Getting a Minnesota physical therapy license takes a degree from a CAPTE-accredited program, a passing score on the National Physical Therapy Examination, a Minnesota jurisprudence exam, and a fingerprint-based criminal background check, all filed through the Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. Budget roughly $789 for a PT or $769 for a PTA in combined Board, exam, and background check fees. Once issued, the license renews every year on December 31 for $60, with 20 continuing education hours required every two years.
Education and Examinations
Minnesota Statute 148.70 gives the Board of Physical Therapy authority to set qualifications and administer required examinations.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 148.70 – Applicants, Qualifications Physical therapists need a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree; physical therapist assistants need an associate degree. Both programs must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
Two exams stand between graduation and licensure. The NPTE is a computer-based test given by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) at Prometric testing centers. You register only after the Board approves your eligibility and the FSBPT sends an Authorization to Test letter.2Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. Application – PT New Graduate The exam fee is $485 to the FSBPT, plus a Prometric scheduling fee of $112 for the PT exam or $92 for the PTA exam.3Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Exam Registration and Scheduling A scaled score of 600 or higher passes.4Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Examination Results and Scoring The FSBPT caps attempts at three in any rolling 12-month period and six over a lifetime, with no path to test again once the six are used.
The second exam is Minnesota’s own. It’s an open-book jurisprudence test covering the practice act, board rules, and professional conduct, taken online through your Board account. There’s no separate fee, and you can retake it as many times as needed.5Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. Jurisprudence Exam
Application Documents and Fees
The Board runs three application tracks: new graduate, licensed in another state, and foreign-educated.6Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. PT Licensure Every applicant files online through the Board’s portal and coordinates several outside documents.
- Official transcripts sent directly from your school. New graduates seeking a temporary permit can submit the final transcript later; everyone else needs it before the Board acts.
- NPTE scores, either from testing under Minnesota jurisdiction or through the FSBPT Score Transfer Service if you tested elsewhere.7Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Score Transfer Service
- Fingerprint-based state and federal criminal background check, required for all health license applicants under Minnesota Statute 214.075 and processed through the state’s Criminal Background Check Program.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 214.075 – Health-related Licensing Boards Criminal Background Checks9Minnesota Criminal Background Check. The Criminal Background Check Program
- Personal history disclosure of prior disciplinary actions, malpractice claims, or criminal history. A conviction is not an automatic bar; the Board reviews these case by case.
Fees paid to the Board:
- Application fee: $100
- Annual license fee: $60
- Criminal background check fee: $32
Board fees total $192.10Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. Fees Add the $485 NPTE fee and the Prometric scheduling fee, and initial licensure runs about $789 for a PT or $769 for a PTA, before any score transfer costs.
Temporary Permit While You Wait for the NPTE
New graduates from CAPTE-accredited programs can apply for a temporary permit that allows supervised practice while the full license is pending. The permit costs $25 and requires Board approval to sit for the exam, the FSBPT Authorization to Test letter, and a scheduled Prometric test date.2Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. Application – PT New Graduate
Practice under the permit must be under the direct, immediate, on-premises supervision of a licensed PT. The permit is issued once, cannot be renewed, and its dates track your scheduled exam date, so delaying the test shortens the window. When it expires, you stop practicing unless the full license has been issued.
Applicants From Other States and Other Countries
If you already hold a license elsewhere and have a passing NPTE score, you skip the retake and request a score transfer through the FSBPT.7Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Score Transfer Service The rest of the Minnesota application, including the jurisprudence exam and background check, still applies.
If your degree is from a program outside the United States that isn’t CAPTE-accredited, you file a separate paper application with the Board.6Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. PT Licensure Before the Board evaluates it, you need a credential evaluation from the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) confirming your education is substantially equivalent to a U.S. program.11FCCPT. Credentialing for Foreign-Educated Physical Therapy Professionals The Type 1 for Licensure evaluation costs $1,340 for PTs, and the PTA Educational Equivalency Review costs $975, both in addition to the standard Minnesota fees.12FCCPT. Getting Started
Renewal, Continuing Education, and Lapse
Minnesota PT and PTA licenses expire every year on December 31. Renewal costs $60. Miss the deadline and a $20 late fee applies on top of the renewal.13Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. License Renewal
On a separate cycle, you must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years, per Minnesota Rules 5601.2100 through 5601.2600.14Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Rules 5601.2100 – Continuing Education Requirement Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants Qualifying activities include professional workshops, clinical research, and relevant academic coursework. The Board audits licensees, so keep certificates and documentation for every course.
Letting the license go too long is expensive. Under Statute 148.737, if you fail to renew across two consecutive annual cycles, the Board cancels the license entirely. A canceled license cannot be reinstated by paying a late fee; you apply as a new licensee under whatever requirements are then in effect, potentially including retaking the NPTE.15Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. Expired License
Practicing in Other States Through the Compact
Minnesota has enacted the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact under Statute 148.699, so a Minnesota-licensed PT or PTA can practice in other compact states without a separate full license in each one.16Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 148.699 – Physical Therapy Licensure Compact As of early 2026, 37 states belong. To use a compact privilege, you need a valid, unencumbered home-state license, no adverse actions against any license in the prior two years, payment of the remote state’s fee, and any jurisprudence requirement that state imposes. Fees vary by state.
Practice Rules Your License Carries
Minnesota allows patients to see a physical therapist without a physician referral for up to 90 days. After that, continued treatment requires an order or referral from a physician, chiropractor, dentist, podiatrist, or advanced practice nurse.17Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy. Legislation Two exceptions apply. A PT licensed less than one year can treat without a referral only when collaborating with a PT who has more than one year of experience or working under physician orders. And there’s no time cap when the purpose of treatment is prevention, wellness, education, or exercise.
p>PTAs work under the supervision of a licensed PT, and one PT may supervise no more than two PTAs at a time. When treatment is delegated to a PTA, the supervising PT provides on-site observation and documents appropriateness at least every six treatment sessions, and must remain reachable by phone or other telecommunications when not on site.18Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 148.706 The supervising PT bears professional responsibility for the PTA’s care.