To meet the Maryland physical therapy license requirements, you must graduate from a CAPTE-accredited program, pass the National Physical Therapy Examination with a score of at least 600, pass the Maryland Jurisprudence Assessment Module, clear a state and FBI criminal background check, and submit a $150 application to the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Once licensed, you renew every two years for $325 and complete 30 continuing education contact hours each cycle.
Education, Exams, and Background Check
Your degree has to come from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The Board treats CAPTE accreditation as the baseline for clinical and academic preparation.1Maryland Department of Health. Licensing
You then sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). The exam is scored on a 200 to 800 scale, and the passing score is 600. Because the NPTE is a national exam, a passing score earned in any U.S. jurisdiction counts in Maryland.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Health Occupations Code 13-302 – Qualifications
Maryland adds a jurisprudence component. The MD JAM is an online, on-demand, 35-question assessment covering the state’s Physical Therapy Act and regulations, and you need to answer at least 90% correctly.1Maryland Department of Health. Licensing
Every applicant also goes through a criminal history records check with both the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) and the FBI. Residents schedule fingerprinting at an approved IdentoGO location and bring three codes with them: the CJIS Authorization number 1400004045, the FBI ORI number MD 920519Z, and the reason code “PT / PTA Professional License.” Out-of-state residents use the same codes with a different vendor.3Maryland Department of Health. Fingerprinting Instructions for Physical Therapy and Physical Therapist Assistant Licensure Applicants
Submitting the Application
The application fee is $150 and is not refundable.4Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 10.38.07.02 – Fees Your packet needs proof of your CAPTE-accredited education, your NPTE score sent directly from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, and your MD JAM results. The background check results flow to the Board through the fingerprinting process.
Temporary License While You Wait on the NPTE
If you have finished everything except the NPTE, the Board can issue a 90-day temporary license so you can begin working. The tradeoff is supervision: a licensed physical therapist must be physically present in the treatment area and immediately available to step in. You still need to pass the MD JAM and complete the background check first.5Maryland Department of Health. Temporary License Statute and Regulations
The temporary license ends at 90 days, when the Board issues your full license, or if the Board revokes it, whichever comes first.
If You Were Educated Outside the U.S.
Foreign-educated applicants need a credential evaluation from an approved agency such as the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT), sent to the Board directly by that agency.6Maryland Department of Health. Licensing – Board of Physical Therapy Examiners
You also have to show English language competency in writing and speaking. If your physical therapy program was taught in English, you are exempt. Otherwise, the Board requires minimum TOEFL scores of 26 speaking, 24 writing, 21 reading comprehension, and 18 listening comprehension.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Health Occupations Code 13-302 – Qualifications
Renewal Every Two Years
Maryland physical therapy licenses renew on a two-year cycle. The renewal fee is $325 for physical therapists.4Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 10.38.07.02 – Fees
You need 30 continuing education contact hours during each renewal period. The hours must be earned between April 1 and March 31 of the renewal year. Hours completed after March 31 do not count toward that cycle.7Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 10.38.08.05 – Renewal Requirements The Board maintains an approved course list, and courses offered by the American Physical Therapy Association are accepted automatically.8Maryland Department of Health. Continuing Education Keep your own records of each course, including subject, hours, date, and continuing education units, in case the Board audits you.
One easy miss: if you move and do not update your address with the Board, there is a $100 penalty.4Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 10.38.07.02 – Fees
If Your License Lapses
Within three years of expiration, the Board can reinstate your license without making you retake the NPTE. You pay the $400 reinstatement fee, submit a new application, document that you met the continuing education requirements, and confirm you have not been practicing in Maryland on an expired license.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Health Occupations Code 13-312 – Reinstatement of Expired Licenses
After three years, reinstatement is no longer available. You would have to apply from scratch as a new applicant and meet every current licensing requirement.
Dry Needling Requires Separate Registration
If you want to perform dry needling in Maryland, you register with the Board before treating any patient. The minimum training is 80 hours, divided evenly:10Legal Information Institute. COMAR 10.38.12.03 – Minimum Education and Training Necessary to Perform Dry Needling
- 40 hours of didactic instruction covering theory, technique, indications and contraindications, infection control, and emergency preparedness.
- 40 hours of hands-on training supervised by a licensed health care practitioner who has been performing dry needling for at least five years.
You also need at least two years of physical therapy practice before you can perform dry needling. The one-time registration fee is $100.4Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 10.38.07.02 – Fees
Practicing in Other States Through the PT Compact
Maryland participates in the Physical Therapy Compact, along with 36 other states and the District of Columbia, which lets you work in other member states without taking out a separate license there.11PT Compact. PT Compact Map
To buy a compact privilege, you must hold an active license in your home compact state, prove permanent residency with a valid driver’s license, and have no active encumbrances or disciplinary actions in the past two years.12PT Compact. PT Compact Process and Requirements You still follow the laws and practice standards of the state where you are treating patients.13Maryland Department of Health. Physical Therapy Compact Privilege Maryland’s compact privilege fee is $125, purchased through the PT Compact Commission rather than the Maryland Board.4Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 10.38.07.02 – Fees
Physical Therapist Assistants Follow a Parallel Track
PTAs have their own license. The applicant must graduate from a program accredited by CAPTE or approved by the American Physical Therapy Association and complete the clinical education portion of that program.14Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Health Occupations Code 13-304 – Qualifications – Physical Therapist Assistants
The application fee is the same $150, but PTAs pay a $300 biennial renewal fee and need 20 continuing education contact hours per cycle instead of 30.4Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 10.38.07.02 – Fees8Maryland Department of Health. Continuing Education A PTA must work under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist, meaning the PT is physically present in the treatment area and immediately available during procedures.