Licensure guide · Mississippi

How to get a Mississippi physical therapy license

Physical therapists in Mississippi are licensed by the Mississippi State Board of Physical 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 be graduates of a CAPTE-accredited physical therapist program, with education verified directly to the Board by the institution or by official transcript; graduates of non-CAPTE programs in foreign countries need an education credential evaluation. [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), administered by FSBPT, with a minimum criterion-referenced scaled score of 600. Mississippi follows the FSBPT lifetime limit of six (6) exam attempts. [2]
State law exam: Applicants must pass the Mississippi Jurisprudence Exam, an open-book exam taken through the online application, with a minimum score of 70. [2]
Background check: All new applicants must undergo a criminal history background check. The Board mails a fingerprint card after the application is started and fees are paid, and no license is issued until the results have been received and reviewed. [3]
Fees: Applicants pay a $125.00 application fee and a $150.00 physical therapist license fee, plus a $50.00 fingerprint/criminal history processing fee; exam applicants also pay a $50.00 Mississippi exam processing fee. All fees are non-refundable. [2]
Where to apply: New graduates begin the online application from the Board's Applying for Licensure - New Graduates page, which links to the application, the steps to licensure, and the fingerprint background check process. [3] Open the application →
Processing time: Once all required documents in the application packet are received, the Board's average processing time is 1 to 2 days. [7]

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Mississippi 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 Mississippi without applying for a new state license.

Licensed in another state: Physical therapists licensed in another state may apply by reciprocity if they hold a valid, unrestricted license in good standing from another U.S. jurisdiction whose requirements are equivalent to or greater than Mississippi's. [4]
Interstate compact: Mississippi is a member of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, effective July 16, 2018, and compact privileges are available. Applicants must pass the Mississippi Jurisprudence Exam before they can be approved for a compact privilege, then purchase it through the PT Compact website. [6]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: Applicants licensed in another state who have applied for a permanent Mississippi license may receive a temporary license for up to sixty (60) days. Exam candidates may receive a temporary license, practicing under direct supervision, for up to ninety (90) days beyond the next scheduled exam. [4]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Licenses renew biennially. The licensure period runs July 1 through June 30, with surnames A through L renewing in odd-numbered years and M through Z in even-numbered years; renewal applications filed after June 30 are subject to a late fee. [4]
Continuing education: Licensees must earn 30 continuing competence units (CCU) each 2 year licensing period, with at least 7.5 CCU directly related to clinical practice, three (3) hours in ethics, professionalism or jurisprudence, and at least 15 CCU from Certified Activities. Compliance is reported through CE Broker. [5]

Working in Mississippi

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in Mississippi earn a mean of $96,850 a year (BLS). Most of our Mississippi 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 Mississippi board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Mississippi licenses

Physical therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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