New Mexico Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
New Mexico physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the New Mexico Physical Therapy Board (Regulation and Licensing Department).
Licenses are renewed biennially and expire on February 1 following no more than two years of licensure. Renewals postmarked after February 1 are subject to a late fee ($250 for a physical therapist). The continuing education period runs February 1 through January 31 of the two-year renewal period.
Summary
New Mexico physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the New Mexico Physical Therapy Board (Regulation and Licensing Department). Licenses are renewed biennially and expire on February 1 following no more than two years of licensure. Renewals postmarked after February 1 are subject to a late fee ($250 for a physical therapist). The continuing education period runs February 1 through January 31 of the two-year renewal period. No more than 30 contact hours may be self-study or online, hours do not carry over between cycles, and the first renewal is exempt.
New Mexico Physical Therapist 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, 02/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 30 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | University or college courses (up to 30 hours per three-credit course); Preparing and presenting workshops or in-services (up to 15 hours); Reading journal articles (0.5 hour per article, up to 15 hours); Conducting physical therapy research (up to 30 hours); Supervising student clinical education (up to 15 hours); Residencies, fellowships, and specialty certification examinations (up to 30 hours); Certificate courses for an advanced specialty (up to 30 hours); APTA code of ethics courses; Legislative or APTA House of Delegates education (up to 8 hours) |
16.20.8.9 NMAC: thirty hours of continuing education are required biennially, earned during the current two-year renewal period of February 1 through January 31, except for licensees renewing for the first time, who need none. One contact hour is 60 minutes. 16.20.8.10 NMAC: no carryover hours are permitted. 16.20.8.12(D) NMAC lists activity categories with biennial maximums; home study courses and internet courses are each capped at 30 contact hours, which equals the full requirement, so in practice all 30 hours may be completed online. Licenses expired more than a year must show 15 hours per year expired to be reinstated.
Required CE topics for New Mexico physical therapists
The New Mexico Physical Therapy Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) 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 | Courses sponsored by the APTA or the New Mexico chapter of the APTA are automatically accepted, and programs approved by the APTA are automatically accepted (16.20.8.12(B) NMAC). The board also publishes lists of board-approved programs and approved providers on its continuing education page. Non-audited licensees sign an affidavit at renewal and must retain all documentation of attendance for the cycle immediately preceding the current renewal; the board audits a percentage of renewal applications each year and audited licensees must submit proof. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a New Mexico PT need to renew?
- New Mexico physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the New Mexico Physical Therapy Board (Regulation and Licensing Department). 16.20.8.9 NMAC: thirty hours of continuing education are required biennially, earned during the current two-year renewal period of February 1 through January 31, except for licensees renewing for the first time, who need none. One contact hour is 60 minutes. 16.20.8.10 NMAC: no carryover hours are permitted. 16.20.8.12(D) NMAC lists activity categories with biennial maximums; home study courses and internet courses are each capped at 30 contact hours, which equals the full requirement, so in practice all 30 hours may be completed online. Licenses expired more than a year must show 15 hours per year expired to be reinstated.
- How often does a New Mexico PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in New Mexico renew every two years. Licenses are renewed biennially and expire on February 1 following no more than two years of licensure. Renewals postmarked after February 1 are subject to a late fee ($250 for a physical therapist). The continuing education period runs February 1 through January 31 of the two-year renewal period.
- Does New Mexico require specific CE topics for physical therapists?
- The New Mexico Physical Therapy Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) does not list mandated subject areas for PT renewal on the pages we verified; the 30 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do New Mexico physical therapists 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. Courses sponsored by the APTA or the New Mexico chapter of the APTA are automatically accepted, and programs approved by the APTA are automatically accepted (16.20.8.12(B) NMAC). The board also publishes lists of board-approved programs and approved providers on its continuing education page. Non-audited licensees sign an affidavit at renewal and must retain all documentation of attendance for the cycle immediately preceding the current renewal; the board audits a percentage of renewal applications each year and audited licensees must submit proof.
- Is the first New Mexico PT renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. New Mexico does not require continuing education for a PT's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 16.20.8 NMAC, Physical Therapists: Continuing Education (New Mexico Administrative Code)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Instructors, Training Requirements, and Continuing Education, New Mexico Physical Therapy BoardState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Licensing, Registration, and Renewal, New Mexico Physical Therapy BoardState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- New Mexico Physical Therapy Board, Regulation and Licensing DepartmentState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours, the February 1 through January 31 period, first-renewal exemption, no-carryover rule, activity caps, audit, and documentation retention read from 16.20.8 NMAC on the New Mexico Commission of Public Records site and matched the board's CE page. Biennial cycle, February 1 expiration, and late fees read from the board's licensing and renewal page. 16.20.8 NMAC mandates no specific subject for renewal (no jurisprudence exam or ethics hours at renewal); the jurisprudence exam mentioned on the board page applies to initial licensure and reactivation of inactive licenses (16.20.3.14 NMAC). Retention is stated as documentation for the previous cycle rather than a number of years, so retention_years is null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the New Mexico Physical Therapy Board (Regulation and Licensing Department) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.