Nebraska licenses physical therapists and certifies PT assistants through the Department of Health and Human Services Licensure Unit, with the Nebraska Board of Physical Therapy. Both exams come first; you apply 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.
Nebraska 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
$133 license (less in some months); waived for young workers 19 to 25 and low-income applicants
$90 certification fee, same waivers
Law exam
NE JAM (NELAW) through FSBPT, $65, passed before you apply
Same
Background check
Nebraska State Patrol criminal background check, $75 (not waived)
Same
PT Compact
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a Nebraska compact privilege instead of a full license, and a Nebraska license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Nebraska, step by step
Nebraska Board of Physical Therapy (DHHS Licensure Unit)
Pass both exams first: the NPTE and the Nebraska law exam (NELAW, offered as FSBPT's NE JAM, $65), both through FSBPT, before you submit the application. The law exam moved to a new format on July 1, 2025.
Apply on the DHHS application (print, sign and mail) with the license fee: $133 for a PT, $90 for a PTA certificate (prorated amounts apply in some months).
Fee waiver: since 2020 the initial license fee is waived if you are 19 to 25 years old, or enrolled in public assistance (SNAP, TANF, Medicaid) or under 130% of the poverty line.
Background check: a criminal background check through the Nebraska State Patrol, $75, paid to the State Patrol; the fee waiver does not cover it.
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.