Licensure guide · New Hampshire

How to get a New Hampshire physical therapy license

Physical therapists in New Hampshire are licensed by the New Hampshire Physical Therapy Governing 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 be graduates of a physical therapy education program approved by CAPTE (or meeting older approval standards); applicants educated outside the United States must submit a credentials evaluation by the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT). [2]
National exam: Applicants must take and pass the national physical therapy examination developed by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), registering directly with the testing organization. [2]
State law exam: Applicants must pass the New Hampshire jurisprudence assessment module, developed and administered by FSBPT, covering RSA 328-A, rules Phy 100 through Phy 500 and the APTA Code of Ethics; it is open book and requires a score of at least 80 percent. [2]
Required courses: Applicants for initial licensure must meet a continuing competency requirement of at least 24 hours of activity (such as academic instruction, courses, in-service training or the New Hampshire jurisprudence assessment module) completed in the one year before filing the application. [2]
Background check: Applicants for initial licensure must submit a criminal history record release form and a complete set of fingerprints for a state police and FBI criminal history records check, at the applicant's own cost. [1]
Fees: The physical therapist license application processing and licensing fee is $121 for a 2-year license (the same fee applies to initial licensure, renewal and reinstatement). [3]
Where to apply: Applicants submit the Universal Application for Initial License to the OPLC licensing bureau through the online portal on the OPLC website, or by mail if the portal is unavailable or impracticable. [4] Open the application →
Processing time: Under OPLC rules, the licensing bureau must decide on a complete application for initial licensure within 60 days of determining that the application is complete. [4]

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire without applying for a new state license.

Licensed in another state: New Hampshire offers licensure by endorsement under RSA 310:17 to applicants who are licensed in another jurisdiction with substantially similar requirements and hold an active, unencumbered, non-temporary license; physical therapists are among the professions covered. [4]
Interstate compact: New Hampshire is listed as a member state of the Physical Therapy Compact, and the PT Compact map describes its member states as actively issuing and accepting compact privileges. [6]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Licenses expire 2 years from the date of issue; the renewal application, fees and supporting documents must be submitted on or before the expiration date, and no more than 60 days before it. [4]
Continuing education: Physical therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing professional education in each 2-year renewal cycle, at least half relating directly to clinical application, and must take and pass the New Hampshire jurisprudence assessment module in years ending in 0 or 5. [5]

Working in New Hampshire

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in New Hampshire earn a mean of $98,420 a year (BLS). We have 1 public physical therapy opening in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other New Hampshire licenses

Physical therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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