Physical Therapist
PT PTA
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Physical therapy continuing education requirements are different for every state. Currently there is no national regulating body. New Jersey PT continuing education requirements are developed by the New Jersey board of physical therapy.
Learn about New Jersey physical therapist:
- CEU Requirements
- First Renewal Rules
- Special Requirements
- Special Limitations
- Course Approval
- Compact Privileges
- Sources
CEU Requirements
Almost all states have continuing education requirements for physical therapists. Generally, PTs are required to complete a specific number of CEUs every one to two years. The CEU due date is often, but not always, the same as the license expiration date.
Total CEUs required: 30
CEU Due Date: Jan. 31, 2026
As a PT in New Jersey, you need 30 CEUs every two years by January 31st of even years.
Currently, CEUs need to be completed between Feb. 1, 2024 and Jan. 31, 2026.
First Renewal Rules
For physical therapists renewing for the first time, some states require the full number of CEUs, some require a prorated amount and some do not require any continuing education at all.
The rules may also depend on whether you were licensed by examination or by endorsem*nt.
To find out if New Jersey requires PTs to complete CEUs for the first renewal, visit the New Jersey board of physical therapy website. You can find the link below.
Special Requirements
Jurisprudence Assessment Module - 1.5 CEUs
Ethics - 2.5 CEUs
Some states have requirements regarding specific topics or activity types. There may be a certain number of CEUs required, or you may have to complete a particular course or exam. The CEUs you earn for special requirements can usually be applied toward your total.
New Jersey requires physical therapists to complete the following as part of their total CEU requirement.
Jurisprudence Assessment Module - 1.5 CEUs
Licensees must complete a 1.5-credit Jurisprudence Assessment Module offered by one of the sponsors listed on the New Jersey State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners’ website for the jurisprudence portion of the requirement.
Source: New Jersey
Ethics - 2.5 CEUs
Licensees can complete any ethics course (distance learning or live) of 2.5 credits or more.
Source: New Jersey
Special Limitations
Home Study/Online Limit - 10 CEUs
Some states have limitations on how many CEUs you can earn per activity type. Included below is the most common limit for New Jersey physical therapists. For details on activity types not listed here, visit the New Jersey physical therapy board website. You can find the link below.
Home Study/Online Limit - 10 CEUs
Per the NJ Physical Therapy Board website: ”A maximum of 10 of the mandatory 30 continuing education creditsmay be obtained from distance learning courses such as home study or Internet courses." NOTE: The Board also states: ”Live webinars are not considered distance-learning courses. Live webinars are considered contact courses (synchronous distance-learning activities) if they are a live, didactic-learning experience where the instructor and learner are in direct live communication during the course".So if your course was live, in real time but online, it is NOT subject to this limit.Find more details at the link below.
Source: New Jersey
Course Approval
Just as requirements vary by state, physical therapy continuing education course approval varies by state as well. Courses are not always approved for every state.
Even if you use a subscription site, just because one course is approved for PTs in New Jersey, you shouldn't assume all courses on that site are approved for PTs in New Jersey. Before signing up for a course, check with the CE provider to see if it is approved.
Compact Privileges
Compact privileges: Yes
New Jersey is part of the PT Compact.
What is the PT Compact?
The Physical Therapy Compact allows a PT licensed in one state to quickly and easily obtain privileges to practice in another state.
In order to take advantage of compact privileges, both your home state (the state you have your driver’s license in) as well as the state you want to practice in need to be part of the compact.
Compact privileges are intended to be temporary. If you move to a new state and you hold a compact privilege there, you won't be able to continue using that privilege. You'll need to apply for a license by endorsem*nt in your new home state.
The PT Compact and CEU Requirements
Compact privileges have the same expiration date as your home state. You only need to meet the continuing education requirements of your home state, but you may need to complete a jurisprudence exam for certain states.
Sources
CEU Keeper strives to simplify New Jersey continuing education requirements for physical therapists. We like to say “we read the rules so you don’t have to”. While we do read them often, the rules are subject to change and it’s always best to confirm or clarify directly from the source, the state board website.
Conclusion
Understanding continuing education requirements can be confusing. When searching for this information on social media, it’s important to remember it's different for every state. For example, if you ask a question about physical therapy requirements for New Jersey, be sure the answers provided are for New Jersey. With that said, you can always ask us your questions. We want to help and it's what we do!
Curious how New Jersey PT CEU requirements compare to other states? Check out physical therapy CEU requirements by state.
If you found our site to be helpful, please consider signing up for our CE tracker or following us on Instagram.
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