Ohio Physical Therapy CE Requirements (2026): 24 Hours Every 2 Years

Requirements Overview

The Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT Board) sets CE requirements under Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4755:2-3-01. Physical therapists renew on a biennial cycle and must log 24 contact hours; physical therapist assistants need 12 contact hours. Both must complete the Ohio Jurisprudence Assessment Module (Ohio JAM), a 2-hour ethics module, every renewal — those hours count toward, not on top of, the total.

Most courses need a valid Ohio Approval Number from the Ohio Physical Therapy Association (OPTA). Some activities skip that step automatically, including accredited academic coursework, clinical instruction, and residency mentoring, each with its own hour-conversion cap. Ohio does not allow carry-over of unused hours into the next cycle.

First-time renewals are exempt from all CE. Reinstating a lapsed license triggers reduced or full CE requirements depending on inactivity length, and the Board audits a random sample of licensees' records after every renewal.

Mandatory Topics

Renewal Pathways

Exemptions

• ✓
  First Renewal — License holders are not required to obtain any continuing education units for the first renewal of their initial Ohio PT or PTA license.
• ✓
  Reinstatement — Reinstating licensees have reduced or full CE obligations depending on how long the license was inactive: 12 months or less inactive requires half the standard hours (12 for PT / 6 for PTA) and the Ohio JAM is waived; more than 12 months inactive requires the full standard hours (24 for PT / 12 for PTA) and the Ohio JAM is required.

  CE activities used to satisfy reinstatement cannot be reused toward any other/future renewal period.

How You Can Complete Your CE

Ohio CE Rules & Limits

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

• Ohio measures CE in 'contact hours' / 'units' with 1 unit = 1 clock hour spent in a continuing education activity; no CCU-style conversion is needed.
• PTs must complete 24 contact hours per 2-year renewal cycle (including the 2-hour Ohio JAM); PTAs must complete 12 contact hours per 2-year renewal cycle (including the same 2-hour Ohio JAM). The Ohio JAM (PT Jurisprudence Assessment Module) covers ethics/jurisprudence and must be completed every renewal period.
• First renewal of an initial Ohio PT or PTA license requires NO continuing education (including no Ohio JAM).
• No carry-over: per Ohio Administrative Code rule 4755:2-3-01, accumulated CE units may not be carried over from one two-year renewal period to another.
• CE activities generally require a valid 'Ohio Approval Number' issued by the Ohio Physical Therapy Association (OPTA) on the Board's behalf, EXCEPT for activities listed in paragraph (G) of rule 4755:2-3-01, which do not require a separate approval number: (1) academic coursework at a CAPTE-accredited entry-level PT program or post-professional transitional DPT (tDPT) program -- converted at up to 15 contact hours per semester credit hour or up to 10 per quarter credit hour; (2) clinical instruction -- 1 contact hour per 80 hours of instruction, capped at 12 hours/cycle for PTs and 6 hours/cycle for PTAs, requires APTA clinical-instructor certification; (3) mentoring in an APTA-accredited residency/fellowship -- 1 contact hour per 3 hours of mentoring, capped at 12 hours/cycle for PTs; (4) volunteer service -- 1 hour of CE per 60 minutes of volunteering, capped at 6 hours/cycle for PTs and 3 hours/cycle for PTAs; (5) passing an ABPTS specialty exam qualifies for 24 contact hours in the year taken.
• The Board conducts a mandatory post-renewal CE audit of a random sample of licensees each renewal cycle (per OAC rule 4755:2-3-01); failure to respond to an audit notice or to have obtained the required hours can result in public, permanent disciplinary action.
• A CE waiver/extension can be requested through the eLicense Ohio portal; waiver requests are due 90 days prior to the renewal deadline.
• Legal basis: Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4755:2-3-01 ('Continuing education'), administered by the Physical Therapy Section of the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT Board).

Provider Requirements

The Ohio Physical Therapy Association (OPTA) reviews and issues Ohio Approval Numbers for CE courses/activities on behalf of the Board (not the Board itself). Certificates of completion must show the OPTA approval number, sponsor name, attendee name, completion date, and contact hours; courses lacking a valid Ohio Approval Number at the time of completion are not accepted in an audit. Certain activities (academic coursework at a CAPTE-accredited PT/tDPT program, clinical instruction, mentoring in an APTA-accredited residency/fellowship, volunteer service, ABPTS specialty recertification) are automatically eligible under OAC rule 4755:2-3-01(G) without requiring a separate OPTA approval number.

Tips for Ohio PTs

• Complete your 2-hour Ohio JAM ethics module as part of your 24 (PT) or 12 (PTA) hour total, not as an extra requirement, but don't leave it until the last week of your renewal window.
• Confirm any course carries a valid Ohio Approval Number from OPTA before you take it — hours from unapproved courses won't count in an audit unless they fall under one of the rule 4755:2-3-01(G) exceptions (clinical instruction, mentoring, academic coursework, volunteer service, ABPTS recertification).
• Don't bank extra hours hoping to use them next cycle — Ohio CE units expire at the end of each two-year renewal period with no carry-over.
• If you're reinstating a lapsed license, check how long it was inactive: 12 months or less cuts your CE requirement in half and waives the Ohio JAM, but longer lapses require the full standard hours plus the JAM.
• Keep OPTA approval numbers and certificates of completion on file — the Board randomly audits CE compliance after each renewal, and missing documentation can trigger disciplinary action.

Sources

PT Requirements in Nearby States

Other Professions in Ohio

All Physical Therapy CE Requirements by State

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