Arizona Physical Therapy CE Requirements (2026): 20 Hours Every 2 Years

Requirements Overview

Arizona's continuing competence rules are set out in Arizona Administrative Code R4-24-401 through R4-24-403, administered by the Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy. Physical therapists must complete 20 contact hours per two-year compliance period across three activity categories: at least 10 hours must be Category A (coursework approved by an accredited program, or a PT/health-care association or specialty society), while Category B (self-instruction, study groups, in-service education) and Category C (teaching, publications, clinical instruction) together cannot exceed 10 hours, capped at 5 hours per subcategory.

Arizona does not mandate any specific CE topic such as jurisprudence or ethics, and hours cannot be carried over between compliance periods -- unused credit is lost when the cycle ends. Therapists first licensed in a compliance period's second year owe a prorated 10 hours, all Category A. PTAs face a separate, lower 10-hour total.

Renewal Pathways

Exemptions

• ✓
  Hardship Waiver — The Board may, at its discretion, waive continuing competence requirements on an individual basis for reasons of extreme hardship such as illness, disability, active service in the military, or other extraordinary circumstance as determined by the Board.

  Not automatic -- the licensee or certificate holder must submit a written request to the Board stating the specific reasons for the waiver, plus any additional information the Board requests, and the Board decides case-by-case.

How You Can Complete Your CE

Arizona CE Rules & Limits

Details specific to Arizona that generic CE guides tend to miss:

• Carry-over — Arizona explicitly prohibits carry-over: excess continuing competence hours earned in one 2-year compliance period cannot be applied toward the next compliance period's requirement.
• Certified Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs) have a separate, lower requirement: 10 total contact hours per 2-year compliance period, of which at least 6 must be Category A (no more than 3 of those from nonclinical coursework), and no more than 4 hours from a combination of Category B and/or C (no more than 2 of those nonclinical). PTA Category B/C subcategory caps (study group, self-instruction, in-service, teaching, publication, clinical instruction, practice management) are each 2 contact hours, versus 5 for PTs. A PTA whose initial certificate is issued in the cycle's second year must earn a prorated 6 contact hours, all Category A. Source: R4-24-401(B) and the board's PTA Continuing Competence Overview PDF.
• Category A has no overall numeric cap ('There is no limit to the amount of credit that can be earned in Category A' -- Renewals FAQ); the 20-hour PT total is reached by combining an uncapped Category A amount with Category B/C activities capped at a combined maximum of 10 hours (5 Category A minimum floor, so at most 10 hours can come from B+C).
• Audit process: selection for audit is random; audit notice is sent within 60 calendar days following the renewal deadline; an audited licensee/certificate holder has 30 days to submit proof of compliance (date, place, course title, sponsor, schedule, presenter, contact hours, and proof of completion); if found noncompliant, the Board provides 6 months to cure before further penalties under A.R.S. Section 32-2047. Records must be retained for 2 compliance periods (4 years) after participation. Source: R4-24-401(H),(I),(K); Renewals FAQ.
• Renewal applicants merely attest on the renewal application that CE requirements were met; documentation is submitted to the Board only if the licensee is selected for audit (Renewals FAQ, R4-24-401(F)).
• The board's website mentions CE Broker as an optional third-party CE-tracking service; its use is explicitly NOT required by the Board (Renewals FAQ).
• No unit/CEU conversion is used -- Arizona measures continuing competence directly in 'contact hours' (the rules explicitly reject CEUs 'due to the variety of conversions used. By different organizations'), so total hours is recorded directly with no conversion needed.
• No jurisprudence exam CE-hour requirement was found: Arizona requires a one-time AZLAW jurisprudence exam for new applicants (per FSBPT/board materials), but this is a licensure exam, not a continuing-education topic tied to renewal, so it is not included in mandatory topics.
• Dry needling prerequisite (separate from, and NOT counted toward, the 20-hour CE renewal requirement): a PT who chooses to offer or provide 'dry needling' intervention must first complete a minimum 24-contact-hour course approved by CAPTE, APTA (or a state chapter/specialty group), or FSBPT, covering sterile-needle technique, anatomical review, bloodborne pathogens, and contraindications/indications, including both a written and an in-person practical exam. Proof of compliance must be submitted to the Board within 30 days of course completion (or within 30 days of initial AZ licensure). Only applies to PTs who offer dry needling; not applicable to PTAs (dry needling cannot be delegated to assistive personnel). Source: A.A.C. R4-24-215; A.R.S. Section 32-2001(4).

Provider Requirements

No board pre-approval of individual courses or providers. Category A activities must instead be approved by one of three qualifying bodies: (1) an accredited medical, health care, or physical therapy education program; (2) a state or national medical, health care, or physical therapy association (or a component of the association); or (3) a national medical, health care, or physical therapy specialty society. Category B and C activities (self-instruction, study groups, in-service education, teaching/lecturing, publication, clinical instruction, practice-management coursework) are not approved by any outside body -- the licensee or certificate holder self-determines whether an activity qualifies by matching it against the rule's category definitions in R4-24-402.

Tips for Arizona PTs

• Track Category A hours separately from Category B/C, since only 10 of your 20 hours can come from self-study, study groups, in-service training, teaching, publications, or clinical instruction combined -- and no single subcategory counts beyond 5 hours.
• Because Arizona does not allow carry-over, finish all 20 hours before your Aug 31 (even-year) renewal deadline; hours completed early do not roll into the next cycle.
• If you plan to add dry needling to your practice, budget separately for a 24-hour prerequisite course covering sterile technique, anatomy, bloodborne pathogens, and contraindications -- this training does not count toward your 20-hour CE total.
• Keep your own completion certificates and course descriptions for two full compliance periods (4 years); the Board audits a random sample of licensees and gives only 30 days to produce proof once notified.
• If illness, disability, active military service, or another hardship keeps you from meeting the requirement, request a waiver in writing from the Board before your renewal deadline -- waivers are discretionary and not automatic.

Sources

PT Requirements in Nearby States

Other Professions in Arizona

All Physical Therapy CE Requirements by State

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