South Dakota Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
South Dakota physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy.
A license expires on January 1 of the second year following its issuance, so renewal is due before January 1 at the end of each two-year license period. Failure to renew on or before July 1 of the second year following issuance forfeits the license (SDCL 36-10-33). Renewal is completed online through the board's licensee services portal at sdboards.org.
Summary
South Dakota physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy. A license expires on January 1 of the second year following its issuance, so renewal is due before January 1 at the end of each two-year license period. Failure to renew on or before July 1 of the second year following issuance forfeits the license (SDCL 36-10-33). Renewal is completed online through the board's licensee services portal at sdboards.org. Hours do not carry over between cycles.
South Dakota 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, 01/01 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 | No |
| Other accepted activities | Post-professional academic coursework related to physical therapy (1 academic credit = 15 CE hours, no limit); First-time development and teaching of an academic course (student contact hours divided by 5, max 4 CE hours); Clinical instruction of PT or PTA students (160 instructional hours = 5 CE hours, max 5); Clinical mentorship in a credentialed residency or fellowship (160 hours = 7.5 CE hours, max 7.5); Completing a credentialed residency or fellowship under mentorship (160 hours = 15 CE hours, max 15); Authorship in a peer-reviewed publication (case study 2, original research 5, max 5); ABPTS or other recognized specialist certification (15 for initial certification, 5 for recertification, max 15); Healthy Practice Resource Tool self-reflection modules (1 per module, max 2); Webinars not approved by an approval source (contact hours divided by 10, max 0.5); Holding office or serving as delegate or director of a physical therapy professional organization (2 per term year, max 4); Volunteerism related to physical therapy (4 or more hours per year = 1 CE hour, max 1) |
ARSD 20:66:03:01 (effective January 1, 2024) requires thirty continuing education hours in a two-year period; the board's guidelines state 1 clock hour = 1 continuing education hour = 0.10 CEU and require certificates issued in CEUs to be converted (CEUs x 10). Category 1 (certified coursework approved by the SDBPT, APTA, APTA-SD, or another state PT board, plus post-professional academic coursework) may supply all 30 hours. Category 2 (participatory activities listed above) is capped at 15 CE hours per two-year cycle. The board states there is no limit on online hours as long as the course is approved, relates to physical therapy practice, and respects Category 2 caps. Hours may only be credited to the licensing cycle in which they are completed (no carryover). New licensees must meet the full 30 hours unless the board grants a waiver; the board allows a partial waiver of up to 15 CE hours for first-renewal licensees who graduated from an accredited DPT or PTA program within the same two-year cycle, requested by notarized affidavit at least 30 days before expiration (ARSD 20:66:03:04, SDCL 36-10-51). Not accepted: courses under 60 minutes, CPR certification, staff meetings, rounds, routine job teaching, manufacturer product training unless separately approved.
Required CE topics for South Dakota physical therapists
The South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy 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 | Activities must be approved by the American Physical Therapy Association, the APTA South Dakota Chapter, the State Board of Physical Therapy, or a board that licenses PTs or PTAs in another state (ARSD 20:66:03:02). At renewal the licensee checks a box confirming completion (ARSD 20:66:03:03) and is not required to submit certificates unless randomly audited; audited licensees complete the SDBPT Continuing Education Summary Form and provide certificates or other evidence listed in the board's guidelines. Individual course approval inquiries go through CEU Locker. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a South Dakota PT need to renew?
- South Dakota physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy. ARSD 20:66:03:01 (effective January 1, 2024) requires thirty continuing education hours in a two-year period; the board's guidelines state 1 clock hour = 1 continuing education hour = 0.10 CEU and require certificates issued in CEUs to be converted (CEUs x 10). Category 1 (certified coursework approved by the SDBPT, APTA, APTA-SD, or another state PT board, plus post-professional academic coursework) may supply all 30 hours. Category 2 (participatory activities listed above) is capped at 15 CE hours per two-year cycle. The board states there is no limit on online hours as long as the course is approved, relates to physical therapy practice, and respects Category 2 caps. Hours may only be credited to the licensing cycle in which they are completed (no carryover). New licensees must meet the full 30 hours unless the board grants a waiver; the board allows a partial waiver of up to 15 CE hours for first-renewal licensees who graduated from an accredited DPT or PTA program within the same two-year cycle, requested by notarized affidavit at least 30 days before expiration (ARSD 20:66:03:04, SDCL 36-10-51). Not accepted: courses under 60 minutes, CPR certification, staff meetings, rounds, routine job teaching, manufacturer product training unless separately approved.
- How often does a South Dakota PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in South Dakota renew every two years. A license expires on January 1 of the second year following its issuance, so renewal is due before January 1 at the end of each two-year license period. Failure to renew on or before July 1 of the second year following issuance forfeits the license (SDCL 36-10-33). Renewal is completed online through the board's licensee services portal at sdboards.org.
- Does South Dakota require specific CE topics for physical therapists?
- The South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy does not list mandated subject areas for PT renewal on the pages we verified; the 30 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do South Dakota physical therapists 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. Activities must be approved by the American Physical Therapy Association, the APTA South Dakota Chapter, the State Board of Physical Therapy, or a board that licenses PTs or PTAs in another state (ARSD 20:66:03:02). At renewal the licensee checks a box confirming completion (ARSD 20:66:03:03) and is not required to submit certificates unless randomly audited; audited licensees complete the SDBPT Continuing Education Summary Form and provide certificates or other evidence listed in the board's guidelines. Individual course approval inquiries go through CEU Locker.
- Is the first South Dakota PT renewal exempt from CE?
- No. South Dakota applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Continuing Education, South Dakota Board of Physical TherapyState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Guidelines for Acceptable Continuing Education Credits for PTs/PTAs Licensed in South Dakota (SDBPT, v7)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Acceptable Continuing Education Hour Credits for PTs and PTAs Licensed to Practice in South Dakota (SDBPT)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy homepageState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- SDCL 36-10-33 Licensure expiration, renewal, fee, forfeiture (South Dakota Legislature)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- ARSD 20:66:03:01 Continuing education requirements (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- ARSD 20:66:03:02 Activities for continuing education requirements (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- ARSD 20:66:03:03 Reporting continuing education (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- ARSD 20:66:03:04 Waiver of continuing education requirements (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
PT licensure moved from the Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners to the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy on July 1, 2023. The 30-hour, two-year requirement was read on the board's CE page and in its guidelines PDF and confirmed in ARSD 20:66:03:01 (Cornell mirror; the sdlegislature.gov rules pages require JavaScript and could not be fetched). The expiration rule (January 1 of the second year following issuance; forfeiture after July 1) was read from SDCL 36-10-33 via the legislature's statute API. The board does not state which calendar years licenses expire in; the guidelines' example uses an expiration of 01.01.26. Not stated: a document retention period, a Category 1 minimum (implied 15 by the Category 2 cap but not written as a minimum), any live or interactive minimum, and any mandatory subject. The board's summary form is only required if the licensee is randomly selected for audit.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.