Utah Physical Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
Utah physical therapists must complete 40 CEUs every two years to renew their license with the Utah Physical Therapy Licensing Board (Division of Professional Licensing).
Physical therapist licenses expire May 31 of odd-numbered years, and the two-year continuing education cycle commences June 1 of each odd-numbered year (R156-24b-303b(1); DOPL renewal page). The renewal fee is $47.
Summary
Requirements are changing. Utah states this requirement two ways. The rule requires 40 continuing education units, and units are weighted by category, so one contact hour can count as two units for Category I activities and as one unit for Category III. DOPL's renewal page words the same requirement as 40 contact hours. Depending on which categories you use, those are not the same amount of coursework, so confirm with DOPL or the board before you rely on a count.
Utah physical therapists must complete 40 CEUs every two years to renew their license with the Utah Physical Therapy Licensing Board (Division of Professional Licensing). Physical therapist licenses expire May 31 of odd-numbered years, and the two-year continuing education cycle commences June 1 of each odd-numbered year (R156-24b-303b(1); DOPL renewal page). The renewal fee is $47. Utah also mandates specific subjects. Ethics or law: 2 CEUs every renewal cycle. Up to 10 excess CEUs carry over to the next cycle.
Utah 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, 05/31 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 40 CEUs |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Yes, up to 10 CEUs |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | Clinical instructor supervision (up to 10 CEUs); Lecturing or instructing a course (1 CEU per hour of instruction, up to 10 CEUs, same course creditable twice); Volunteer service (up to 10 CEUs); Licensed practice hours (50 practice hours equals 1 CEU, up to 10 CEUs, Category IV capped at 500 practice hours); Specialty certification through ABPTS, an APTA-approved residency or fellowship, or a post-professional doctorate from a CAPTE accredited program; Authoring a peer-reviewed journal article or textbook, poster platform presentation, journal club, or study of a peer-reviewed article |
R156-24b-303b(3) requires a physical therapist to complete at least 40 continuing education units during each two-year renewal cycle, of which at least two must be in ethics or law; physical therapist assistants complete 20. Utah weights units by category rather than counting contact hours one for one: a contact hour is 50 continuous minutes, and one contact hour equals two units in Category I (fellowship, residency, specialty certification, degree-awarding program, or live in-person events with real-time interaction), one and a half units in Category II (live coursework in a school setting, electronic courses with assessment, volunteer service, clinical instructor supervision, or teaching), and one unit in Category III (electronic coursework without assessment, in-service presentations, self-study, journal clubs, or ethics and law coursework). Category IV is licensed practice, where 50 practice hours equal one unit up to 500 hours. Up to 10 excess units carry over to the next cycle. A licensee first licensed during a cycle has the requirement reduced proportionately by the date of licensure, and education completed before licensure cannot be applied afterward. The Division may defer or waive units under R156-1-308d.
Required CE topics for Utah 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 or lawAt least two of the 40 units each cycle. Acceptable subjects are patient and physical therapist relationships, confidentiality, documentation, charging and coding, compliance with state or federal laws affecting physical therapy practice, or a subject in the APTA Code of Ethics or Guide for Professional Conduct. Ethics and law coursework falls in Category III, where one contact hour equals one unit. | 2 CEUs | Every renewal | All licensees | Utah Admin. Code R156-24b-303b(3) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 2 years |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | A licensee keeps documentation proving compliance, such as a certificate of completion, transcript, course description, or course materials, for two years after the end of the renewal cycle the education was due for (R156-24b-303b(10)). Course documentation must show the date, provider, instructor, title, objectives, and number of contact hours; self-directed activities such as independent study, group study, authoring, or in-service need their own documentation. Courses must be relevant to physical therapy practice, have stated learning objectives, and be prepared and presented by qualified individuals. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Utah PT need to renew?
- Utah physical therapists must complete 40 CEUs every two years to renew their license with the Utah Physical Therapy Licensing Board (Division of Professional Licensing). R156-24b-303b(3) requires a physical therapist to complete at least 40 continuing education units during each two-year renewal cycle, of which at least two must be in ethics or law; physical therapist assistants complete 20. Utah weights units by category rather than counting contact hours one for one: a contact hour is 50 continuous minutes, and one contact hour equals two units in Category I (fellowship, residency, specialty certification, degree-awarding program, or live in-person events with real-time interaction), one and a half units in Category II (live coursework in a school setting, electronic courses with assessment, volunteer service, clinical instructor supervision, or teaching), and one unit in Category III (electronic coursework without assessment, in-service presentations, self-study, journal clubs, or ethics and law coursework). Category IV is licensed practice, where 50 practice hours equal one unit up to 500 hours. Up to 10 excess units carry over to the next cycle. A licensee first licensed during a cycle has the requirement reduced proportionately by the date of licensure, and education completed before licensure cannot be applied afterward. The Division may defer or waive units under R156-1-308d.
- How often does a Utah PT license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist licenses in Utah renew every two years. Physical therapist licenses expire May 31 of odd-numbered years, and the two-year continuing education cycle commences June 1 of each odd-numbered year (R156-24b-303b(1); DOPL renewal page). The renewal fee is $47.
- What specific CE topics are required for Utah physical therapists?
- Ethics or law: 2 CEUs every renewal cycle. Citations: ethics or law (Utah Admin. Code R156-24b-303b(3)).
- Do Utah physical therapists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and records must be kept for 2 years. A licensee keeps documentation proving compliance, such as a certificate of completion, transcript, course description, or course materials, for two years after the end of the renewal cycle the education was due for (R156-24b-303b(10)). Course documentation must show the date, provider, instructor, title, objectives, and number of contact hours; self-directed activities such as independent study, group study, authoring, or in-service need their own documentation. Courses must be relevant to physical therapy practice, have stated learning objectives, and be prepared and presented by qualified individuals.
- Is the first Utah PT renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Utah 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.
- Utah Admin. Code R156-24b Physical Therapy Practice Act Rule, section 303b Continuing Education, effective 12/23/2025Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Renew a Physical Therapy License, Utah Division of Professional LicensingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Physical Therapy, Utah Division of Professional LicensingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Physical Therapy Laws and Rules, Utah Division of Professional LicensingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
All recorded values come from the current official text of R156-24b-303b on the Utah Office of Administrative Rules site, effective 12/23/2025, read in a browser: the 40 units, the two units of ethics or law, the category weighting and caps, the 10-unit carryover, the proportional reduction for a licensee first licensed mid-cycle, and the two-year documentation retention. The May 31 odd-year expiration and the fee were read on DOPL's renewal page. That page words the requirement as 40 contact hours rather than 40 weighted units, which understates or overstates the coursework depending on category, so the rule is recorded as the value and the discrepancy is surfaced to the reader in the advisory rather than resolved silently. It is recorded as an advisory rather than a source conflict because the rule is the legal authority with a stated effective date and the renewal page is a lay summary of the same requirement, not a competing statement of the law. An earlier draft of this record rested on the Cornell LII mirror of the rule; the official text has now replaced it. Whether DOPL audits CE compliance is not stated in the rule or on the pages read, so audited is null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Utah Physical Therapy Licensing Board (Division of Professional Licensing) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.