How to get a PT or PTA license in District of Columbia

The District of Columbia licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the DC Board of Physical Therapy at DC Health. The exam checklist lists everything the board needs, all submitted online. 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.

District of Columbia at a glance

Physical therapist (PT)PT assistant (PTA)
ExamNPTE-PT (225 questions, 5 hours), $485 to FSBPTNPTE-PTA (180 questions, 4 hours), $485 to FSBPT
Board fees$264 application and license feeCheck the PTA checklist
Law examDC Jurisprudence Examination, registered through FSBPTSame
Background checkCriminal background check, $50 paid online with the applicationSame
PT CompactMember, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a District of Columbia compact privilege instead of a full license, and a District of Columbia license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)

District of Columbia, step by step

DC Board of Physical Therapy (DC Health)

  1. Apply online with the $264 application and license fee and an official transcript showing your physical therapy degree.
  2. Criminal background check: $50, paid online with the application; DC Health sends a link for the fingerprinting step.
  3. The NPTE: register with FSBPT.
  4. DC Jurisprudence Examination: required for a DC PT license; register for it online through FSBPT and include the registration confirmation.
  5. Compact: DC is in the PT Compact (the board posted a letter about it in November 2023).

Sources: DC Health: physical therapy licensing, DC Health: physical therapist examination checklist, DC Health: criminal background check. Checked October 18, 2026.

Practice for the NPTE freeNPTE-PT questions on the 2024 outline, every answer cited, a score report by outline cell. Practice for the NPTE-PTA freeFor PT assistants: data collection, interventions within the plan of care, modalities and safety.

The national steps, briefly

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.

Official pages