Rhode Island licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Department of Health (RIDOH) and its Board of Physical Therapy. The application fee covers your first license up to the next expiration date. 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.
Rhode Island 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
$155 application, includes the first license (216-RICR-10-05-2)
$50
Law exam
None listed by RIDOH
None listed
Background check
Full BCI report from the RI Attorney General (endorsement applicants: from their state of residence)
Same
Graduate practice
90-day graduate practice permit (fee $155 for PTs)
Check with RIDOH
PT Compact
Law enacted, not live yet. Rhode Island has passed the PT Compact but is not yet issuing or accepting privileges, so for now you need a full Rhode Island license. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Rhode Island, step by step
Rhode Island Board of Physical Therapy (Department of Health)
Apply on RIDOH's Physical Therapist / PTA application with a non-refundable check for $155 (PT) or $50 (PTA) attached; it covers the first license up to the next expiration date. A framed license certificate is an optional $30.
Background check: a full Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) report from the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office; endorsement applicants get theirs from their state of residence.
The NPTE: register with FSBPT and have the score sent to RIDOH.
Graduate practice (optional): the fee rule lists a 90-day graduate practice permit; ask RIDOH about supervision terms.
Compact: Rhode Island passed the PT Compact, but RIDOH says it is not operational yet, so you need a full Rhode Island license.
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.