The application form itself can be completed online by most applicants.  To avoid delay and inconvenience, contact the Board before you apply if you fit into one of the 5 categories below.

• You are a "re-examination" applicant, meaning you have previously taken but not passed the national licensure exam.
• You are a foreign-trained applicant with a professional entry-level degree from an institution outside the U.S. or its territories. Click here for information for foreign-trained applicants.
• You require ADA testing accommodations on the national exam.  Click here for the procedures and forms for requesting a testing accommodation.
• You are a physical therapy applicant who has registered to take, but has not yet taken, the national licensure exam for the first time in a state other than Texas.
• You have an expired Texas license, are currently licensed in another state, and want to practice in Texas now.

To get a license, you must apply for Licensure by Exam or Licensure by Endorsement.  If you have NOT passed the national exam, apply for Licensure by Exam.  If you are CURRENTLY LICENSED in another state, apply for Licensure by Endorsement.

• REQUIRED ITEMS

• Application and non-refundable fee
   **According to state law, you must provide your social security number (SSN) to obtain a license; or alternatively, if you do not have a SSN, you must submit an affidavit stating that you do not have one.  Until your application includes a SSN or an SSN affidavit, your application cannot be processed.

• Applicant photograph - a recent, passport-type photo on standard photographic paper, with the printed name, SSN and signature of the applicant on the reverse in dark ink.  Photographs must be mailed to the Board Office at 333 Guadalupe, Suite 2-510, Austin, Texas, 78701. Computer printed photos are not acceptable and will delay the processing of your application.
• Proof of graduation - (US graduates only) a photocopy of your diploma, or an official "completion letter" from your PT/PTA program stating that you completed the program.  The completion letter must be an original and include your SSN. It must also include the school seal and be signed by the school registrar, the program director, or other authorized school official, and must be mailed by the school directly to the Board at the above address.

• Official transcript from your CAPTE-accredited entry-level professional program - mailed directly to the Board by the school. (US graduates only)
  **If your degree in Physical Therapy is from an institution outside the US or its territories, make sure you read the information for foreign-trained applicants before you apply.  Education documentation requirements are different for foreign-trained applicants. CAPTE-accreditation of a foreign program does not eliminate this requirement.

• Verification of Licensure
  For applications postmarked after 4/1/2009, the Board requires verification of licensure from all states in which you have ever held a license, as is the standard in the healthcare professions.  At least one of those verifications must show current active licensure.  All verifications must be sent directly to the Board by the state board issuing the license.  The verification information must include type of license (PT or PTA); issuance and expiration dates; license number; and indication of any disciplinary action taken, with official documentation.
• National exam score report from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) Score Transfer Service sent directly to the Board. Request a score transfer online from the FSBPT or contact them at 703-739-9420.
• Applicant Jurisprudence Exam – This is an online, open book exam based on the Texas PT Rules and the Practice Act. You may refer to the Rules and Act while taking the exam. 

Take the Applicant Jurisprudence Exam

Apply Online for a License Now

Print Paper Application Form Now
 

• REQUIRED ITEMS

• Application and non-refundable fee
   **According to state law, you must provide your social security number (SSN) to obtain a license; or alternatively, if you do not have a SSN, you must submit an affidavit stating that you do not have one.  Until your application includes a SSN or an SSN affidavit, your application cannot be processed.

• Applicant photograph - a recent, passport-type photo on standard photographic paper, with the printed name, SSN and signature of the applicant on the reverse in dark ink.  Photographs must be mailed to the Board at 333 Guadalupe, Suite 2-510, Austin, Texas, 78701. Computer printed photos are not acceptable and will delay the processing of your application.
• Proof of graduation - a photocopy of your diploma, or an official "completion letter" from your PT/PTA program stating that you completed the program.  The completion letter must be an original and include your SSN. It must also include the school seal and be signed by the school registrar, the program director, or other authorized school official, and must be mailed by the school directly to the Board at the above address. (US graduates only)

• Official transcript from your CAPTE-accredited entry-level professional program - mailed directly to the Board by the school.  (US graduates only)
  **If your degree in Physical Therapy is from an institution outside the US or its territories, make sure you read the information for foreign-trained applicants before you apply.  Education documentation requirements are different for foreign-trained applicants.  CAPTE-accreditation of a foreign program does not eliminate this requirement.

• Exam score report from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) - after you have completed the online licensure application, register for the national exam.  Your score will be reported to the state you select.  The exam fee is currently $350.
  **If you are requesting TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS for the exam based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), your request must be submitted and approved before you register for the exam.  Download the Board's request form and read the policy and procedures for a request for accommodations.

• Applicant Jurisprudence Exam – This is an online, open book exam based on the Texas PT Rules and the Practice Act. You may refer to the Rules and Act while taking the exam.

GETTING A LICENSE BY EXAM - The Steps Involved

• You may register and pay the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) for the national PT or PTA exam at any time during the application process. 

• When you have met the license application requirements, the Board will contact the Federation and approve your registration.  If you are requesting testing accommodations, you must do so BEFORE the Board approves your registration. 

• You will receive notification from the FSBPT that you may schedule the exam after you have registered AND your registration has been approved by the Board.

• At that time, you will be free to schedule the exam at a Prometric computer testing center.  You will have a 60-day window in which to take the exam.  The testing center fee, payable when you schedule the exam, is $65 for the PT exam, $50 for the PTA exam.

• Once you have taken the exam, the score will be reported to the Board. 

• If you pass the exam, the Board will issue and mail your license. 

Register for the National Physical Therapy Exam Now

TEMPORARY LICENSE - Exam Applicants only

Temporary Licenses are available to first-time exam takers only. The Board will give you a Temporary License only if you have a job waiting and have completed all of the other application requirements, including registration for the exam. 

You may apply for a temporary license at any point between the start of the application process and taking the exam. You may pay for the temporary license during the online application process, or by personal check (made out to ECPTOTE) at a later date.

REQUIRED ITEMS

• Temporary license fee

• Temporary License Affidavit and the Supervisory Affidavit forms

FAILING THE EXAM AND REEXAMINATION

If you fail the exam, the Board will notify you.  You must return your temporary license to the Board.  You may not practice again until you pass the exam.  You may only take the exam three times in one calendar year.  The Board does not maintain or provide information about exam review courses.  We suggest you contact a PT or PTA program for assistance in finding a review course.

Important Phone Numbers

• PT Board - 512/305-6900

• FSBPT - 888/461-6905

• Prometric Testing Center - 800/796-9857

INFORMATION FOR
FOREIGN-TRAINED APPLICANTS

REQUIRED ITEMS

• Education Evaluation - If your entry-level PT degree is from a university or other institution outside of the U.S., you must submit an official evaluation of your education done by a board-approved credentialing agency.  The evaluation must be done specifically for Texas, not for any other state.  The credentialer will report to the Board whether the degree you received is substantially equivalent to an entry-level degree in physical therapy granted by CAPTE-accredited programs in the U.S., and whether you meet other specific requirements established by rule.  DO NOT SEND TRANSCRIPTS TO THE BOARD.  For the complete description of the requirements, see §329.5 of the Board’s rules, linked at the bottom of this page.
   

• English Language Proficiency Tests - Foreign-trained applicants** must make these minimum scores on the following exams:
  - Paper based TOEFL tests (pbt): TOEFL (reading/comprehension) 580; TWE (writing/essay) 5.0; TSE (speaking) 55.
  - Computer-based TOEFL tests (cbt): TOEFL (reading/comprehension) 237; TWE (writing/essay) 5.0; TSE (speaking) 55.
  - Internet-based (ibt): Writing 24; Speaking 26; Reading Comprehension 21; Listening Comprehension 18.
  
  **This requirement is waived for graduates of entry-level physical therapy programs in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and for applicants with degrees from foreign CAPTE-accredited programs. Click herefor more information about exceptions to the TOEFL tests included in §329.5 of the Board's rules. 
  
  
  Contact ETS at 609/771-7100 (www.ets.org) to sign up for the ibtTOEFL.  When you sign up for the exams, you will need to know that the Institutional Code for Texas is 9357. 

FAQ for Foreign-Trained Applicants

List of Texas’ Approved Credential Evaluators

Recommendation form for TSE Score Exception Request (cbt TSE only)

333 Guadalupe, Suite 2-510 • Austin, TX 78701-3942 • Phone: (512) 305-6900
Fax: (512) 305-6970 or (512) 305-6951 • info@ecptote.state.tx.us