Licensure guide · Rhode Island

How to get a Rhode Island physical therapy license

Physical therapists in Rhode Island are licensed by the Rhode Island Board of Physical Therapy (within the Rhode Island Department of Health). 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 have graduated from a physical therapy education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) or another accrediting agency approved by the department. [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), or another approved physical therapy certification examination. [2]
Background check: Applicants must submit a full Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) check from the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office. Out-of-state (endorsement) applicants must obtain their full BCI report from their state of residence. [1]
Fees: The physical therapist application fee is $155.00, nonrefundable, payable by check or money order to the RI General Treasurer; it covers the first license up to the next expiration date. [3]
Where to apply: Applicants use the paper Instructions and Application for License as a Physical Therapist from the Rhode Island Department of Health; applications are valid for 1 year from the day RIDOH receives them. [3] Open the application →

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Rhode Island has enacted the PT Compact but is not yet issuing compact privileges, so physical therapists and physical therapist assistants licensed elsewhere still need a Rhode Island license for now.

Licensed in another state: A physical therapist licensed by examination in another state, territory or the District of Columbia may be licensed in Rhode Island without examination by endorsement if the board finds the applicant meets Rhode Island's qualifications. [4]
Interstate compact: Rhode Island has passed PT Compact legislation, but the compact is not currently operational in the state, so compact privileges are not yet available. [6]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: New graduates may apply for a graduate license (permit) within 30 days of graduation; it is valid for 90 days, cannot be renewed, and is revoked if the applicant fails the exam. Foreign-educated graduates are not eligible. [3]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Physical therapist licenses expire on the first day of May of the next even year (a biennial cycle), and the renewal application and fee must be filed on or before the thirty-first day of March of each even year. [5]
Continuing education: Physical therapists must attest to completing 24 hours of continuing education every two years in scope of practice-specific offerings; clinical supervision of students in APTA-approved programs counts for at most 3 hours per cycle. [1]

Working in Rhode Island

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in Rhode Island earn a mean of $102,520 a year (BLS). Most of our Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Rhode Island licenses

Physical therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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