Physical Therapy

License Requirements

Introduction

This page describes the basic requirements and procedures to follow in applying for a license and/or limited permit as a physical therapist or for a certificate to practice as a physical therapist assistant in New York State. Instructions for application forms can be found on a separate page Please also see general licensing information applicable to all professions.

General Requirements

Any use of "Physical Therapist" or "Physical Therapist Assistant" titles within New York State requires licensure.

To be licensed as a Physical Therapist or certified as a Physical Therapist Assistant in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character
• be at least 18 years of age
• meet education and examination requirements
• file an application (Form 1 and fee)

All required forms, along with the appropriate fee, must be submitted to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8 Article 136, Sections 6734 and 6740 of New York's Education Law and Part 77 of the Commissioner's Regulations. Copies of the relevant sections of NYS Education Law and the Commissioner's Regulations are available upon request from the Forms Management Unit at opforms@mail.nysed.gov or by calling (518) 474-3817 ext. 320.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

Fees

The fee for licensure as a physical therapist is $270.

The fee for a limited permit for a physical therapist is $70.

The fee for certification as a physical therapist assistant is $95.

The fee for a limited permit for a physical therapist assistant is $50.

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash
• Make your personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail your application and fee to:
  
  
  NYS Education Department
  Office of the Professions
  Division of Professional Licensing Services
  Fee Section
  89 Washington Avenue
  Albany, New York 12234

Partial Refunds

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Physical Therapy Unit at opunit3@mail.nysed.gov or by calling (518) 474-3817 ext. 270 or by fax at: (518) 402-5354.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

Education Requirements

Accredited Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant Programs

The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is a nationally recognized accrediting agency for both physical therapist and physical therapist assistant programs. Lists of accredited programs are available on APTA's website at www.apta.org.The organization can be contacted at:

Physical Therapist applicants:

To meet the professional education requirement for licensure as a physical therapist, if your education was from a:

• New York State Registered or APTA Accredited Physical Therapy Program, you must have:
  • a bachelor's or higher degree in physical therapy, or
  • a graduate level certificate in physical therapy following the completion of a bachelor's degree from an institution acceptable to the Department
  
  
• Physical Therapist Program Located Outside the United States that is not APTA Accredited, you must have:
  • Completed a program satisfactory to the Department of not less than four years of postsecondary study which includes the professional study of physical therapy that is equivalent to a certificate program in physical therapy registered by the Department and which culminates in a degree or diploma accepted as preparation in physical therapy by the civil authorities of the country in which the studies were completed.
    
    
• Program Located in the United States but not NYS Registered or APTA-accredited
  • Contact the Bureau of Comparative Education of the Office of the Professions for additional information at comped@mail.nysed.gov or (518) 474-3817 ext. 300.

Physical Therapist Assistant applicants:

To meet the professional education requirement for certification as a physical therapist assistant, if your education was from a:

• New York State Registered Physical Therapist Assistant Program or APTA Accredited Physical Therapist Assistant Program, you must have:
  • Completed a two-year college program for physical therapist assistants
    
    
• Physical Therapist Assistant Program Located Outside the United States that is not APTA Accredited, you must have:
  • Completed a physical therapy or physical therapist assistant program determined by the New York State Education Department to be equivalent to a registered program for physical therapist assistants. When adequate program records are not available or a site visit is not feasible to determine equivalency, an applicant may demonstrate competency by passing a national examination satisfactory to the Department (see section on Examination Requirements).

Proof of Education for Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant

• Graduates of New York State Registered Programs or APTA Accredited Programs
  You must have your Registrar's Office forward a completed Certification of Professional Education (Form 2) which documents that you have satisfactorily completed all requirements for your degree. The Registrar's Office must send the completed Certification of Professional Education (Form 2) directly to the NYS Education Department, Office of the Professions, Division of Professional Licensing Services, Physical Therapy Unit, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234-1000.
  
  
• Graduates of Programs Located Outside the United States that are not APTA Accredited
  If you seek to meet the education requirements with credentials from programs outside the United States that are not accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), you must have your educational credentials verified by an independent credentials verification organization acceptable to the Department. You may check to see if your program is APTA-accredited on the web at www.apta.org/education/schoollistings or by calling the APTA at (703) 684-APTA (2782).
  

There are two acceptable independent credentials verification organizations: the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) or the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). Such applicants should contact FCCPT or CGFNS at the addresses below for the application and instructions to complete the FCCPT or CGFNS credentials verification process for New York State licensure applicants.

The credentials verification service for New York State applicants by the FCCPT or CGFNS does not indicate approval by the New York State Education Department of the content of your education. After your educational credentials are validated by either of these organizations, they will be evaluated by the State Education Department.

You will be advised of the result of the New York State Education Department's evaluation of your education. When your application for the examination has been received, the licensing examination contractor will be notified if you are eligible for the exam.

You may wish to contact both FCCPT and CGFNS to evaluate which verification service would better meet your individual needs. FCCPT or CGFNS may be contacted as follows:

Examination Requirements

• Physical Therapist

  The National Physical Therapy Examination, or an examination determined by the Department to be comparable in content, is required for physical therapy licensure in New York.

• Physical Therapist Assistant

  Effective February 9, 2003, the National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination is required for physical therapist assistant applicants.

  If you are seeking licensure as a physical therapist assistant in another state, you must contact the licensing authority in that jurisdiction for examination application materials.

Application Procedure

You are encouraged to apply on-line with the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy through their web site at https://www.fsbpt.net/pt. Instructions and application forms to apply for either examination are available at this web site or upon request from the Office of Professions Forms Management Unit at opforms@mail.nysed.gov or at (518) 474-3817 ext. 320. You must file an application and fee for licensure, and your education must be approved before you will be eligible for the national examination as a New York candidate.

For More Information About the Computerized National Physical Therapy Examinations

The Computerized National Physical Therapy Examinations are administered at computer testing centers nationwide. Visit the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) Web site http://www.fsbpt.org/exams/index.asp for additional information about these examinations, including examination content outlines, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examination, attach your Reasonable Testing Accommodations request form and appropriate documentation to your application for computerized testing. After initial approval of your request for accommodations, all future applications for computerized testing should include a copy of your original approval letter. Documentation for reasonable accommodations usually includes a letter from an appropriate health care provider who has diagnosed and/or treated you, indicating the nature and extent of the disability, the proposed accommodations, the rationale behind the reasonable accommodations, and, if applicable, the types of accommodations made for you in the past. For more information regarding reasonable accommodations, request the Office of the Professions Reasonable Accommodations pamphlet by contacting our Bureau of Professional Examinations at: opexams@mail.nysed.gov or by calling: (518) 474-3817 ext. 290. You may also fax a message to: (518) 473-8577 or check the box on page 3, question #17, of Form 1.

Applicants Licensed in Another Jurisdiction

Endorsement, often referred to as reciprocity, is not available in New York for the profession of physical therapy. Applicants licensed or certified in another state seeking licensure or certification in New York must follow the same procedures as an unlicensed applicant including submission of an Application for Licensure and First Registration (Form 1), fee, and acceptable education. Contact the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy to transfer exam scores at:

You can also apply on-line with the FSBPT to request that exam scores be submitted to the Department. Transferred exam scores will be reviewed by the Department to determine if satisfactory.

Limited Permits

The fee for a limited permit as a physical therapist is $70. Effective February 9, 2003, limited permits may be issued to physical therapist assistants; the fee is $50. Limited permits for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants are valid for 6 months, effective February 9, 2003.

The Department may issue limited permits to an applicant for licensure which authorize the practice of physical therapy under the on-site supervision of a New York State licensed and currently registered physical therapist. On-site supervision means that the supervising physical therapist is in the same facility and readily available to the permittee. Up until February 9, 2003, a permit may also be issued to a physical therapy graduate who affirms in writing that her/his program deficiencies will be made up in no more than one year of study if the Department determines that the plan of study is reasonable.

An applicant receiving a limited permit is restricted to employment in a public hospital, an incorporated hospital or clinic, a licensed proprietary hospital, a licensed nursing home, a public health agency, a recognized public or non-public school setting, the office of a licensed physical therapist, or in the civil service of New York State or a political subdivision in New York State.

Practice Exemption:

New graduates of New York State or APTA accredited physical therapist education programs registered by the New York State Education Department may be employed for 90 days immediately following graduation without holding a limited permit. To be eligible to practice within these 90 days, you must have:

• graduated from your physical therapist program and requested your school to complete and submit the Form 2 to the Office of the Professions;
• submitted the Application for Licensure and First Registration (Form 1) and paid the required licensure application fee;
• submitted the Application for Limited Permit (Form 5), and paid the required limited permit fee, and
• applied to take the licensing examination and paid the fee for the examination.

While practicing during these 90 days, you must be under the supervision of a New York State licensed currently registered physical therapist. As soon as the permit is received, you must give your employer the employer's copy.