As part of the regulatory requirements for licensed physical therapists (PT) and physical therapist assistants (PTA), subsection (4) of WAC 246-12-030 states that prior to a PT or PTA license expiration date, a courtesy renewal notice will be mailed to the address on file with the Department of Health (department). You can choose to renew your PT or PTA license by mail or online. However, failure to receive a courtesy renewal notice does not relieve or exempt the credential renewal requirement.
What does this mean? First, be sure to mark your calendar well ahead of your license expiration date. You can contact the department to renew your certification within 90 days prior to your PT or PTA license expiration date. Secondly, be sure to keep your address up to date with the department. If you move, your courtesy license renewal notice will be mailed to the last address you gave the department. If you miss your professional license renewal date you will not be allowed to practice until it is renewed. Failure to receive a courtesy renewal notice is not a valid excuse for a lapsed license.
The expiration date for all credentials is annually on the practitioner’s birthday.
The same rules apply to a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant who is a compact privilege holder practicing in another state. The compact privilege is valid until the expiration date of the home state license. An individual’s home state is determined by where they hold a current valid driver’s license. If the home state or address ever changes (i.e., a driver’s license is obtained at the home state or in a new state) the individual is required to notify the PT Compact Commission within 30-days by updating their compact dashboard at ptcompact.org.
Communication is key! You need to keep the department updated with your current contact information just as your Washington State Board of Physical Therapy needs to update its license holders. In fact, WAC 246-12-310 requires all practitioners to keep their contact information up to date with the department. If you want to sign up to receive email notifications like announcements pertinent to our physical therapy profession, news releases, and emergency updates in Washington state, you can sign up to receive these through GovDelivery.
Update your contact information with DOH.
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