Licensure guide · Connecticut

How to get a Connecticut physical therapy license

Physical therapists in Connecticut are licensed by the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Physical Therapists. Below is what the board requires, from education to renewal, with every requirement linked to the board page it comes from. Checked October 22, 2026.

Step by step

Getting licensed

Education: Applicants must successfully complete a physical therapy program of study approved by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, with a criterion-referenced passing score. [2]
Background check: Applicants for physical therapist licensure must submit to a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history records check. [3]
Fees: The initial application fee for physical therapist licensure is $285. [2]
Where to apply: Applications are accepted online only, through the link on the Department of Public Health's physical therapist licensing requirements page. [2] Open the application →
Processing time: Once an application is complete, the Department of Public Health makes an eligibility determination within three to four weeks and notifies the applicant. [8]

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Connecticut is a PT Compact member and is issuing compact privileges: physical therapists and physical therapist assistants licensed in another member state can obtain a privilege to practice in Connecticut without applying for a new state license.

Licensed in another state: Applicants who hold a current license in at least one other U.S. jurisdiction, have practiced for at least four years and have all licenses in good standing may be licensed without transcripts, training verification or an examination. [4]
Interstate compact: Connecticut is a PT Compact member state: physical therapists fully licensed in another compact state can purchase a compact privilege to work in Connecticut, bought directly from the Compact rather than the state. [7]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: Recent graduates of APTA-accredited programs (or foreign graduates with a favorable FCCPT evaluation) may apply for a temporary permit to practice under the direct and immediate supervision of a Connecticut-licensed physical therapist, valid for 120 calendar days from the date of application. The permit is not renewable and becomes void if the applicant fails the examination. [5]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Physical therapist licenses expire in the first birth month following issuance and are renewed annually thereafter, with a 90-day grace period after expiration. [6]
Continuing education: Physical therapists must complete at least twenty hours of continuing education in each twelve-month registration period, including at least two hours on screening for post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide risk, depression and grief and on suicide prevention during the first registration period in which continuing education is required and at least once every six years thereafter. First-time renewals are exempt. [3]

Working in Connecticut

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in Connecticut earn a mean of $105,460 a year (BLS). Most of our Connecticut searches are confidential and never posted; tell us what you want and we will match you quietly.

Sources

Every requirement above was checked against the official page listed here on October 22, 2026. Boards change fees and rules, so confirm with the Connecticut board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Connecticut licenses

Physical therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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