Minnesota licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy, one of the state's health-related licensing boards. The facts below come from the Minnesota statutes. 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.
State (BCA) and national (FBI) criminal history check; results good for one year
Same
Temporary permit
$25; practice under supervision once you qualify for the exam
$25
PT Compact
Not a member. You need a full Minnesota license; compact privileges from other states do not cover Minnesota. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Minnesota, step by step
Minnesota Board of Physical Therapy
Apply to the Board of Physical Therapy on its application with the $100 application fee; licensure itself is $60 a year (the same for PTs and PTAs).
Criminal background check: every initial applicant submits to a Minnesota BCA check and an FBI check (Minn. Stat. 214.075). Results are valid for one year from when the board receives them.
The NPTE: register with FSBPT and pass.
Temporary permit (optional): if you meet the education requirements and qualify for the exam, the board may issue a temporary permit ($25) to practice physical therapy under supervision (Minn. Stat. 148.71).
Licensed elsewhere? Minnesota is not in the PT Compact; a PT licensed in good standing in another state can hold a temporary permit without supervision until the board meeting that considers the application.
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.