Connecticut licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Department of Public Health's Practitioner Licensing and Investigations Section, with the Board of Examiners for Physical Therapists. Applications are online only. 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.
Connecticut 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
$285 initial application
$190 initial application
Law exam
None listed by DPH
None listed
Background check
Not listed on the DPH requirement pages; check with DPH
Same
Temporary permit
Recent graduates may practice under supervision
Same
PT Compact
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a Connecticut compact privilege instead of a full license, and a Connecticut license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Connecticut, step by step
Connecticut Department of Public Health (Board of Examiners for Physical Therapists)
Apply online with a photograph and the fee: $285 for a PT, $190 for a PTA.
Documents from the source: an official transcript showing your graduation date and degree (for exam approval, DPH accepts a letter on university letterhead from the registrar, dean or program director confirming all requirements are met and the conferral date), and verifications from any state that has licensed you.
The NPTE: you may register with FSBPT early, but DPH must find you eligible before you sit. FSBPT's Score Transfer Service sends the passing score to DPH.
Temporary permit (optional): recent graduates of PT and PTA programs are eligible for a temporary permit to practice under supervision.
Keep it: renewal is $105 (PT) or $65 (PTA). Connecticut is in the PT Compact.
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.