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Licensure guide · Idaho

How to get a Idaho physical therapy license

Physical therapists in Idaho are licensed by the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board. 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 provide proof of graduation from a nationally accredited physical therapy school with a curriculum acceptable to the board. [2]
National exam
Applicants must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) with a scaled score of at least 600. Candidates may sit for the NPTE no more than 90 days before their official graduation date, after first applying to the board. [1]
Background check
Applicants must disclose on the application any criminal conviction or charge other than minor traffic infractions, any professional disciplinary action, and any denial of licensure by another state. [3]
Fees
Physical therapist applicants pay a $25 application fee and a $50 initial license fee. [1]
Where to apply
Applications are submitted through DOPL Online Services, linked from the board's Apply for or Renew a License button. [1] Open the application →

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Idaho is not a member of the PT Compact: physical therapists and physical therapist assistants licensed in another state need a full Idaho license before starting.
Licensed in another state
A physical therapist licensed in good standing in another state or territory who passed a substantially similar exam and meets Idaho's education and conviction requirements is entitled to licensure without examination upon paying the licensure fee. [4]
Interstate compact
Idaho has not joined the PT Compact; the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board has elected to defer membership at this time. [1]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license
Idaho does not issue temporary physical therapist licenses; licensure is available only by endorsement or by examination. [1]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal
Physical therapy licenses are moving to a 2-year renewal cycle that expires on the licensee's birthday, and licensees may renew up to 60 days before expiration. [5]
Continuing education
Licensees must complete 32 contact hours of continuing education every two years in areas germane to physical therapy; carryover hours are not permitted. [1]

Working in Idaho

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in Idaho earn a mean of $96,830 a year (BLS). Most of our Idaho searches are confidential and never posted; tell us what you want and we will match you quietly.

Getting licensed in Idaho for a move?

Tell us the setting and the city you want. We will tell you which employers are hiring and how long they will wait for a license.