To get licensed as a physical therapist in Florida, you need a degree from an accredited program, passing scores on the National Physical Therapy Examination and the Florida Laws and Rules Examination, a cleared background check, and a completed application with a $180 fee submitted through the Department of Health’s online portal. The Florida physical therapy license requirements apply to both Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants, with the Board of Physical Therapy handling review and issuance. Practicing without a license, or using the “Physical Therapist” title without one, is a first-degree misdemeanor.
Who the License Covers
Florida licenses two credentials under Chapter 486: the Physical Therapist (PT) and the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA). The requirements below apply whether you’re a new graduate taking the standard path (licensure by examination) or an experienced PT moving in from another state (licensure by endorsement). Endorsement applicants skip retaking the NPTE if their original state used the same FSBPT-administered exam and had standards at least as high as Florida’s, but they still take the jurisprudence exam and clear the background check.
Education
Physical Therapists must hold a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the national accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.1Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education Physical Therapist Assistants must graduate from an accredited PTA program of at least two years.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 486 Section 102 – Physical Therapist Assistant Licensing Requirements Transcripts go directly from your school to the Board.
Graduated outside the United States? You’ll need a credential evaluation showing your training is equivalent to a U.S.-accredited program. Florida accepts evaluations from three agencies: the International Education Research Foundation, the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy, and International Consultants of Delaware. The agency sends the evaluation directly to the Board.3Florida Board of Physical Therapy. Physical Therapist Foreign-educated applicants coming in by endorsement also have to document 1,000 clinical practice hours per year in the United States for five of the last ten years.
Exams
Two exams, both required.
National Physical Therapy Examination
The NPTE is written and administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, with separate versions for PTs and PTAs.4Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. National Exam (NPTE) The fee is $485, paid to the FSBPT at registration.
Know the retake limits before you sit. The FSBPT allows a maximum of three attempts in any 12-month period and six attempts over a lifetime.5Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Retaking the Examination Florida law is tighter: after three failed attempts, you must complete additional education or training prescribed by the Board before testing again, and you only get two more chances after that. A fifth failure permanently ends your eligibility for a Florida license.6Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes Chapter 486 – Physical Therapy Practice Two very low scores (a scale score of 400 or below, at or near chance level) also end eligibility under FSBPT policy.
Florida Laws and Rules Examination
Every applicant takes the Florida jurisprudence exam, which covers Chapter 456 (the general health professions statute), Chapter 486 (the Physical Therapy Practice Act), and Rule 64B17 of the Florida Administrative Code.7Florida Board of Physical Therapy. Florida PT/PTA Laws and Rules Exam It’s administered through the FSBPT at Prometric testing centers Monday through Saturday. Fees are paid to the FSBPT; check their site for the current amount.
Application
Once your education and exams are in order, apply online through the Department of Health’s FL HealthSource portal at flhealthsource.gov.8FL HealthSource. FL HealthSource Home The combined application and licensing fee is $180.3Florida Board of Physical Therapy. Physical Therapist
With the application, submit official transcripts, your passing NPTE score (transferred from the FSBPT), and proof of passing the jurisprudence exam. Electronic fingerprinting and a background check are mandatory. Fingerprinting goes through a Livescan vendor, and the combined fingerprinting and background check fee typically runs around $125 to $130.
Criminal History
The application asks about criminal history and prior disciplinary actions. Disclose every offense other than minor traffic violations. Failing to disclose can get your application denied outright. If you have anything to report, include a personal statement explaining the circumstances, final court disposition records, and proof you completed any probation or other sanctions. Submitting these documents up front keeps your file moving.
Timeline
Florida law gives the Board up to 30 days for the initial review.9Florida Board of Physical Therapy. Licensing and Renewals Board guidance suggests allowing about 10 business days.3Florida Board of Physical Therapy. Physical Therapist Missing documents are communicated in writing, and an incomplete application expires after one year if you don’t resolve the deficiencies.10Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes Chapter 456 Section 013 – Department; Boards; Professions and Occupations Submitting everything at once is the single biggest thing you can do to shorten the wait.
If You’re Licensed in Another State
Endorsement is the shortcut for existing licensees. The Board accepts your passing NPTE score if your original state used the same FSBPT-administered exam and its licensing standards were at least as high as Florida’s. You still take the Florida Laws and Rules Examination and clear the background screening, and foreign-educated endorsement applicants add the clinical practice hours documentation described earlier.
One boundary worth knowing: Florida is not a member of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact. The Compact Commission determined that Florida’s direct access restrictions made the state ineligible.11Florida Board of Physical Therapy. Important Information Related to CS/SB 7016 – Physical Therapy Compact Out-of-state PTs can’t use a compact privilege to practice in Florida and must apply for a full Florida license by examination or endorsement.
Renewal
Florida PT and PTA licenses expire on November 30 of every odd-numbered year. The renewal fee for an active license is $80.9Florida Board of Physical Therapy. Licensing and Renewals Each two-year cycle requires 24 contact hours of approved continuing education. At least 12 of those hours must be live instruction or approved webinars; the remaining 12 can be self-paced independent study.12Cornell Law Institute. Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B17-9.001 – Continuing Education
Within the 24 hours, up to three hours of prevention-of-medical-errors coursework and up to three hours of HIV/AIDS education can count toward the total. Acceptable topics include clinical practice, clinical research, professional ethics, risk management (capped at five hours per cycle), basic sciences, and Florida physical therapy law. If you first get licensed in the second half of a renewal cycle, you’re exempt from CE for that first renewal period, though the medical errors and HIV/AIDS courses still apply.12Cornell Law Institute. Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B17-9.001 – Continuing Education
The Department of Health checks CE records electronically through CE Broker at renewal. Complete records let the renewal go through without interruption; incomplete ones trigger a prompt to enter your remaining hours before you can finish.13Florida HealthSource. Requirements – FL HealthSource
Reactivating a Lapsed License
A lapsed license is recoverable. You’ll owe any unpaid renewal fees, a delinquency fee, and a reactivation fee, none of which can exceed the cost of a standard biennial renewal. On top of the fees, the Board requires up to 10 hours of continuing education for each year your license was inactive.14Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes Chapter 486 Section 085 – Renewal of License
Two alternatives exist if the CE math doesn’t work for you. You can show you’ve been actively practicing in good standing in another state for the four years immediately before applying for reactivation. Or you can retake the national exam and pay the associated fees. The longer you wait, the more CE hours accumulate, so moving sooner costs less in both time and money.