South Dakota Occupational Therapy Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
South Dakota occupational therapy assistants must complete 12 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners.
An occupational therapy assistant license expires on January 1 of the year after it is issued, so renewal is due every year. Failure to renew on or before March 1 of each year forfeits the license, and a forfeited license can be restored by written application plus the current annual renewal fee and a late fee, but no more than five years after expiration. The board treats renewal as entirely the licensee's responsibility and says reminders, if sent, are a courtesy.
Summary
South Dakota occupational therapy assistants must complete 12 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners. An occupational therapy assistant license expires on January 1 of the year after it is issued, so renewal is due every year. Failure to renew on or before March 1 of each year forfeits the license, and a forfeited license can be restored by written application plus the current annual renewal fee and a late fee, but no more than five years after expiration. The board treats renewal as entirely the licensee's responsibility and says reminders, if sent, are a courtesy.
South Dakota Occupational Therapy 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 01/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 12 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Presenting a workshop, seminar or in-service program of at least two hours to health or education professionals (1 point per hour, maximum 6 points); Publication in a professional journal, other nationally recognized publication, or a book or book chapter (6 points each); Completing an accredited undergraduate or graduate course related to occupational therapy practice (6 points each); Maintaining current NBCOT certification, which satisfies the continuing education requirement of the chapter in full |
South Dakota counts continuing competency points, and ARSD 20:64:04:02 credits one point for each hour of attendance at a qualifying workshop, seminar, conference or in-service program, so 12 points is 12 hours of attendance. The assistant total is the same 12 points as the therapist total, not a reduced figure: ARSD 20:64:04:01 sets one figure for renewal of a license under SDCL 36-31-11, which covers both credentials, and the board's separate occupational therapy assistant page states the same 12 point requirement. ARSD 20:64:04:03 names occupational therapy assistants alongside occupational therapists and states that maintaining current certification by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) meets the continuing education requirements of the chapter, so current NBCOT certification is a full substitute for the 12 points rather than a source of them. The board may excuse an applicant from the annual requirement on an affidavit of illness or undue hardship (ARSD 20:64:04:04). Supervision requirements for assistants are practice rules, not continuing education.
Required CE topics for South Dakota occupational therapy assistants
The South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners 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 | The rules name no approved provider organization and set no pre-approval step; ARSD 20:64:04:02 simply lists the four qualifying activity types and the evidence for each (a certificate of completion for attendance, a program outline for a presentation, the publisher's manuscript acknowledgment for a publication, a transcript for a course). |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a South Dakota OTA need to renew?
- South Dakota occupational therapy assistants must complete 12 contact hours of continuing education every year to renew their license with the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners. South Dakota counts continuing competency points, and ARSD 20:64:04:02 credits one point for each hour of attendance at a qualifying workshop, seminar, conference or in-service program, so 12 points is 12 hours of attendance. The assistant total is the same 12 points as the therapist total, not a reduced figure: ARSD 20:64:04:01 sets one figure for renewal of a license under SDCL 36-31-11, which covers both credentials, and the board's separate occupational therapy assistant page states the same 12 point requirement. ARSD 20:64:04:03 names occupational therapy assistants alongside occupational therapists and states that maintaining current certification by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) meets the continuing education requirements of the chapter, so current NBCOT certification is a full substitute for the 12 points rather than a source of them. The board may excuse an applicant from the annual requirement on an affidavit of illness or undue hardship (ARSD 20:64:04:04). Supervision requirements for assistants are practice rules, not continuing education.
- How often does a South Dakota OTA license need to be renewed?
- Occupational Therapy Assistant licenses in South Dakota renew every year. An occupational therapy assistant license expires on January 1 of the year after it is issued, so renewal is due every year. Failure to renew on or before March 1 of each year forfeits the license, and a forfeited license can be restored by written application plus the current annual renewal fee and a late fee, but no more than five years after expiration. The board treats renewal as entirely the licensee's responsibility and says reminders, if sent, are a courtesy.
- Does South Dakota require specific CE topics for occupational therapy assistants?
- The South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners does not list mandated subject areas for OTA renewal on the pages we verified; the 12 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do South Dakota occupational therapy assistants 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. The rules name no approved provider organization and set no pre-approval step; ARSD 20:64:04:02 simply lists the four qualifying activity types and the evidence for each (a certificate of completion for attendance, a program outline for a presentation, the publisher's manuscript acknowledgment for a publication, a transcript for a course).
Sources
Last verified September 9, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- ARSD 20:64:04:01, Continuing competency requirements, South Dakota LegislatureStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- ARSD 20:64:04:02, Activities for continuing competency requirementsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- ARSD 20:64:04:03, Reporting continuing educationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- ARSD 20:64:04:04, Waiver of continuing competency requirementsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- SDCL 36-31-11, Expiration of license, renewal, fee, restoration of forfeited licenseStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- Occupational Therapy Assistant, South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic ExaminersState board page, accessed September 9, 2026
The assistant figures were read as assistant figures: the board publishes a separate occupational therapy assistant page that states the same 12 continuing competency points in a one year period, and ARSD 20:64:04:03 names occupational therapy assistants explicitly in the reporting and NBCOT substitution rule. Occupational therapy in South Dakota is regulated by the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners, a multi-profession board that also licenses physicians, physician assistants, athletic trainers, dietitians, genetic counselors, EMS personnel and respiratory care practitioners. It is not the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy, which is a separate board with its own rules and a two year cycle, so none of the physical therapist assistant figures were reused here. Point total, annual period, qualifying activities and the hardship waiver come from ARSD chapter 20:64:04 on the Legislature's official rules service, and the expiration and March 1 forfeiture from SDCL 36-31-11. The rules state no mandated subject areas, no carryover, no self-study cap and no record retention period. Assistants who did not cover physical agent modalities in their education program request a separate PAMs certification; the board's page describes no separate continuing education total for that endorsement. The board's profession pages carry placeholder Lorem ipsum text in their FAQ blocks, which is a site defect, not a requirement.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.