How to get a PT or PTA license in Maine

Maine licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Board of Physical Therapy in the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation. You apply for the exam through FSBPT, then apply online for the license after you pass. 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.

Maine 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$30 license + $21 criminal background check + $25 exam processingSame
Law examNone listed by the boardNone listed
Background checkCriminal history records check, $21Same
PT CompactLaw enacted, not live yet. Maine has passed the PT Compact but is not yet issuing or accepting privileges, so for now you need a full Maine license. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)

Maine, step by step

Maine Board of Physical Therapy (Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation)

  1. The NPTE: apply for the exam through FSBPT; the board charges a $25 examination processing fee when you apply for the examination.
  2. Apply online once you pass: the board says to apply online after you have taken and passed the exam, with the $30 license fee and the $21 criminal background check fee.
  3. Keep it: annual renewal is $25, with a $50 late fee after expiration.
  4. Compact: Maine has passed the PT Compact law but is not issuing or accepting privileges yet, so you need a full Maine license.

Sources: Maine Board of PT: licensing, PT and PTA, Maine Board of PT: examinations. 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