Arkansas licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy, part of the Arkansas Department of Health. The board approves candidates for the NPTE; FSBPT runs the exam. Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.
Check with your board. PT Ticket is a study aid, not clinical or legal guidance. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), CAPTE, the PT Compact Commission or any state board; NPTE and FSBPT are their marks, used here only to name the exam.
Arkansas at a glance
Physical therapist (PT)
PT assistant (PTA)
Exam
NPTE-PT (225 questions, 5 hours), $485 to FSBPT
NPTE-PTA (180 questions, 4 hours), $485 to FSBPT
Board fees
$3 application fee (board instructions; new fees began July 1, so confirm)
Same
Law exam
Arkansas Jurisprudence Exam online, $10
Same
Background check
Criminal background check after your application is on file
Same
PT Compact
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a Arkansas compact privilege instead of a full license, and a Arkansas license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Arkansas, step by step
Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy (Arkansas Department of Health)
Apply by examination with the board's application, completed in full, and the non-refundable application fee, listed in the board's instructions as $3.00. The board posted that new fees began July 1, so confirm the current amount.
Jurisprudence exam: a passing score on the Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy Jurisprudence Exam is required; take it online ($10) and include the certificate.
Background check: a criminal background check is required before any license is issued, processed only once a valid application is on file; Arkansas residents get an email with instructions.
The NPTE: register with FSBPT ($485). Anyone who has failed the exam twice, in any state, must show proof of additional education before Arkansas will license them.
Every state licenses physical therapists and PT assistants on the NPTE, with the same passing score everywhere (600 on a 200-800 scale): a CAPTE-accredited degree, your state board's application, then NPTE registration with FSBPT ($485 plus Prometric's sitting fee), which your board approves before FSBPT sends your Authorization to Test. The PT exam is 225 questions in 5 hours and the PTA exam 180 questions in 4 hours, both on fixed dates four times a year; you may test 3 times in 12 months and 6 times in a lifetime (FSBPT NPTE Candidate Handbook). The full walk-through: How to get your PT license.