Texas licenses physical therapists and PT assistants through the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, part of the Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners (ECPTOTE). You apply in the council's online licensing system, pass the NPTE and the Texas jurisprudence module, and get fingerprinted. 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.
Texas 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
$190 application and license
$125 application and license
Law exam
TX JAM through FSBPT: 75 questions, 80% to pass, no fee for a first Texas license
Same
Background check
State (DPS) and FBI fingerprints through IdentoGO, after you apply
Member, issuing and accepting privileges. A PT or PTA licensed in another member state can buy a Texas compact privilege instead of a full license, and a Texas license held where you live lets you buy privileges in the other member states. (PT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Texas, step by step
Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (Executive Council of PT and OT Examiners)
Apply online: create an account in the council's Online Licensing System and apply by examination with your school code. The fee (22 TAC 651.2) is $190 for a PT and $125 for a PTA, non-refundable, and the application expires in one year. From September 1, 2026, a Social Security number is required for the license to be issued.
The NPTE: register with FSBPT; the board approves you to sit.
Texas JAM: every first-time applicant must pass the Texas Jurisprudence Assessment Module through FSBPT: online and on demand, 75 questions, 2 hours 20 minutes, 80% to pass, unlimited attempts. It is free for initial licensure ($48 for renewals and compact privileges).
Fingerprints: a state and FBI check is required for every PT and PTA license, and prints done for anyone else do not count. Wait until you have applied: the agency service code you need to book with IdentoGO is in your application deficiencies list.
Temporary license (optional): if you have never taken the NPTE and everything but the score is done, you can get a temporary license ($80 PT, $60 PTA) with applicant and supervisor affidavits; you need an on-site Texas PT supervisor. It lasts until the permanent license, or the end of the third month after issue, and is void if you fail.
Start work on online verification: once your license shows in the online lookup, you may practice without waiting for the certificate. Renewal is $248 (PT) or $184 (PTA).
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.