Physical Therapist Licensing Requirements in Illinois: Scope and Renewal

Physical therapist licensing requirements in Illinois are set by the Illinois Physical Therapy Act (225 ILCS 90) and administered by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). To practice, you need a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from an accredited program, a passing score on the National Physical Therapy Examination, a fingerprint-based criminal background check, and an approved application with a $100 fee. Once licensed, you renew every two years with 40 hours of continuing education and a $60 renewal fee.

How to Qualify

Illinois requires graduation from an accredited physical therapy program, which today means a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.¹ After your degree, you sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. The exam is scaled, and a score of 600 or higher is passing.²

You also submit fingerprints for a criminal background check. Prints go electronically to the Illinois State Police through a live scan vendor licensed by the IDFPR and are checked against state and FBI databases.³ With your exam results and background check in hand, the application goes through IDFPR’s online CORE licensing system. The application fee is $100.⁴

Renewing Your License

Illinois runs a 24-month renewal cycle ending September 30 of the renewal year. During each cycle, you complete 40 hours of continuing education.⁵

Two of those hours are fixed by topic. At least three hours must cover ethical practice in physical therapy, and at least one hour must address sexual harassment prevention training. The remaining hours can go to clinical advances, treatment techniques, patient care, or other topics relevant to practice.⁵

None of the 40 hours must be completed in person. Virtual attendance at live professional presentations counts, provided you can communicate in real time with the speaker and other attendees; IDFPR does not treat those as self-study.⁵

The renewal fee is $30 per year, so a standard two-year renewal is $60.⁴ You submit renewal through the IDFPR and attest to the CE requirements. Keep your CE documentation on hand; the IDFPR audits licensees and can request proof.

What Your License Lets You Do

The Act defines physical therapy to include evaluating patients with movement impairments, developing treatment plans, and delivering hands-on interventions to improve mobility and reduce pain. You can design and modify therapeutic exercise programs, perform mobilization techniques, and use modalities such as heat, cold, light, water, electricity, and sound.⁶

You may administer topical medications when prescribed by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, or dentist. Consultation, education, and research within the profession are also authorized. The Act excludes radiology, electrosurgery, acupuncture, chiropractic techniques, and differential diagnosis from the physical therapy scope. The differential diagnosis exclusion does not stop you from performing evaluations and building treatment plans from your own clinical findings.⁶

Dry Needling

Dry needling is permitted, but only after specific training. Before offering it to patients, you must complete:

50 hours of instructional courses covering musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems, pain mechanisms, chronic and referred pain, myofascial trigger point theory, and universal precautions
30 hours of didactic coursework specific to dry needling
54 practicum hours in dry needling coursework
200 supervised patient treatment sessions
A competency examination

Only licensed physical therapists and licensed physical therapist assistants may perform dry needling in Illinois.⁶

Wound Debridement

Wound debridement is the exception to independent practice. You can only provide it with written authorization from a health care professional.⁷

Direct Access Obligations

As of January 1, 2026, Illinois patients can see a physical therapist without a physician referral under Section 1.2 of the Act. Direct access carries obligations that, if ignored, become disciplinary matters.⁷

When you treat a patient without a referral, you must notify the patient’s treating health care professional within five business days of the first visit that the patient is receiving physical therapy. Notification does not apply when you are providing fitness or wellness services, unless the patient presents with an injury or ailment.⁷

For patients with a diagnosed chronic disease being treated without a referral, you must communicate at least monthly with the treating health care professional. You must also refer the patient out in three situations:

No measurable improvement after 10 visits or 15 business days, whichever comes first
A returning patient who comes back for the same or similar condition more than 30 days after discharge, without a health care professional’s diagnosis of a chronic disease that benefits from physical therapy
The patient’s condition at evaluation falls outside physical therapy practice

These triggers are mandatory, not discretionary.⁷

Telehealth Practice

Public Act 104-0411 authorizes physical therapists and physical therapist assistants to provide services through telehealth. Services must stay within your scope of practice and meet the same standard of care as in-person treatment. A physical therapist or PTA treating a patient located in Illinois via telehealth must hold an active Illinois license. You retain discretion to require an in-person visit when appropriate.⁸

For Medicare, physical therapists can furnish telehealth services through December 31, 2027, and beneficiaries may receive those services anywhere in the United States, including at home. This telehealth authority has not been permanently extended.⁹

Grounds for Discipline

The IDFPR can refuse to issue or renew a license, revoke or suspend a license, place a licensee on probation, issue a reprimand, and impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation.¹⁰

The most common triggers include:

Fraud or misrepresentation, whether to the IDFPR or in practice
Any felony conviction, or a misdemeanor involving dishonesty or directly related to professional practice
Incompetence, meaning a pattern showing inability to practice safely
Habitual or excessive use of alcohol, narcotics, or other substances that impairs professional judgment
Unprofessional conduct: any departure from minimum acceptable standards, even if no patient was injured
Failure to respond to a written IDFPR request within 60 days

That last item is a standalone offense, separate from whatever prompted the inquiry.¹⁰

Practicing physical therapy without a license carries a separate civil penalty of up to $5,000 per offense. The IDFPR may also require remedial education or participation in a substance abuse program as a condition of keeping or restoring a license.¹⁰

Optional Specialty Certification

Board-certified clinical specialization through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) is not required to practice in Illinois. It is available in eleven specialty areas covering cardiovascular and pulmonary, clinical electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics, pediatrics, pelvic and women’s health, primary care, sports, and wound management. To sit for a specialty exam, you must hold a current, unrestricted physical therapy license in the United States, and each specialty adds its own clinical experience and education prerequisites plus application and examination fees.¹¹

1
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Qualifications for Licensure Physical Therapist
2
Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Examination Results and Scoring
3
Illinois General Assembly. SB1849 102nd General Assembly
4
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Administrative Code Section 1340.57
5
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Continuing Education Fact Sheet Licensed Physical Therapist
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Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 90 – Illinois Physical Therapy Act
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Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 90 – Illinois Physical Therapy Act Section 1.2
8
Illinois General Assembly. Bill Status of SB2153 – Illinois General Assembly
9
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Telehealth FAQ
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Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 90 – Illinois Physical Therapy Act Section 17
11
APTA Specialist Certification. Minimum Eligibility Requirements and General Information for All Physical Therapist Specialist Certification