Licensure guide · Massachusetts

How to get a Massachusetts physical therapy license

Physical therapists in Massachusetts are licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Allied Health Professions. 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 be graduates of an accredited physical therapy educational program approved by the Board; graduates of programs outside the United States must show substantially equivalent education and sufficient qualifications, including English proficiency. [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the physical therapist licensure examination currently approved by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy and accepted by the Board. [3]
Background check: Board staff review Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) on convictions and pending criminal cases, received from the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, to decide whether an applicant must be reviewed by or appear before the Board. [4]
Fees: Licensure by examination costs $221.00 in total ($121.00 vendor fee plus $100.00 application and licensure fee), and licensure by reciprocity is also $221.00; all fees are non-refundable. [5]
Where to apply: Initial applications are filed online through the Board's application vendor, Professional Credential Services, Inc. (PCS), linked from the Board's application page. [10] Open the application →

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Massachusetts is not a member of the PT Compact: physical therapists and physical therapist assistants licensed in another state need a full Massachusetts license before starting.

Licensed in another state: Physical therapists holding a current license in good standing in another U.S. state or territory, the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico may apply for licensure by endorsement, submitting an application, the fee, an official transcript, evidence of passing the required examination and official documentation of the current license. [6]
Interstate compact: Massachusetts is not a PT Compact member state; the PT Compact Commission lists it under introduced legislation, so compact privileges are not available in Massachusetts. [9]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: A person qualified to sit for the licensure examination may practice as a physical therapist under the direction of a licensed physical therapist from the date of filing an application until the results of the next examination are announced; the privilege ends if the applicant fails to qualify for or pass that examination and cannot extend beyond the third examination. [7]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Physical therapist licenses renew biennially (every 2 years) on the licensee's birthday, with a $100.00 renewal fee; a $57 late fee applies if the renewal is received after the license expires. [5]
Continuing education: Physical therapists must complete at least 24 points of Board-recognized continuing competence activities each biennial renewal period, including two points in ethics, laws and regulations governing practice in Massachusetts; for therapists licensed by examination the requirement begins after their first renewal period. [8]

Working in Massachusetts

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in Massachusetts earn a mean of $106,900 a year (BLS). We have 1 public physical therapy opening in Massachusetts right now, and more searches that are never posted.

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 Massachusetts board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Massachusetts licenses

Physical therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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