Ethics CE requirements by state

Ethics is the most common required topic for PT and OT license renewal. Most states set an hour minimum per renewal cycle, and several require the course to be about your own profession's code of ethics or your own state's practice act.

19states require it of PTs

10states require it of OTs

State	Physical therapists	Occupational therapists
Alabama	2 hours of Alabama jurisprudence covering the Practice Act and the Administrative Code at your first renewal, then in years ending in 0 or 5 (2030, 2035 and so on). General ethics courses don't count for this. rules	Not required
California	2 hours of ethics, laws and regulations rules	Not required
Delaware	2 hours (0.2 CEU) of ethics rules	Not required
Georgia	4 hours of Georgia ethics and jurisprudence, or passing the Georgia Ethics and Jurisprudence Exam. Courses must come from a Georgia university with an accredited PT program or a provider with a current PTAG approval certificate. rules	At least 2 hours in the ethics of occupational therapy practice (online is fine) rules
Hawaii	2 units of ethics, laws and rules covering Hawaii law, from a course approved by the Hawaii board (no other approvals count) rules	Not required
Illinois	At least 3 hours on the ethical practice of physical therapy, including jurisprudence rules	1 hour of ethics rules
Indiana	2 hours in an ethics and Indiana jurisprudence course related to physical therapy rules	Not required
Louisiana	2 hours of ethics or professionalism rules	1 hour of ethics, approved by AOTA, LOTA or NBCOT rules
Maine	Not required	1 hour on ethics in the practice of occupational therapy (part of the total) rules
Massachusetts	At least 2 points in ethics, or the laws and regulations governing practice in Massachusetts rules	At least 2 points in ethics, or the laws and regulations governing practice in Massachusetts rules
Minnesota	At least 2 hours on professional ethics directly related to physical therapy, each cycle rules	Not required
Mississippi	3 hours of board-approved study in ethics, professionalism or jurisprudence rules	2 hours of ethics related to occupational therapy practice, live or recorded rules
New Jersey	4 credits of jurisprudence and professional ethics rules	Not required
North Carolina	Not required	At least 1 contact hour on ethics in the practice of occupational therapy (part of the 15 points) rules
Ohio	At least 2 hours of ethics through the board's renewal jurisprudence module (they count toward your total; a fee may apply) rules	At least 1 hour of ethics, jurisprudence or cultural competence each renewal cycle At least 1 hour of mental health or substance use education each renewal cycle (a different hour from the ethics one) rules
Oklahoma	3 hours of ethics that include the APTA Guide for Professional Conduct and the APTA Code of Ethics rules	Not required
Pennsylvania	PTs: 2 hours of law or ethics, and 2 hours of board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting PTAs: 2 hours of law or ethics, 2 hours of board-approved child abuse recognition and reporting, and 4 hours on identifying and responding to emergency health conditions rules	Not required
South Carolina	3 hours in ethics, professionalism or South Carolina jurisprudence, taken as a Certified Activity rules	Not required
Tennessee	4 hours of ethics and jurisprudence every other renewal cycle, from courses approved by the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association (TPTA). Each course is at least 2 hours. rules	1 hour on the AOTA Code of Ethics or other OT-related ethics rules
Utah	At least 2 hours on topics related to ethics rules	At least 2 hours on legal and ethical principles of practice rules
Wisconsin	4 hours of ethics, jurisprudence or both (for PTs and PTAs) rules	Not required

Where to take it

Many states accept ethics courses from any provider their board approves; some (Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Tennessee) say exactly whose courses count. Check your state's page before you sign up.
AOTA publishes the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics, and APTA publishes the Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist.

In-person courses on related topics

These courses on the map cover related material. Whether one meets a state's requirement depends on that state's rules, so check with your board or the provider first.

November 2026

Tue, Nov 10, 2026 Case based approach to Clinical Legal and Ethical Considerations Price on provider site · Stoughton, WI UW MadisonGeneral & Exams Listed as approved by APTA Wisconsin. Check approval for your state with the provider. Details and registration

December 2026

Tue, Dec 1, 2026 Ethics in Documentation & Billing: Signature Compliance Course for Rehab Practice (West Central District) $25 members / $50 non-members · Onalaska, WI APTA Wisconsin· Stoney Creek Hotel La Crosse - OnalaskaPractice & Documentation Details and registration

January 2027

Wed, Jan 13, 2027 Ethics in Documentation & Billing: Signature Compliance Course for Rehab Practice (Southeast District) $25 members / $50 non-members · Wauwatosa, WI APTA Wisconsin· 10950 West Potter RoadPractice & Documentation Details and registration

Summaries of each board's rules. A state not listed doesn't require this topic as far as its PT and OT rules say. Rules change, so confirm with your board.