West Virginia Physical Therapist Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
West Virginia physical therapist assistants must complete 24 clock hours, which is 24 contact hours, of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy.
Physical therapist assistant licenses run on a two-year cycle and are renewed on the same schedule as physical therapist licenses. Renewals begin October 1 and end December 31 in the year the license is due to expire. There is no grace period; a license not renewed on or before December 31 automatically becomes delinquent. Continuing education must be uploaded to the licensing portal before the renewal can be submitted.
Summary
West Virginia physical therapist assistants must complete 24 clock hours, which is 24 contact hours, of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy. Physical therapist assistant licenses run on a two-year cycle and are renewed on the same schedule as physical therapist licenses. Renewals begin October 1 and end December 31 in the year the license is due to expire. There is no grace period; a license not renewed on or before December 31 automatically becomes delinquent. Continuing education must be uploaded to the licensing portal before the renewal can be submitted. Hours do not carry over between cycles.
West Virginia 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 | 24 clock hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Clinical instruction (combined with competency tools, maximum 8 units per license period); Competency tools such as practice review tools (combined with clinical instruction, maximum 8 units per license period) |
W. Va. Code R. 16-1-11 defines a unit as one clock hour spent in a continuing education activity, and the board states that all licensees desiring to remain active and in good standing must complete 24 hours of WV board approved continuing education within the two year licensing period. The board page and the rule apply the same 24 unit figure to physical therapists and physical therapist assistants and state no separate PTA number. Accumulated units may not be carried over from one renewal period to another (11.2.3). A new graduate does not need continuing education hours for the current year of graduation (11.2.4); the rule text read did not state a reduced total for the first full licensing period, so exempt_first_renewal is left null. A licensee reinstating for six months or less needs only six units for that year (11.2.1), and a volunteer licensee needs 20 units per two-year renewal cycle (11.2.2). A maximum of eight units per license period may come from any combination of clinical instruction or competency tools (11.3.1). The Board may waive the requirement for illness, disability, or undue hardship (11.4). No mandatory subject, online cap, or live minimum appears in the rule or board pages that were read.
Required CE topics for West Virginia physical therapist assistants
The West Virginia 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 | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Courses must be West Virginia board approved. The board states that courses sponsored by the APTA, the West Virginia Physical Therapy Association, the Board of Certification, and any CAPTE accredited school are automatically approved. Licensees must upload their continuing education to the portal before renewing, since the system will not let them proceed without doing so, and must truthfully attest on the renewal request that continuing education requirements have been fulfilled. In February of each calendar year 10 percent of active PT and PTA licensees are chosen in a random continuing education audit; those who fail must complete a continuing education audit agreement requiring remedial actions. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a West Virginia PTA need to renew?
- West Virginia physical therapist assistants must complete 24 clock hours, which is 24 contact hours, of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy. W. Va. Code R. 16-1-11 defines a unit as one clock hour spent in a continuing education activity, and the board states that all licensees desiring to remain active and in good standing must complete 24 hours of WV board approved continuing education within the two year licensing period. The board page and the rule apply the same 24 unit figure to physical therapists and physical therapist assistants and state no separate PTA number. Accumulated units may not be carried over from one renewal period to another (11.2.3). A new graduate does not need continuing education hours for the current year of graduation (11.2.4); the rule text read did not state a reduced total for the first full licensing period, so exempt_first_renewal is left null. A licensee reinstating for six months or less needs only six units for that year (11.2.1), and a volunteer licensee needs 20 units per two-year renewal cycle (11.2.2). A maximum of eight units per license period may come from any combination of clinical instruction or competency tools (11.3.1). The Board may waive the requirement for illness, disability, or undue hardship (11.4). No mandatory subject, online cap, or live minimum appears in the rule or board pages that were read.
- How often does a West Virginia PTA license need to be renewed?
- Physical Therapist Assistant licenses in West Virginia renew every two years. Physical therapist assistant licenses run on a two-year cycle and are renewed on the same schedule as physical therapist licenses. Renewals begin October 1 and end December 31 in the year the license is due to expire. There is no grace period; a license not renewed on or before December 31 automatically becomes delinquent. Continuing education must be uploaded to the licensing portal before the renewal can be submitted.
- Does West Virginia require specific CE topics for physical therapist assistants?
- The West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy does not list mandated subject areas for PTA renewal on the pages we verified; the 24 clock hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do West Virginia physical therapist assistants have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. Courses must be West Virginia board approved. The board states that courses sponsored by the APTA, the West Virginia Physical Therapy Association, the Board of Certification, and any CAPTE accredited school are automatically approved. Licensees must upload their continuing education to the portal before renewing, since the system will not let them proceed without doing so, and must truthfully attest on the renewal request that continuing education requirements have been fulfilled. In February of each calendar year 10 percent of active PT and PTA licensees are chosen in a random continuing education audit; those who fail must complete a continuing education audit agreement requiring remedial actions.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Continuing Education Requirements (24 hours per two-year licensing period, approved sponsors, February audit of 10 percent of PT and PTA licensees), West Virginia Board of Physical TherapyState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Renewal Information for PTs and PTAs (October 1 to December 31 renewal window, no grace period, CE upload), West Virginia Board of Physical TherapyState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- W. Va. Code R. 16-1-11 Continuing Education (Cornell LII mirror of 16CSR1)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
West Virginia applies one continuing education requirement to physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. The board's continuing education page states the 24 hour requirement for all active licensees and does not differentiate between PTs and PTAs, and its renewal page is titled and written for PT and PTA together with the same October 1 to December 31 window. W. Va. Code R. 16-1-11 sets the unit definition, the no-carryover rule, the new graduate provision, the reinstatement and volunteer reductions, and the eight unit clinical instruction and competency tool cap without distinguishing credential type. Retention years are not stated in the rule or on the board pages that were read, and the rule mandates no subject, so mandatory_topics is empty. The rule text was read on the Cornell LII mirror because the board publishes its rules as PDF documents. Source URLs updated 2026-09-10: the board retired its SharePoint .aspx paths and the three we cited began returning 404. The replacements were confirmed to return 200 and to carry the same requirements, 24 hours of board approved continuing education within the two year licensing period and a renewal window of October 1 to December 31 in the expiration year. No recorded value changed.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.