Massachusetts licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Board of Allied Health Professions in the Bureau of Health Professions Licensure. The board's vendor, Professional Credential Services (PCS), runs the initial application. 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.
Massachusetts 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
$221 = $121 vendor fee + $100 application and license (initial license by exam)
$221, same split
Law exam
None listed on the board's application page
None listed
Background check
Good moral character review under the board's criminal record policy; no fingerprint step listed
Same
PT Compact
Not a member. A PT Compact bill has been introduced but not enacted; you need a full Massachusetts license. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Massachusetts, step by step
Massachusetts Board of Allied Health Professions (Bureau of Health Professions Licensure)
Apply online through PCS (pcshq.com), the board's application vendor; questions about the process go to PCS. The initial license by examination costs $221: a $121 vendor fee plus $100 in application and licensure fees, non-refundable, with a possible processing fee depending on how you pay.
The NPTE: register with FSBPT and pass. A license by re-examination costs $121.
Good moral character: every applicant must meet it. Read the board's Policy on Criminal Conviction or Pending Criminal Charges before you apply.
Educated abroad? Massachusetts accepts only FCCPT's Type 1 credential evaluation, and non-native English speakers need TOEFL 560+ and TWE 4.5+.
Keep it: PT and PTA licenses renew every two years on your birthday ($100). Massachusetts is not in the PT Compact (a bill has been introduced).
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.