Licensure guide · Virginia

How to get a Virginia physical therapy license

Physical therapists in Virginia are licensed by the Virginia 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 physical therapy school accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), or of a non-CAPTE-accredited school outside the United States or Canada with equivalent credentials verified by a board-approved credentialing agency. [2]
National exam: Applicants must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for Physical Therapists. [2]
State law exam: Virginia has no state exam requirement for physical therapy licensure. [3]
Background check: All PT and PTA applicants for initial licensure by examination or by endorsement must obtain a criminal background check; it is not required at license renewal. [4]
Fees: The application fee for licensure by examination is $140 for a physical therapist ($100 for a physical therapist assistant); fees are not refundable. [5]
Where to apply: Applications for physical therapist licensure by examination and by endorsement are submitted online through the board's Applications & Forms page. [12] Open the application →
Processing time: The board states that completed applications are processed within 7-10 business days. [11]

Moving to the state

Already licensed somewhere else?

Virginia 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 Virginia without applying for a new state license.

Licensed in another state: A physical therapist holding a current, unrestricted license in the United States, its territories, the District of Columbia, or Canada may be licensed by endorsement. Applicants must also document at least 320 hours of active practice within the four years before applying, or complete a 320-hour traineeship. [6]
Interstate compact: Virginia participates in the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact: a physical therapist licensed in another (remote) compact state can obtain a compact privilege to practice in Virginia under the Physical Therapy Compact Commission's rules. [10]

Before your full license

New graduates and clinical fellows

Temporary or provisional license: With board approval, an unlicensed graduate registered with FSBPT to sit for the national exam may work as a trainee under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist until exam results arrive; the traineeship ends five working days after the candidate receives the results. [7]

After you are licensed

Keeping the license active

Renewal: Physical therapist licenses are renewed every two years, by December 31 of each even-numbered year. [8]
Continuing education: Physical therapists must complete at least 30 contact hours of continuing learning in the two years before renewal, of which at least 20 hours must be Type 1 courses and no more than 10 hours may be Type 2 activities. [9]

Working in Virginia

Pay and openings

Physical therapists in Virginia earn a mean of $104,070 a year (BLS). We have 1 public physical therapy opening in Virginia 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 Virginia board before you apply. This page is a guide, not legal advice.

Other Virginia licenses

Physical therapy licenses in other states

State-by-state license guides →

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