New Mexico licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the New Mexico Physical Therapy Board in the Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD). Fees are set in 16.20.5 NMAC. 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 Mexico 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
$250 full licensure application + $25 board administrative fee for the NPTE
$200 + $25
Law exam
Board jurisprudence exam, $25
Same
Temporary license
$35 request
Same
Background check
Check with the board (RLD posts background report instructions)
Same
PT Compact
Not a member. You need a full New Mexico license; compact privileges from other states do not cover New Mexico. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
New Mexico, step by step
New Mexico Physical Therapy Board (Regulation and Licensing Department)
Apply on the board's forms or RLD's online services with the non-refundable fee: $250 for a PT, $200 for a PTA, plus a $25 board administrative fee for the NPTE.
Jurisprudence exam: the board's fee schedule lists a $25 jurisprudence examination.
The NPTE: register with FSBPT; if you fail, the board sets requirements before approving another attempt.
Temporary license (optional): request one for $35 (a revised temporary license is $10).
Keep it: renewals are due by the date on your notice (mailed by December 15); after February 1 a late fee applies ($250 PT, $200 PTA). New Mexico is not in the PT Compact.
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.