Oregon licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Oregon Board of Physical Therapy. The details below come from the board's Oregon Administrative Rules (chapter 848) and FSBPT. 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.
Oregon 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
$187 examination application + the board's cost of a nationwide background verification
Same
Law exam
OR JAM through FSBPT: 50 questions, 90 minutes, 80% to pass, $48
Same
Background check
Nationwide background verification, paid with the application
Same
Temporary permit
Up to 3 months for first-time NPTE takers, on-site supervision
Same
PT Compact
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a Oregon compact privilege instead of a full license, and a Oregon license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Oregon, step by step
Oregon Board of Physical Therapy
Apply by examination with the non-refundable $187 fee plus the actual cost of a nationwide background verification (OAR 848-005-0020). Applications are valid for six months from receipt, and the board must approve them before you test.
The NPTE: Oregon's rule mirrors FSBPT's limits: at most three attempts in 12 months and six in a lifetime per level, and no more attempts after two scores of 400 or less (OAR 848-010-0015).
Oregon JAM: every new applicant must pass FSBPT's Oregon Jurisprudence Assessment Module ($48, 80% to pass); it also earns 3 hours of continuing competence later.
Temporary permit (optional): CAPTE graduates testing for the first time can get a permit for up to three months once the application (all but the score) is complete and they are registered and released to sit. You must have a supervising therapist in the same building at all times, and they co-sign your chart entries (OAR 848-010-0026).
Keep it: renewal is $200 (PT) or $130 (PTA) plus survey and background costs. Oregon is in the PT Compact; privilege buyers pass the OR JAM within six months first.
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.