Ohio licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Physical Therapy Section of the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board (OTPTAT). New graduates file the examination application on eLicense Ohio; you may not practice until the license is issued. 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.
Ohio 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
$100 application, non-refundable (the fee rule caps it at $100)
$100
Law exam
Ohio JAM through FSBPT: 50 questions, 90 minutes, 80% to pass, $48
Same
Background check
Ohio BCI and FBI criminal records checks (WebCheck), sent straight to the board
Same
PT Compact
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a Ohio compact privilege instead of a full license, and a Ohio license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Apply on eLicense Ohio: create an account at elicense.ohio.gov and file the PT-PTA examination application with the $100 fee (credit card). Upload the Certification of Entry-Level Education (or an official transcript) and a verification from any state where you hold or held a health care license. Applications filed before you pass expire after one year.
The NPTE: register with FSBPT; if you tested through Ohio, your score comes to the board directly, otherwise ask FSBPT to send an official verification.
Ohio JAM: register for the Ohio Jurisprudence Assessment Module on FSBPT's site ($48 plus a small card fee): an online, on-demand module on the Ohio practice act, 50 questions in 90 minutes, 80% to pass, results sent to the board.
Criminal records checks: Ohio BCI and FBI checks are required for initial licensure (ORC 4755.70), done at a WebCheck location and sent directly to the board. If your license is not issued within six months of the board receiving the results, you must redo them.
Review and license: the board reviews applications within five business days and emails you if something is missing. A Social Security number is required.
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.