South Carolina Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
South Carolina physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.
Licenses renew every two years and must be renewed before January 1 of each odd-numbered year, so the deadline is December 31 of even-numbered years (the 2026 renewal covers the reporting period January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, with renewal expected to open around October 1, 2026). A license not renewed by the deadline lapses.
Summary
South Carolina physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Licenses renew every two years and must be renewed before January 1 of each odd-numbered year, so the deadline is December 31 of even-numbered years (the 2026 renewal covers the reporting period January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, with renewal expected to open around October 1, 2026). A license not renewed by the deadline lapses. South Carolina also mandates specific subjects. Ethics, professionalism, and/or South Carolina jurisprudence: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle. Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
South 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 | 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 |
| Category 1 minimum | 15 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | APTA credentialed fellowship or residency (satisfies the whole biennium); ABPTS clinical specialist certification or recertification (satisfies the whole biennium); Graduate academic coursework at an accredited institution (10 contact hours per credit hour); FSBPT or APTA continued competency tools, examinations, or self-assessments (5 contact hours if none awarded); Clinical instruction of DPT or PTA students (1 contact hour per 160 internship hours, max 6 per biennium, APTA credentialed CI required); In-service programs on safety, regulation, clinical concepts, or CPR (1 hour each, max 3 per biennium); Adjunct teaching at an accredited institution (max 10 contact hours per biennium); Volunteer physical therapy services (1 hour per hour, max 7.5 per biennium); Presentations to physical therapists or other health professionals (3 hours per topic, max 6 per biennium); Self-study by correspondence, video, internet, or satellite from a non-certified provider (1 hour per topic, max 2 per biennium); Peer-reviewed research as principal or co-principal investigator (10 contact hours); Professional publications (8 hours peer-reviewed, 4 hours non-peer-reviewed, max 8 per biennium); Formal mentorship as mentor or protege (5 contact hours per biennium) |
The board states the requirement as 3.0 CEUs per biennium and defines one CEU as ten contact hours (Reg. 101-01(2)), so the regulation reads 'three (3.0) CEUs per biennium period (30 hours)'. This record uses contact hours because every sub-limit in the regulation is stated in contact hours; a contact hour is at least 50 minutes. At least 15 of the 30 contact hours must come from Certified Activities (FSBPT Standards of Continuing Competence programs, APTA and APTA-SC programs, other state PT boards, accredited universities, AMA approved courses, fellowships, ABPTS certification, graduate coursework, FSBPT or APTA competency tools); up to 15 may come from Approved Activities, each with its own cap. Online courses from certified providers have no stated cap; only 'self-study' from a non-certified provider is capped at 2 contact hours per biennium, which is why max_self_study_or_online is left null. No CEUs or contact hours may be carried over between licensure periods (Reg. 101-07(5)(f)). Licensees are exempt for the first biennium renewal period in which they are initially licensed (Reg. 101-07(1)). S.C. Code 40-45-250(A) also provides that a PT first licensed in the last quarter of a calendar year is issued a license for the next licensing period.
Required CE topics for South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethics, professionalism, and/or South Carolina jurisprudenceThree contact hours per biennium in ethics, professionalism, and/or South Carolina jurisprudence. Must be obtained through a Certified Activity and counts toward the 15 required Certified Activity hours. | 3 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | S.C. Code Regs. 101-07(2) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 3 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | South Carolina uses CE Broker; licensees must register at cebroker.com and upload completion certificates before renewing. Certified Activities must come from FSBPT Standards of Continuing Competence compliant providers, the APTA, APTA-SC or other APTA chapters and sections, other state physical therapy boards, accredited universities, or AMA approved courses; other coursework counts only as Approved Activities (max 15 hours). Original documentation must be retained at least three years from the beginning date of the licensure period and is subject to random audit by the Board (Reg. 101-07(6) and (7)). |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a South Carolina PT need to renew?
- South Carolina physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. The board states the requirement as 3.0 CEUs per biennium and defines one CEU as ten contact hours (Reg. 101-01(2)), so the regulation reads 'three (3.0) CEUs per biennium period (30 hours)'. This record uses contact hours because every sub-limit in the regulation is stated in contact hours; a contact hour is at least 50 minutes. At least 15 of the 30 contact hours must come from Certified Activities (FSBPT Standards of Continuing Competence programs, APTA and APTA-SC programs, other state PT boards, accredited universities, AMA approved courses, fellowships, ABPTS certification, graduate coursework, FSBPT or APTA competency tools); up to 15 may come from Approved Activities, each with its own cap. Online courses from certified providers have no stated cap; only 'self-study' from a non-certified provider is capped at 2 contact hours per biennium, which is why max_self_study_or_online is left null. No CEUs or contact hours may be carried over between licensure periods (Reg. 101-07(5)(f)). Licensees are exempt for the first biennium renewal period in which they are initially licensed (Reg. 101-07(1)). S.C. Code 40-45-250(A) also provides that a PT first licensed in the last quarter of a calendar year is issued a license for the next licensing period.
- How often does a South Carolina PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in South Carolina renew every two years. Licenses renew every two years and must be renewed before January 1 of each odd-numbered year, so the deadline is December 31 of even-numbered years (the 2026 renewal covers the reporting period January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, with renewal expected to open around October 1, 2026). A license not renewed by the deadline lapses.
- What specific CE topics are required for South Carolina physical therapists?
- Ethics, professionalism, and/or South Carolina jurisprudence: 3 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: ethics, professionalism, and/or South Carolina jurisprudence (S.C. Code Regs. 101-07(2)).
- Do South Carolina physical therapists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 3 years. South Carolina uses CE Broker; licensees must register at cebroker.com and upload completion certificates before renewing. Certified Activities must come from FSBPT Standards of Continuing Competence compliant providers, the APTA, APTA-SC or other APTA chapters and sections, other state physical therapy boards, accredited universities, or AMA approved courses; other coursework counts only as Approved Activities (max 15 hours). Original documentation must be retained at least three years from the beginning date of the licensure period and is subject to random audit by the Board (Reg. 101-07(6) and (7)).
- Is the first South Carolina PT renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. South Carolina 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.
- S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 101, Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Reg. 101-07 Continuing Education and Competency, amended eff. May 24, 2024)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 45, Physical Therapy Practice Act (Section 40-45-250 renewal)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Continuing Education, South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy ExaminersState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Renewal, South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy ExaminersState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners homepageState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours, certified activity minimum, ethics requirement, first-renewal exemption, carryover prohibition, three-year retention, and random audit were read directly from Reg. 101-07 in the Secretary of State's Chapter 101 PDF and match the board's CE page. The biennial cycle and the before-January-1 deadline come from S.C. Code 40-45-250 and the board's renewal page (2026 renewal deadline December 31, 2026; next cycle ends December 31, 2028). Unit choice: the board's headline figure is 3.0 CEUs, which it equates to 30 contact hours; this record uses contact hours and explains the conversion. Not stated by the board: live or interactive minimum, whether the first renewal is prorated (the statute defers the first renewal for those licensed in the fourth quarter rather than prorating), and any cap on online courses from certified providers.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the South 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.