North Dakota licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy. North Dakota uses FSBPT's alternate approval pathway, so FSBPT, not the board, makes you eligible to test. 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.
North Dakota 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
$200 application + $43 criminal background check
Same
Law exam
Open-book jurisprudence exam inside the online application, passed before licensure
Same
Background check
BCI fingerprint packet mailed after you apply
Same
PT Compact
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a North Dakota compact privilege instead of a full license, and a North Dakota license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
North Dakota, step by step
North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy
Apply online and pay $200 plus the $43 criminal background check fee by card (the application fee is non-refundable). The same fees apply to PTs and PTAs.
Fingerprints: once the board receives your application, it mails a BCI fingerprint packet. Document any "yes" answers to the legal questions.
Jurisprudence: an open-book exam on the ND Rules and PT Practice Act, built into the online application; you must pass it before a license is issued.
The NPTE: apply through FSBPT; your school tells FSBPT you graduated or are on track, and FSBPT makes you eligible under the alternate approval pathway. A permanent license needs the passing score and an official transcript sent from your school.
Keep it: licenses expire January 31 every year. North Dakota is 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.