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Licensure guide · Texas

How to get a Texas physical therapy license

Physical therapists in Texas are licensed by the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. 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
Graduation from a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program, with an official transcript sent to the Board directly by the school. Foreign-educated applicants submit an educational evaluation in place of the transcript. [2]
National exam
Pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). Texas uses FSBPT's Alternate Approval Pathway, so FSBPT decides exam eligibility. The board's pages do not give a numeric passing score. [2]
State law exam
Required: the Texas Jurisprudence Assessment Module (TX JAM), taken through FSBPT before the license is issued, whether applying by exam or by endorsement. It has 75 questions and needs 60 correct (80%) to pass, and it is free for initial applicants. [3]
Background check
A criminal background check by fingerprinting (state DPS and FBI) is required before a license is issued. [2]
Fees
$190 for a PT, covering the application and permanent license ($125 for a PTA). Set by 22 TAC 651.2 in the board's May 2026 rules compilation. The fee is non-refundable. [4]
Where to apply
Apply online through the ECPTOTE Online Licensing System after creating an account; the board page linked here has the portal link. [9] Open the application →

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Texas 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 Texas without applying for a new state license.
Licensed in another state
PTs licensed in another state apply by endorsement. They submit the online application and fee, a transcript, an NPTE score transfer from FSBPT, license verification showing at least one current, active, unencumbered license, the TX JAM and fingerprints. Endorsement applicants cannot get a temporary license. [5]
Interstate compact
Texas is a member of the PT Compact (enacted by SB 317 in 2017), and compact privileges into and out of Texas have been issued since January 2, 2019. A Texas privilege costs $50 (plus a $45 commission fee), and the applicant must pass the TX JAM. [8]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license
An optional temporary license is available to applicants by exam who have never taken the NPTE and have met every other requirement. It costs $80 for a PT and requires on-site supervision by a Texas-licensed PT. It lasts until the permanent license is issued or until the last day of the third month after it was issued, and it becomes void if the applicant fails the exam. [6]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal
PT licenses are renewed every two years, by the end of the licensee's birth month. Renewal can start three months before expiration. [4]
Continuing education
PTs need 30 continuing competence units (CCUs) per two-year cycle. These must include the TX JAM (worth 2 CCUs) and an HHS-approved human trafficking prevention course. [7]

Working in Texas

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in Texas earn a mean of $109,270 a year (BLS). We have 1 public physical therapy opening in Texas 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 Texas board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

  1. [1] https://ptot.texas.gov/
  2. [2] https://ptot.texas.gov/apply-by-exam/
  3. [3] https://ptot.texas.gov/pt-jam/
  4. [4] https://ptot.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PTrules_2026.05.pdf
  5. [5] https://ptot.texas.gov/apply-by-endorsement/
  6. [6] https://ptot.texas.gov/pt-temporary-license/
  7. [7] https://ptot.texas.gov/cc-ce/
  8. [8] https://ptot.texas.gov/compact/
  9. [9] https://ptot.texas.gov/apply-for-a-license/

Other Texas licenses

Physical therapy licenses in other states

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