North Carolina Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
North Carolina physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every 25 months to renew their license with the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.
Licenses renew every year and expire on January 31 (21 NCAC 48G .0104; G.S. 90-270.99). The statute's renewal window is during January until October 1, 2026 and November 1 through January 31 at close of business thereafter. Licenses not renewed lapse automatically. Continuing competence points are reported on a two-year schedule: each 25-month reporting period begins January 1 and closes with the second January 31 renewal.
Summary
North Carolina physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every 25 months to renew their license with the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Licenses renew every year and expire on January 31 (21 NCAC 48G .0104; G.S. 90-270.99). The statute's renewal window is during January until October 1, 2026 and November 1 through January 31 at close of business thereafter. Licenses not renewed lapse automatically. Continuing competence points are reported on a two-year schedule: each 25-month reporting period begins January 1 and closes with the second January 31 renewal. North Carolina also mandates specific subjects. Jurisprudence Exercise (online questions on the Physical Therapy Practice Act, Board rules, and Position Statements): 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Up to 10 excess contact hours carry over to the next cycle.
North Carolina 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 01/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hoursCounted over a 25-month window, separate from the renewal cycle. |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Yes, up to 10 contact hours |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Post-baccalaureate academic coursework (15 points per semester hour, maximum 29); APTA credentialed residency or fellowship (10 points per year, maximum 20); ABPTS specialty certification or recertification (20 points); FSBPT Practice Review Tool (10 points passing, 5 points not passing); Credentialed Clinical Instructor courses (1 point per hour, maximum 29); Serving as a clinical instructor (1 point per 40 hours of supervision, maximum 8); Presenting or teaching (2 points per hour, maximum 6); Research grants, books, chapters, and articles (4 to 10 points each, maximum 15 in the category); Clinical practice (1 to 3 points per year based on hours worked); Professional self-assessment through an approved Reflective Practice Exercise (5 points); Workplace in-service education (maximum 5 points); Professional service as an officer or committee chair (2 to 10 points); NPTE or ABPTS item writing (5 points per year); Clinical research participation (1 point per hour, maximum 10) |
The Board counts points; one contact hour (at least 50 consecutive minutes) of live continuing education from an approved provider earns one point (21 NCAC 48G .0105 and .0109). Each physical therapist must accumulate 30 points during each 25-month reporting period that begins January 1; for new licensees the first reporting period starts on the January 1 following initial licensure (48G .0106). Category caps apply instead of a single online limit: live courses maximum 29 points, interactive electronic courses maximum 15, non-interactive electronic or approved-provider home study maximum 10, self-designed home study (3 hours per point) maximum 5. Up to 10 extra points may be carried to the next reporting period, except points from the jurisprudence exercise, clinical practice, and self-assessment (48G .0106(c)).
Required CE topics for North Carolina physical therapists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisprudence Exercise (online questions on the Physical Therapy Practice Act, Board rules, and Position Statements)Every licensee must complete the Board's online jurisprudence exercise during each reporting period; it earns one point per completion, with a maximum of three points per period. Recorded as 1 point (hour-equivalent). Points from this category cannot be carried over. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | 21 NCAC 48G .0109(k); 48G .0105(7) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Approved providers include any US or Canadian PT licensing board, the APTA and its sections, credentialed residencies, fellowships and accrediting subsidiary, state APTA chapters, FSBPT, IACET, providers approved by those bodies, accredited PT and PTA programs, and named NC public agencies (48G .0108); other providers and licensees may apply to the Board for activity approval. Licensees submit a Continuing Competence Reporting Form with the renewal application, retain documentary evidence for four years after the end of the reporting period, and the Board conducts random audits with a 30-day response window (48G .0110). |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a North Carolina PT need to renew?
- North Carolina physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every 25 months to renew their license with the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. The Board counts points; one contact hour (at least 50 consecutive minutes) of live continuing education from an approved provider earns one point (21 NCAC 48G .0105 and .0109). Each physical therapist must accumulate 30 points during each 25-month reporting period that begins January 1; for new licensees the first reporting period starts on the January 1 following initial licensure (48G .0106). Category caps apply instead of a single online limit: live courses maximum 29 points, interactive electronic courses maximum 15, non-interactive electronic or approved-provider home study maximum 10, self-designed home study (3 hours per point) maximum 5. Up to 10 extra points may be carried to the next reporting period, except points from the jurisprudence exercise, clinical practice, and self-assessment (48G .0106(c)).
- How often does a North Carolina PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in North Carolina renew every year. Licenses renew every year and expire on January 31 (21 NCAC 48G .0104; G.S. 90-270.99). The statute's renewal window is during January until October 1, 2026 and November 1 through January 31 at close of business thereafter. Licenses not renewed lapse automatically. Continuing competence points are reported on a two-year schedule: each 25-month reporting period begins January 1 and closes with the second January 31 renewal.
- What specific CE topics are required for North Carolina physical therapists?
- Jurisprudence Exercise (online questions on the Physical Therapy Practice Act, Board rules, and Position Statements): 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Citations: Jurisprudence Exercise (online questions on the Physical Therapy Practice Act, Board rules, and Position Statements) (21 NCAC 48G .0109(k); 48G .0105(7)).
- Do North Carolina physical therapists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 4 years. Approved providers include any US or Canadian PT licensing board, the APTA and its sections, credentialed residencies, fellowships and accrediting subsidiary, state APTA chapters, FSBPT, IACET, providers approved by those bodies, accredited PT and PTA programs, and named NC public agencies (48G .0108); other providers and licensees may apply to the Board for activity approval. Licensees submit a Continuing Competence Reporting Form with the renewal application, retain documentary evidence for four years after the end of the reporting period, and the Board conducts random audits with a 30-day response window (48G .0110).
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 21 NCAC Chapter 48, Board of Physical Therapy Examiners rules (Subchapter 48G, Retention of License), NC Office of Administrative HearingsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 90-270.99, Renewal of licenses (physical therapy)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (landing page)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
All continuing competence values (30 points per 25-month reporting period, point values and caps by category, 10-point carryover with exclusions, jurisprudence exercise each period, reporting form at renewal, four-year retention, random audit, approved providers) read from 21 NCAC 48G .0104 through .0112 in the OAH rules compilation. Annual renewal and the January 31 expiration read from G.S. 90-270.99 and 48G .0104(b). The Board's main site (www2.ncptboard.org, including its Continuing Competence FAQ) is behind a Cloudflare block and could not be read, so renewal_url is null and the state landing page at ncptboard.org is the only board page cited. The rules do not state a first-renewal exemption in those words; the reporting period simply starts the January 1 after initial licensure, so exempt_first_renewal is left null. Jurisprudence exercise points are described in the rule as points rather than hours; 1 point recorded as hours for schema purposes. The OAH server refused connections on the first attempt and answered on a retry.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.