Delaware licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Examining Board of Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers in the Division of Professional Regulation. You apply online in DELPROS. 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.
Delaware 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
$193 application
$174
Law exam
None listed by the board
None listed
Background check
Delaware and FBI criminal background check with the board's service code (checks for other purposes do not count)
Same
Temporary license
$40, three months, a job under direct supervision of a Delaware PT
Same
PT Compact
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a Delaware compact privilege instead of a full license, and a Delaware license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Delaware, step by step
Delaware Examining Board of Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers (Division of Professional Regulation)
Request third-party documents first (transcripts, verifications, the background check), then apply in DELPROS with the fee: $193 for a PT, $174 for a PTA.
Background check: a State of Delaware and FBI criminal background check using the service code on the Division's Criminal Background Check Process page. Checks done for jobs or other states do not count.
The NPTE: register with FSBPT; if you already passed, have FSBPT send your scores to the board office.
Temporary license (optional): if you have applied for the permanent license by examination, have a job, and will work under the direct supervision of a Delaware-licensed PT, you can get a temporary license ($40) once everything but your scores is in. It lasts three months (extensions need board approval) and ends immediately if you fail.
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.