New Hampshire

United States Physical Therapy Practice Acts

Original Editor - Your name will be added here if you created the original content for this page.

Lead Editors - Your name will be added here if you are a lead editor on this page.  Read more.

Temporary License Requirements/Availability 

Currently, temporary licesnure is not availabe in the state of New Hampshire.

Requirements for License 

In order for a Physical Therapist to eligible for licensure in the state of New Hampshire, they must have the following (if obtained their physical therapy education within the United States):

1. Be of good moral character

2. Be a graduate of a professional physical therapy education program accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education or by another board-approved accrediting organization.

3. Successfully passed the national examination approved by the board

4. Maintain continuing competency in PT for a period of 1 year before filing

If someone received their physical therapy education outside of the United States the following are required in order to be eligible for licensure in the state of New Hampshire:  

1. Be of good moral character

2. Have completed a professional physical therapy education program sponsored by an institution recognized by the ministry of education of the country of the institution's location and determined by either The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy or another board-approved entity performing credentials evaluations to be substantially equivalent to a program approved by the board for applicants educated in the United States

• If the foreign education applicant was a graduate of a program that is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education, by another board approved accrediting organization, or is a graduate of a PT program that is approved by the board then the board can waive this requirement

3.  Passed the board-approved English proficiency examinations if the applicant's native language is not English

4. Successfully passed the national examination approved by the board

5. Maintained continuing competency in physical therapy for a period of one year prior to filing

Continued Competence 

In order for a PT or PTA to renew their license to maintain continuing competence they must: 

1. Complete 24 hours of continuing education in each 2 year renewal cycle

2. At least one half of the hours required must relate directly and primarily to the clinical application of physical therapy

3. Balance of the contact hours required by have to relate to general physical therapy practice, including, but not limited to, supervision and consultation skills, curriculum development and trans-disciplinary issues or skills

4. If someone who has been licensed within the past 2 years as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant in another state wishes to renew an initial New Hampshire license that expires in less than the usual 2 years may use continuing education earned outside of the New Hampshire license period of validity but not outside the 2 year renewal cycle towards the requirements.

The practice act goes on to list different continuing education and professional activities that may be used to maintain continuing competence. 

Documentation of all completed courses/activities that can be used for continuing competence must be kept in case the board performs an audit and requests such documentation.

Is there anything unusual about this act? 

There are two main things that may be viewed as unusual in this act.  The first thing that is somewhat unusual is that a person must be in good moral character in order to be eligible for licensure, but this is difficult for the board to measure which can make this seem to be an unusual requirement to be specifically stated. Another thing that is unusual about this act is that they have animal physical therapy certification available, which to some may be an odd area of PTs to practice in.

References

References will automatically be added here, see adding references tutorial.

Disclaimer:   Informational Content is assimilated from the state practice act is a resource only and should not be considered a  substitute for the content within the state practice act.  All state practice acts can change and it is recommended that you refer to the original resource in the link above.