Tennessee Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
Tennessee physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy.
Licenses are renewed every two years; the due date is the expiration date printed on the licensee's renewal certificate (Rule 1150-01-.09). Under the Division of Health Related Boards' system, a license is valid for 24 months and expires on the last day of the last month of the license period (Rule 1200-10-01-.10). Renewal notices are mailed 45 days before expiration and online renewal opens 90 days before expiration. Continuing competence hours must be completed in the 24 months preceding the licensure renewal month.
Summary
Tennessee physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy. Licenses are renewed every two years; the due date is the expiration date printed on the licensee's renewal certificate (Rule 1150-01-.09). Under the Division of Health Related Boards' system, a license is valid for 24 months and expires on the last day of the last month of the license period (Rule 1200-10-01-.10). Renewal notices are mailed 45 days before expiration and online renewal opens 90 days before expiration. Continuing competence hours must be completed in the 24 months preceding the licensure renewal month. Tennessee also mandates specific subjects. Ethics and jurisprudence education courses: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. No more than 10 contact hours may be self-study or online and the first renewal is exempt.
Tennessee 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 | Board-specific schedule |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 20 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | At most 10 contact hours |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | External peer review of practice (20 hours per review, max 1 per 24 months, Class I); Internal peer review of practice (2 hours per review, max 2 per 24 months, Class I); University credit courses (12 hours per semester credit hour, Class I); Presenting approved continuing education courses (contact hours, max 20 per topic, Class I); Adjunct teaching of a PT or PTA credit course (max 20 hours, Class I); Advanced degree from an accredited university (26 hours in the period awarded, Class I); Accredited clinical residency or fellowship (5 hours per week, max 26 per program, Class I); Authorship of a peer-reviewed poster, platform presentation, or article (10 hours per event, max 2 events per 24 months, Class I); ABPTS clinical specialist certification or recertification (26 hours in the period awarded, Class I); FSBPT approved activities (Class I); Self-instruction from reading professional literature (max 1 hour per 24 months, Class II); Attending a poster session, lecture, or panel not meeting Class I criteria (max 2 hours, Class II); Clinical instruction of students, residents, or formal mentees (1 hour per 16 contact hours, Class II); Physical therapy study group (max 1 hour per 24 months, Class II); Attending or presenting in-service programs (1 hour per 8 contact hours, max 4, Class II); Service to the profession on a board, committee, task force, or APTA House of Delegates (max 4 hours, Class II); Attending a regulatory board meeting (max 1 hour, Class II); Active APTA membership (max 1 hour, Class II) |
Rule 1150-01-.12(3) requires 30 hours for the 24 months preceding the licensure renewal month; credit is awarded for the clock hours spent in an activity. At least 20 of the 30 hours must be Class I activities and up to 10 may be Class II. The board's website adds that no more than ten hours may be acquired online (the rule text itself does not state an online cap; formats are governed by the Board's Continuing Education Policy Statement). Applicants approved for initial licensure by examination are deemed compliant for their initial period of licensure except that they must still complete the four hours of ethics and jurisprudence education (Rule 1150-01-.12(2)). Unacceptable: OSHA and TOSHA regulation courses, CPR, safety courses, non-educational association meetings, entertainment, and visiting exhibits. The rule does not address carryover. Since July 1, 2020 licensees must report proof of completion to CE Broker, including at renewal.
Required CE topics for Tennessee 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 and jurisprudence education coursesFour of the required Class I hours must be ethics and jurisprudence courses, required every renewal cycle and also during the initial period of licensure for those licensed by examination. The APTA Tennessee chapter (APTATN) is the sole approval entity; courses must be at least two hours each and cover the APTA Code of Ethics, ethical decision making, and case analysis (ethics) plus the Tennessee Occupational and Physical Therapy Practice Act, Chapter 1150-01 rules, board policy statements, licensure, scope of practice, renewal, disclosures, disciplinary offenses, and supervision (jurisprudence). | 4 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1150-01-.12(2) and (4) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 5 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Renewal requires an attestation of continuing competence, and all proof must be uploaded into the board's CE vendor platform (CE Broker), mandatory since July 1, 2020 (Rule 1150-01-.09(1)(c)3 and 1150-01-.12(8)). Class I courses must be provided or approved by the APTA or its academies and sections (state chapters are not approved providers), FSBPT, APTATN, or accredited PT and PTA educational programs; the Board does not otherwise pre-approve Class I or Class II courses, and ethics and jurisprudence courses must be APTATN approved. Documentation must be retained five years from completion and produced within 30 days of a written Board request. The Board's non-compliance policy imposes a $100 per hour civil penalty plus make-up hours, and suspension of at least 45 days for licensees with fewer than eight hours. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Tennessee PT need to renew?
- Tennessee physical therapists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy. Rule 1150-01-.12(3) requires 30 hours for the 24 months preceding the licensure renewal month; credit is awarded for the clock hours spent in an activity. At least 20 of the 30 hours must be Class I activities and up to 10 may be Class II. The board's website adds that no more than ten hours may be acquired online (the rule text itself does not state an online cap; formats are governed by the Board's Continuing Education Policy Statement). Applicants approved for initial licensure by examination are deemed compliant for their initial period of licensure except that they must still complete the four hours of ethics and jurisprudence education (Rule 1150-01-.12(2)). Unacceptable: OSHA and TOSHA regulation courses, CPR, safety courses, non-educational association meetings, entertainment, and visiting exhibits. The rule does not address carryover. Since July 1, 2020 licensees must report proof of completion to CE Broker, including at renewal.
- How often does a Tennessee PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in Tennessee renew every two years. Licenses are renewed every two years; the due date is the expiration date printed on the licensee's renewal certificate (Rule 1150-01-.09). Under the Division of Health Related Boards' system, a license is valid for 24 months and expires on the last day of the last month of the license period (Rule 1200-10-01-.10). Renewal notices are mailed 45 days before expiration and online renewal opens 90 days before expiration. Continuing competence hours must be completed in the 24 months preceding the licensure renewal month.
- What specific CE topics are required for Tennessee physical therapists?
- Ethics and jurisprudence education courses: 4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: ethics and jurisprudence education courses (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1150-01-.12(2) and (4)).
- Do Tennessee 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 5 years. Renewal requires an attestation of continuing competence, and all proof must be uploaded into the board's CE vendor platform (CE Broker), mandatory since July 1, 2020 (Rule 1150-01-.09(1)(c)3 and 1150-01-.12(8)). Class I courses must be provided or approved by the APTA or its academies and sections (state chapters are not approved providers), FSBPT, APTATN, or accredited PT and PTA educational programs; the Board does not otherwise pre-approve Class I or Class II courses, and ethics and jurisprudence courses must be APTATN approved. Documentation must be retained five years from completion and produced within 30 days of a written Board request. The Board's non-compliance policy imposes a $100 per hour civil penalty plus make-up hours, and suspension of at least 45 days for licensees with fewer than eight hours.
- Is the first Tennessee PT renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Tennessee 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.
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy, Chapter 1150-01 (December 2025 revision), Rules 1150-01-.09 Renewal of License and 1150-01-.12 Continuing CompetenceStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Tennessee Department of Health, Board of Physical Therapy (licensure, renewal, and continuing competence page)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy Policy Statement on Non-Compliance with Continuing Competence (ratified February 9, 2017)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1150-01-.09 Renewal of License (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-10-01-.10 License renewal, Division of Health Related Boards (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours, Class I minimum, ethics and jurisprudence requirement, initial-licensure treatment, five-year retention, and upload requirement were read from the Secretary of State's December 2025 compilation of Chapter 1150-01 (the publications.tnsosfiles.com PDF was fetched with a browser user agent after WebFetch received a 403). The Cornell LII mirror of 1150-01-.12 is outdated: it still says the four ethics hours are required 'every other' 24-month period and that PTAs need 20 hours, while the official December 2025 text says 'every renewal cycle' and 30 hours for PTAs; the dated official compilation was used and the Cornell version of .12 is not cited. Renewal basis: no fetched source states that expiration is tied to the licensee's birth month, so basis is recorded as 'other' using the rule language (expiration date on the renewal certificate, 24-month validity, expiring on the last day of the last month of the license period). The 10-hour online cap appears on the board's website but not in the rule text. Not stated: carryover, live or interactive minimum, proration of the first renewal, and the percentage of licensees audited.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.