Management Branch Office of Licensing

Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Application Checklist Information about the application process and how you will be contacted IMPORTANT NOTE: Those applying for licensure by Examination (do not hold PTL licensure in another state) must submit their educational documentation to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) to determine their eligibility to test. For more information, visit FSBPT’s website: www.fsbpt.org/. DO NOT apply for licensure until you have taken and passed the appropriate National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). An Application Specialist will review your application based on the information you supply. If your application is incomplete, you will be contacted via the email address you provided. To monitor the status of your application, visit Online Services: apps.colorado.gov/dora/licensing/Default. Disclosure of Addresses: Consistent with Colorado law, all addresses and phone numbers on record with the Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) are public record and must be provided to the public when requested. It is your responsibility to keep your address and contact information current in our system. Your email address is not open to public record, but must be provided at the time you register an account. If your email address is not current, it is possible you will not receive important information from DPO. You can change your address, email address and other information online by using Online Services: apps.colorado.gov/dora/licensing/Default. Application Expiration: Your application will be kept on file for one year from date of receipt in the Division of Professions and Occupations. Your file and all supporting documentation will be purged if you do not submit required documents and complete your application process in one year. You will need to resubmit a new application packet and fee after that time. If you submitted an application within the last year and were notified that you did not meet the requirements and you are submitting an update, you do not need to complete a new application or submit additional fees. Certification Expiration and Grace Period. PLEASE BE ADVISED that if you are issued a certification within 120 days of the upcoming renewal expiration date, you will be issued a certification with the subsequent expiration date. For example, certifications issued between July 3, 2018 and October 31, 2018 will reflect an expiration date of October 31, 2020. Certifications issued prior to July 3, 2018 will reflect an expiration date of October 31, 2018 and must renew in the upcoming renewal period. st

All Colorado PTA certifications expire on October 31 of even-numbered years and must be renewed to continue practicing. To obtain a license as a PTA, you must: Pay Required Fee: You must pay the $57 application processing fee with a credit card or electronic check to complete the application process. All fees are non-refundable and are subject to change. Complete the Affidavit of Eligibility: You will be asked during the online application to attest to and provide information that you are lawfully present in the United States or otherwise eligible to work here. You may be required to upload documentation of your lawful presence.

1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202 P 303.894.7800

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Provide your Social Security Number or an Affidavit: As of January 1, 2009, a Social Security Number is required for all licenses/certifications. Exceptions are made for foreign nationals not physically present in the United States and for non-immigrants in the United States on student visas who do not have a Social Security Number. These applicants must submit a signed Social Security Number Affidavit in lieu of a Social Security Number. The Social Security Number Affidavit is available on the Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) website: www.colorado.gov/dora/DPO_Update_Contact. Provide Name Change Documentation (if applicable): If you already have another type of licenses/certifications in Colorado and your name has since changed, you are presenting documentation for licensure with a previous name, or if any required documentation has a different name on it, you will be required to upload proof of your name change. List and verify other Licenses/Certifications: You will be asked to list ALL license(s)/certification(s) you hold or have held to practice physical therapy or a related profession. It is preferred that you provide scanned copy verification from the other state or jurisdiction website at the time of application. Otherwise, arrange for verification to be sent to the Office of Licensing – Physical Therapy Licensure at the address on the bottom of this page. The verification must indicate whether or not you have ever had disciplinary action taken against that license(s)/certification(s). Answer the Screening Questions: You will be asked a series of screening questions related to your criminal history or complaints filed against you in other jurisdictions (if applicable). This may require you to upload court documents or other material. Please review DPO’s information regarding the disclosure of criminal history contained within these instructions. To obtain a license as a PTL by EXAMINATION, you must: Have graduated or be on track to graduate: You must have graduated (or be on track to graduate) from a physical therapy program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy (CAPTE) within two years immediately preceding submission of your application; -ANDHave passed the NPTE: You must have passed the NPTE administered by the FSBPT prior to applying for licensure. For further information, visit FSBPT’s website at: www.fsbpt.org/ExamCandidates. If you were educated outside of the United States or graduated from a non-CAPTE program, you must: Have obtained Credential Review and Education Equivalence: If you were educated outside the U.S. or graduated from a non-CAPTE program then you must obtain a Credential Review and Education Equivalence from the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) to determine if your education is equivalent to entry-level education and training required by accredited programs in the U.S. If you have already graduated and passed the NPTE, you may submit an evaluation from another credentialing agency per Rule 205. You may review the laws, rules and policies on the Laws, Rules and Policies webpage: www.colorado.gov/dora/Physical_Therapy_Laws#Rules. If your education is found to be deficient, you may take and pass subject examinations from the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) to overcome deficiency. All costs associated with the review are your responsibility. A final report from FCCPT must be sent directly to the Office of Licensing – Physical Therapy Licensure at the address on the bottom of this page. For further information visit FCCPT’s website: www.fccpt.org/. To obtain a license as a PTA by ENDORSEMENT, you must: Hold a PTA certification in another state or jurisdiction: You must hold or have held licensure to practice as a physical therapist assistant in another state or jurisdiction. You must list your other certification(s)/licenses(s) and must provide verification of each. It is preferred that you provide scanned copy verification from the other

1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202 P 303.894.7800

F 303.894.7693 www.dora.colorado.gov/professions

state or jurisdiction website at the time of application. Otherwise, arrange for verification to be sent to the Office of Licensing – Physical Therapy Licensure at the address on the bottom of this page. The verification must indicate whether or not you have ever had disciplinary action taken against that license(s)/certification(s). Hold an Associate’s degree or higher: You must have graduated from a physical therapy program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy (CAPTE); -ORHave obtained Credential Review and Education Equivalence: If you were educated outside the U.S. or graduated from a non-CAPTE program then you must obtain a Credential Review and Education Equivalence from the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) to determine if your education is equivalent to entry-level education and training required by accredited programs in the U.S. If your education is found to be deficient, you may take and pass subject examinations from the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) to overcome deficiency. All costs associated with the review are your responsibility. A final report from FCCPT must be sent directly to the Office of Licensing – Physical Therapy Licensure at the address on the bottom of this page. You must also demonstrate competency to practice physical therapy in ONE of the following ways: Have graduated and passed NPTE within past two years immediately preceding submission of your application: You must have FSBPT send your Score Transfer Report demonstrating your NPTE passing score; ORHave practiced as a physical therapist assistant for two of the last five years immediately preceding submission of your application: You may demonstrate your active practice using the Verification of Practice Form on the Applications and Forms webpage: www.colorado.gov/dora/Physical_Therapy_Applications_Docs#PTA. If you have not practiced as a physical therapist assistant for at least two of the last five years immediately preceding submission of your application then you must take and pass the NPTE and demonstrate competency in ONE of the following ways: Complete an objective third-party assessment: The third-party assessment must compare your knowledge, skills and abilities to the standards for entry-level practice accepted by the Board; -PLUSComplete 60 Category I hours of continuing education: The continuing education must be related to practice of physical therapy pursuant to *Rule 205.C.1; -ORComplete Board authorized internship upon Board approval.: You must successfully complete an internship pursuant to *Rule 305.C.2; -ORRequest another means to demonstrate competency to practice: You may request another means to demonstrate your competency to practice as a physical therapist, which the Board must approve. *You may review the Laws, Rules and Policies webpage at: www.colorado.gov/dora/Physical_Therapy_Laws.

1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202 P 303.894.7800

F 303.894.7693 www.dora.colorado.gov/professions