South Carolina Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
South Carolina physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.
A license is valid for up to two years and must be renewed biennially before January 1 of every other year, so the deadline falls on December 31 of even-numbered years. The board's renewal table shows the next physical therapist assistant deadline as December 31, 2026 with renewal expected to open about October 1, 2026, and the following deadline as December 31, 2028. A late penalty may apply through January 30, after which the license lapses.
Summary
South Carolina physical therapist assistants must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. A license is valid for up to two years and must be renewed biennially before January 1 of every other year, so the deadline falls on December 31 of even-numbered years. The board's renewal table shows the next physical therapist assistant deadline as December 31, 2026 with renewal expected to open about October 1, 2026, and the following deadline as December 31, 2028. A late penalty may apply through January 30, after which the license 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 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 |
| 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 | Clinical instruction (maximum 6 contact hours); In-service programs (maximum 3 contact hours); Adjunct teaching (maximum 10 contact hours); Volunteer physical therapy service (maximum 7.5 contact hours); Presentations (maximum 6 contact hours); Self-study (maximum 2 contact hours); Peer-reviewed research (10 contact hours); Professional publications (maximum 8 contact hours); Formal mentorship (5 contact hours); Graduate coursework at an accredited institution (10 contact hours per credit hour); APTA credentialed fellowship or residency; ABPTS specialization certification; FSBPT or APTA competency tools |
The board states the requirement as a licensed PT or PTA shall earn three (3.0) CEUs per biennium period, and it expresses every sub-limit in contact hours, so this record uses contact hours and records the total as 30. At least fifteen of the required thirty contact hours must come from Certified Activities; up to fifteen may come from Approved Activities, each with its own cap. The one continuing education difference the board states between the two credentials is that undergraduate courses are acceptable for PTAs. Only self-study is capped, at two contact hours, so max_self_study_or_online is left null for online coursework from certified providers, which the board does not cap. Credit is not awarded for CEUs or contact hours carried over from one licensure period to another. PTs and PTAs licensed in South Carolina are not subject to the requirement for the first biennium renewal period in which they are initially licensed.
Required CE topics for South Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethics, professionalism, and/or South Carolina jurisprudenceThe board states that a PT or PTA must complete three contact hours of study in ethics, professionalism, and/or South Carolina jurisprudence per biennium. The requirement is the same for physical therapist assistants as for physical therapists and counts toward the thirty hour total. | 3 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | S.C. Code Regs. 101-07 |
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 need a free CE Broker account to track and report hours. Certified Activities must come from FSBPT Standards of Continuing Competence programs, APTA conferences, SCAPTA programs, accredited universities, AMA approved courses, APTA fellowships or residencies, ABPTS specialization, graduate coursework, or FSBPT and APTA competency tools; everything else counts only as an Approved Activity, capped at fifteen hours. Licensees retain original documentation of all Certified and Approved Activities for no less than three years, and the Board may audit a percentage of continuing education reports. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a South Carolina PTA need to renew?
- South Carolina physical therapist assistants 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 a licensed PT or PTA shall earn three (3.0) CEUs per biennium period, and it expresses every sub-limit in contact hours, so this record uses contact hours and records the total as 30. At least fifteen of the required thirty contact hours must come from Certified Activities; up to fifteen may come from Approved Activities, each with its own cap. The one continuing education difference the board states between the two credentials is that undergraduate courses are acceptable for PTAs. Only self-study is capped, at two contact hours, so max_self_study_or_online is left null for online coursework from certified providers, which the board does not cap. Credit is not awarded for CEUs or contact hours carried over from one licensure period to another. PTs and PTAs licensed in South Carolina are not subject to the requirement for the first biennium renewal period in which they are initially licensed.
- How often does a South Carolina PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in South Carolina renew every two years. A license is valid for up to two years and must be renewed biennially before January 1 of every other year, so the deadline falls on December 31 of even-numbered years. The board's renewal table shows the next physical therapist assistant deadline as December 31, 2026 with renewal expected to open about October 1, 2026, and the following deadline as December 31, 2028. A late penalty may apply through January 30, after which the license lapses.
- What specific CE topics are required for South Carolina physical therapist assistants?
- 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).
- Do South Carolina physical therapist assistants 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 need a free CE Broker account to track and report hours. Certified Activities must come from FSBPT Standards of Continuing Competence programs, APTA conferences, SCAPTA programs, accredited universities, AMA approved courses, APTA fellowships or residencies, ABPTS specialization, graduate coursework, or FSBPT and APTA competency tools; everything else counts only as an Approved Activity, capped at fifteen hours. Licensees retain original documentation of all Certified and Approved Activities for no less than three years, and the Board may audit a percentage of continuing education reports.
- Is the first South Carolina PTA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. South Carolina 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.
- Continuing Education (reproducing S.C. Code Regs. 101-07), South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewal (renewal open and deadline dates for PT and PTA), South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 45, Physical Therapy Practice Act, Section 40-45-250 renewalStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
South Carolina applies one continuing education requirement to physical therapists and physical therapist assistants alike. The board's continuing education page states the requirement as a licensed PT or PTA shall earn three (3.0) CEUs per biennium period, the fifteen hour Certified Activity minimum, and the three hour ethics, professionalism, and/or South Carolina jurisprudence requirement for a PT or PTA, and S.C. Code 40-45-250 applies the same biennial renewal and the same 3.0 continuing education units to both credentials. The only PTA specific variation stated is that undergraduate courses are acceptable for PTAs. The board's renewal page lists identical open and deadline dates for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. The underlying regulation text, S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 101, is published as a PDF at https://www.scstatehouse.gov/coderegs/Chapter%20101.pdf and was not fetched under the no-download rule; the board page reproduces the operative text, and the ethics citation is given as Reg. 101-07 without a subsection because the subsection number was not visible in the page text that was read.
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.