PA PT License Renewal: CE, Insurance, Fees & Deadlines

Your Pennsylvania PT license renewal is due by December 31, 2026, and every even-numbered year after that. Whether you’re a licensed physical therapist or a certified physical therapist assistant, you renew through the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) after finishing 30 hours of continuing education, confirming you carry at least $1 million in professional liability coverage, and answering the application’s disclosure questions. The fee is $90 for PTs and $45 for PTAs.¹

When the Deadline Hits

Every Pennsylvania physical therapy license and PTA certification expires on December 31 of each even-numbered year, no matter when it was first issued.² The State Board of Physical Therapy emails a renewal notice about 60 days ahead, so expect it in early November 2026.³ Not getting that email is not a defense if the deadline passes.

The renewal window opens months earlier. Filing in the final week is risky because PALS slows down and glitches as the deadline nears.

Continuing Education You Need

Both PTs and PTAs must complete at least 30 contact hours of approved continuing education during each two-year cycle.⁴⁵ Some older summaries say PTAs only need 20 hours. That’s wrong. It’s 30 for both.

Within those 30 hours, specific categories are mandatory:

At least 2 contact hours in law or ethics applicable to physical therapy practice, required of both PTs and PTAs.⁴
At least 2 contact hours of child abuse recognition and reporting (Act 31) from a state-approved provider, required of all health-related licensees in Pennsylvania.⁶
For PTAs only, at least 4 contact hours in identifying and responding to emergency health conditions. This does not apply to PTs.⁵

The remaining hours can come from any approved physical therapy continuing education. The board audits licensees; if you’re selected, you have 30 days to respond.⁴ Keep your certificates of completion organized. That’s the simplest insurance against an audit headache.

Professional Liability Insurance

Every licensed physical therapist practicing in Pennsylvania must carry professional liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence or claims made.⁷ Older summaries sometimes list much lower minimums like $100,000. Those figures are outdated; the current floor is $1 million.⁸

Personally purchased coverage, employer-provided coverage, and self-insurance all qualify. During renewal you’ll enter the carrier name and policy number. Lapsed coverage blocks renewal and can trigger discipline on its own.

Disclosures on the Application

The application is not just a fee payment and a CE checklist. You have to answer disclosure questions truthfully, covering:

Any license, certificate, or authorization to practice physical therapy in another jurisdiction.
Any disciplinary proceeding pending or concluded in any jurisdiction since your last renewal, whether or not you hold a license there.
Any pending criminal charges, guilty verdicts, guilty pleas, or nolo contendere pleas entered since your last renewal.⁵

Providing false information on the renewal is itself grounds for discipline, separate from whatever you failed to disclose. The board has revoked licenses solely for omitting criminal history from a renewal form. Disclosing a charge doesn’t automatically result in denial; hiding one almost certainly makes things worse. If you’re unsure how a disclosure will land, talk to a licensing attorney before you submit.

Filing Through PALS

All renewals go through the Pennsylvania Licensing System.⁹ Log into your PALS account, open the renewal section, and enter your CE details (dates, sponsors, credit counts), your insurance information, and your disclosure answers. PALS walks you through it.

Before you submit, the system shows a summary screen. Read it carefully; this is your last chance to catch mistakes. You then sign electronically, attesting that your answers are accurate, and pay by credit or debit card. The system issues a confirmation receipt, and status updates post to your dashboard. Processing takes several business days after submission.

What It Costs

The fee schedule is set by regulation:

Physical therapist biennial renewal: $90
Physical therapist assistant biennial renewal: $45¹

If you hold a Certificate to Practice Physical Therapy Without a Referral (direct access certificate), that renewal is a separate $45 every two years.¹

If You Miss the Deadline

Once your license expires, you lose legal authority to practice. There is no grace period. Treating patients on an expired license is a misdemeanor. A first conviction carries a fine of $500 to $1,000, imprisonment of 30 to 90 days, or both. For later convictions, the minimum fine rises to $1,000 and potential imprisonment stretches to six months to one year. The board can also impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for practicing without a valid license or certification.¹⁰

When you later reactivate, you owe a late fee of $5 for every month (or partial month) you practiced after expiration, stacked on top of renewal and reactivation fees.¹¹

Reactivating After Less Than Five Years

Submit the board’s reactivation application, pay the current renewal fee ($90 for PTs, $45 for PTAs) plus a $30 reactivation fee, and document 30 CE hours completed in the two years before you apply.¹¹¹ You’ll also complete a Verification of Practice/Non-Practice form confirming you did not treat Pennsylvania patients while inactive.¹² Courses older than two years will be rejected.

Reactivating After Five Years or More

Extended inactivity is treated as a competence concern. On top of the standard reactivation requirements, you must either retake and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), or show that you held a license and actively practiced in another U.S. jurisdiction or Canada for at least 36 of the preceding 60 months, with letters of good standing from each licensing state.¹¹ If you’ve been out of practice entirely, retaking the NPTE is the only route; there is no refresher-course alternative.¹²

If You Practiced While Expired

If the Verification form shows you worked as a PT or PTA while inactive, the fees stack. You owe the biennial renewal fee for every two-year cycle you practiced without a license, plus the $5-per-month late fee from the first date you practiced after expiration until the day you file a complete reactivation application.¹¹ Any criminal or civil penalties the board pursues are separate from those fees.

1
Legal Information Institute. 49 Pa. Code 40.5 – Fees
2
Legal Information Institute. 49 Pa. Code 40.19 – Renewal of Physical Therapist License
3
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Renewal Information
4
Legal Information Institute. 49 Pa. Code 40.67 – Continuing Education for Licensed Physical Therapist
5
Pennsylvania Code. Chapter 40 – State Board of Physical Therapy
6
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Continuing Education Providers
7
Legal Information Institute. 49 Pa. Code 40.69 – Professional Liability Insurance
8
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Physical Therapy Practice Act
9
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for or Renew Professional Licensing
10
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Physical Therapy Practice Act
11
Legal Information Institute. 49 Pa. Code 40.20 – Inactive Status of Physical Therapist License
12
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Reactivation Application – Physical Therapist / Physical Therapist Assistant