New Jersey licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners in the Division of Consumer Affairs. Applications are online, and nobody may practice without a current, active license. 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.
New Jersey 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
$125 application + $110 license (first year of the two-year cycle) or $55 (second year)
$125 application + $100 or $50 license
Law exam
NJ JAM through FSBPT: 50 questions, 90 minutes, 80% to pass, $48
Same
Background check
Fingerprints: live scan in New Jersey, or cards if you live out of state
Same
PT Compact
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a New Jersey compact privilege instead of a full license, and a New Jersey license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
New Jersey, step by step
New Jersey State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Division of Consumer Affairs)
Apply online up to 4 months before your NPTE date. The board's application deadline for a given NPTE date is the same as FSBPT's registration deadline. You may register with FSBPT before applying, but the board recommends applying first. The application fee is $125; a Social Security number is needed for the online form.
Transcript: your school sends an official transcript showing the degree and graduation date (email to the board is fine); the board cannot accept one from you.
Fingerprints: the board reviews your application in 3 to 7 business days, then sends instructions to book a digital fingerprint appointment. Out-of-state applicants may get cards instead, but a live scan in New Jersey comes back faster.
NJ JAM: every applicant must pass New Jersey's Jurisprudence Assessment Module through FSBPT ($48) and upload proof of completion.
License fee when told: once you are eligible, the board tells you to pay the license fee: $110 (PT) or $100 (PTA) in the first year of the biennial cycle (February 1 of an even year to January 31 of an odd year), half that in the second year. Do not send it early.
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.