapist is a practice requirement in the Occupational Therapy Practice Act and is not continuing education. No mandated subjects appear on the department page or in section 008. The rule does not state a record retention period, an audit percentage, a carryover provision, or a first renewal exemption.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Nebraska Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.