Pennsylvania Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Pennsylvania physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy.
Pennsylvania certifies rather than licenses physical therapist assistants, and a certification expires on December 31 of every even-numbered year unless renewed for the next biennium, the same date physical therapist licenses expire. Renewing late adds a $5 fee for each month or part of a month the certificate holder provided services past the renewal date. A certificate holder may not provide services as a physical therapist assistant until the certification is renewed or reactivated.
Summary
Pennsylvania physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy. Pennsylvania certifies rather than licenses physical therapist assistants, and a certification expires on December 31 of every even-numbered year unless renewed for the next biennium, the same date physical therapist licenses expire. Renewing late adds a $5 fee for each month or part of a month the certificate holder provided services past the renewal date. A certificate holder may not provide services as a physical therapist assistant until the certification is renewed or reactivated. Pennsylvania also mandates specific subjects. Identifying and responding to emergency health conditions: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Law or ethics applicable to the practice of physical therapy: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Child abuse recognition and reporting: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Pennsylvania 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, 12/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Clinical instruction of students in a CAPTE affiliated facility (1 contact hour per 40 hours, maximum 4 contact hours per biennium); Teaching or conducting a continuing education course (the same credit an attendee earns, plus preparation time up to that amount); Authoring or editing a book (up to 15 contact hours); Authoring or editing a book chapter (up to 10 contact hours); Authoring or reviewing a published peer-reviewed article (up to 10 contact hours); Authoring a non-peer-reviewed article in a physical therapy publication (up to 5 contact hours) |
49 Pa. Code 40.192(a)(1) sets the requirement for certified physical therapist assistants: during each biennial renewal period, at least 30 contact hours of continuing physical therapy education, including at least 4 contact hours in identifying and responding to emergency health conditions, at least 2 contact hours in law or ethics applicable to the practice of physical therapy, and at least 2 contact hours in child abuse recognition and reporting. The total matches the 30 hours physical therapists owe under 49 Pa. Code 40.67, but the assistant requirement carries an extra mandate: the 4 hours in identifying and responding to emergency health conditions appear in 40.192 for assistants and not in 40.67 for physical therapists. A contact hour is 60 minutes of participation and a semester credit from an academic institution equals 15 contact hours. Continuing education counts only for the biennium in which it was completed, so there is no carryover, and an assistant is not required to complete continuing education during the biennial cycle in which first certified. Credit may not be earned in office management or practice building courses, and the same course may not be repeated for credit within a renewal period. The Board may waive the requirement or grant an extension for physical disability, illness, or undue hardship, with documentation received at least 90 days before the biennial renewal.
Required CE topics for Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifying and responding to emergency health conditionsFour of the 30 contact hours each biennium. This mandate is specific to certified physical therapist assistants; the parallel physical therapist rule at 49 Pa. Code 40.67(a)(1) does not contain it. The American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, and their component organizations are preapproved providers for this subject only. A custom topic key is used because no canonical key fits. | 4 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 40.192(a)(1) |
| Law or ethics applicable to the practice of physical therapyAt least 2 of the 30 contact hours, the same figure physical therapists owe. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 40.192(a)(1) |
| Child abuse recognition and reportingAt least 2 contact hours of Bureau-approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting each biennial renewal, counted within the 30 hours. The Board will not renew the certification unless the Bureau has received an electronic report from an approved course provider documenting attendance, or the certificate holder has obtained an exemption under 40.208(c). Applicants for initial certification complete 3 hours instead. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 40.192(a)(1); 40.191(c)(5); 40.208(b) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 5 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Credit is granted only for clinical instruction, courses from providers preapproved under 40.192(d)(1), courses approved by the Board, and authored publications. Preapproved providers are the APTA and its components, the FSBPT and its jurisdictions, CAPTE accredited physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs, the American Heart Association and American Red Cross for emergency health conditions only, and any provider whose course is certified by FSBPT ProCert or approved by the FSBPT, its jurisdictions, or the APTA. The Board maintains a public list of preapproved providers and approved courses. At renewal the certificate holder verifies compliance rather than submitting certificates; proof of completion is retained for 5 years after completion or after the renewal period in which it was applied, whichever is later. The Board audits certified physical therapist assistants, and an audit notice must be answered fully within 30 days. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Pennsylvania PTA need to renew?
- Pennsylvania physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy. 49 Pa. Code 40.192(a)(1) sets the requirement for certified physical therapist assistants: during each biennial renewal period, at least 30 contact hours of continuing physical therapy education, including at least 4 contact hours in identifying and responding to emergency health conditions, at least 2 contact hours in law or ethics applicable to the practice of physical therapy, and at least 2 contact hours in child abuse recognition and reporting. The total matches the 30 hours physical therapists owe under 49 Pa. Code 40.67, but the assistant requirement carries an extra mandate: the 4 hours in identifying and responding to emergency health conditions appear in 40.192 for assistants and not in 40.67 for physical therapists. A contact hour is 60 minutes of participation and a semester credit from an academic institution equals 15 contact hours. Continuing education counts only for the biennium in which it was completed, so there is no carryover, and an assistant is not required to complete continuing education during the biennial cycle in which first certified. Credit may not be earned in office management or practice building courses, and the same course may not be repeated for credit within a renewal period. The Board may waive the requirement or grant an extension for physical disability, illness, or undue hardship, with documentation received at least 90 days before the biennial renewal.
- How often does a Pennsylvania PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in Pennsylvania renew every two years. Pennsylvania certifies rather than licenses physical therapist assistants, and a certification expires on December 31 of every even-numbered year unless renewed for the next biennium, the same date physical therapist licenses expire. Renewing late adds a $5 fee for each month or part of a month the certificate holder provided services past the renewal date. A certificate holder may not provide services as a physical therapist assistant until the certification is renewed or reactivated.
- What specific CE topics are required for Pennsylvania physical therapist assistants?
- Identifying and responding to emergency health conditions: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Law or ethics applicable to the practice of physical therapy: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Child abuse recognition and reporting: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: identifying and responding to emergency health conditions (49 Pa. Code 40.192(a)(1)), law or ethics applicable to the practice of physical therapy (49 Pa. Code 40.192(a)(1)), and child abuse recognition and reporting (49 Pa. Code 40.192(a)(1); 40.191(c)(5); 40.208(b)).
- Do Pennsylvania physical therapist assistants 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 5 years. Credit is granted only for clinical instruction, courses from providers preapproved under 40.192(d)(1), courses approved by the Board, and authored publications. Preapproved providers are the APTA and its components, the FSBPT and its jurisdictions, CAPTE accredited physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs, the American Heart Association and American Red Cross for emergency health conditions only, and any provider whose course is certified by FSBPT ProCert or approved by the FSBPT, its jurisdictions, or the APTA. The Board maintains a public list of preapproved providers and approved courses. At renewal the certificate holder verifies compliance rather than submitting certificates; proof of completion is retained for 5 years after completion or after the renewal period in which it was applied, whichever is later. The Board audits certified physical therapist assistants, and an audit notice must be answered fully within 30 days.
- Is the first Pennsylvania PTA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Pennsylvania 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.
- 49 Pa. Code 40.192, Continuing education for certified physical therapist assistantStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 40.191, Renewal of certification (physical therapist assistant)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 40.208, Child abuse recognition and reporting, mandatory training requirementStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 40.67, Continuing education for licensed physical therapist (read only to compare the physical therapist mandate)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
Pennsylvania keeps a separate subchapter for physical therapist assistants, so every value here comes from the assistant's own rules rather than the physical therapist rules. Two differences matter. First, the credential: assistants are certified, not licensed, and 49 Pa. Code 40.191 governs renewal of certification. Second, the subject mandates: 40.192(a)(1) requires 4 contact hours in identifying and responding to emergency health conditions on top of the law or ethics and child abuse hours, and 40.67(a)(1), the physical therapist rule, was read for comparison and contains no such requirement. The totals are the same at 30 contact hours per biennium. The December 31 even-year expiration, the first-cycle exemption, the no-carryover rule, the 5-year retention, and the 30-day audit response were read in 40.191 and 40.192. Chapter 40 states no cap on distance or home study hours. The board's own renewal page on pa.gov was not fetched for this record; the Pennsylvania Code text carries every value.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Pennsylvania State Board of Physical Therapy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.