Licensure guide · Iowa

How to get a Iowa physical therapy license

Physical therapists in Iowa are licensed by the Iowa Board of Physical & Occupational Therapy. 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 hold a degree from a nationally accredited physical therapy program, with official transcripts sent directly to the board by the school; degrees granted on or after February 1, 2004 must be a master's degree or higher. [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), with the score sent directly to the board by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). [2]
Background check: Applicants must complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check (two fingerprint cards and a signed waiver form), and the background check fee is $55. [2]
Fees: The application fee is $120, plus a $55 background check fee; application fees are non-refundable. [2]
Where to apply: Applicants apply and pay online through the licensure portal linked from the board's physical therapist application page. [2] Open the application →
Processing time: The board says total processing can take up to eight weeks, or longer depending on the outcome of the FBI background check. [5]

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Iowa 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 Iowa without applying for a new state license.

Licensed in another state: Applicants previously licensed in another state must submit verification of every state license and show one of: 40 hours of board-approved continuing education in the prior two years, 2,080 hours of practice as a PT in the prior two years, one year as full-time PT faculty, or a passing NPTE score within the prior two years. [2]
Interstate compact: Iowa participates in the Physical Therapy Compact; therapists who do not live in Iowa may work in Iowa with a PT Compact privilege obtained through the PT Compact website. [5]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Physical therapist licenses renew every two years; the renewal period begins on the sixteenth day of the licensee's birth month and ends on the fifteenth day of the birth month two years later. [3]
Continuing education: Physical therapists must complete at least 40 hours of board-approved continuing education each two-year renewal period; newly licensed therapists are exempt for their first renewal. [4]

Working in Iowa

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in Iowa earn a mean of $94,780 a year (BLS). Most of our Iowa 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 Iowa board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Iowa licenses

Physical therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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