North Dakota PT License Renewal: Fees, CE & Expired License Rules (2026)
Editorial Note: This page is editorially reviewed by an ARDMS-credentialed sonographer as part of AlliedLicenseGuide.com’s allied health licensing database. Data verified directly against the North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy.
Who This Guide Is For
- North Dakota-licensed physical therapists approaching their annual January 31 renewal deadline
- PTs tracking North Dakota’s 25-unit continuing competence requirement, which runs on its own two-year cycle separate from the annual license fee
- PTs whose license has lapsed and need to understand North Dakota’s one-year and three-year reapplication thresholds
At a Glance: North Dakota PT Renewal
| Renewal Cycle | The license fee renews annually; the 25-unit continuing competence requirement is on a separate 2-year cycle |
| Expiration Date | Fixed date — January 31 every year |
| Renewal Fee | $100.00 annually |
| Late Fee | $50.00 |
| Grace Period | None — a license not renewed by January 31 expires and the licensee may not practice |
| CE Requirement | 25 continuing competence units every 2 years |
| Renewal Method | Online only, via the Board’s License Renewal Application — opens November 1 each year |
| Expired License | Expired more than 1 year: must submit a full new application ($200.00 fee). Expired more than 3 years: must additionally demonstrate competence (restricted practice, remedial courses, CE makeup, or exam) |
North Dakota Renewal Overview
North Dakota physical therapist licenses renew every year for $100.00, expiring January 31 annually. There’s no grace period — a license not renewed by the deadline expires immediately and the licensee may not practice. A $50.00 late fee applies if you renew after the deadline but before the license lapses entirely.
North Dakota’s continuing competence requirement — 25 units — runs on its own two-year cycle, separate from the annual license fee. Don’t assume that because you paid your annual fee, you’re also current on your CCU requirement; check where you are in your two-year CE cycle independently. There’s no carryover — CCUs earned beyond what’s required in one reporting period don’t roll forward to the next.
If Your License Has Expired
North Dakota uses two separate thresholds for expired licenses, confirmed directly against both the administrative rule and the statute — it’s worth understanding both rather than treating this as a single cutoff. If your license has been expired for more than one year, standard renewal is no longer available under the Board’s administrative rule (NDAC 61.5-02-02) — you must submit a full new application for licensure rather than simply reinstating, and pay the $200.00 reinstatement fee. Separately, under the statute itself (NDCC 43-26.1-09(2)), if your license has been expired for more than three consecutive years, you must additionally demonstrate competence to the Board’s satisfaction through one or more of: practicing for a specified time under a restricted license, completing prescribed remedial courses, completing continuing competence requirements for the expired period, or passing an exam. These aren’t competing figures — the one-year mark changes which application process you use, and the three-year mark adds a further competence-demonstration requirement on top of that. Separately again, if you haven’t actively practiced as a PT or PTA in the past 3 years or haven’t passed the NPTE, the Board’s reinstatement page asks you to contact them directly rather than using the standard reinstatement application.
How to Renew
- Confirm which year of your two-year CE cycle you’re in — your 25 CCUs may or may not be due this specific renewal
- Complete your continuing competence requirements if due this cycle
- Renew before January 31 to avoid the $50.00 late fee and the risk of your license expiring entirely
- Pay the $100.00 annual renewal fee
Practical Notes: Don’t let a lapsed license sit past one year — at that point you’re looking at a full new application rather than a simpler reinstatement, and past three years you’ll also need to demonstrate competence through one of several specific pathways rather than just paying fees and catching up on CE. If you haven’t practiced as a PT or PTA in the past 3 years, or haven’t passed the NPTE, contact the Board directly rather than assuming the standard reinstatement application applies to your situation.
Editorial note: Practical guidance reviewed by ALG’s editorial team based on official Board sourcing.
Relevant Statutes
- NDAC 61.5-02-02 — Licensure (renewal and reinstatement provisions)
- NDCC Chapter 43-26.1 — Physical Therapists (fee schedule)
- Board PT Licensure Application Instructions (renewal fee, CE requirement, no-carryover rule)
- Board Reinstatement Application Page
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Does North Dakota’s PT license renew every year or every two years? The license fee is due annually, but the 25-unit continuing competence requirement is only due every other year — these are separate cycles. NDAC 61.5-02-02
How much does it cost to renew a North Dakota PT license? $100.00 annually, plus a $50.00 late fee if you miss the January 31 deadline. NDCC 43-26.1-10
What happens if my North Dakota PT license has been expired a long time? If it’s been more than one year, you must submit a full new application for licensure and pay a $200.00 reinstatement fee, per Board rule. If it’s been more than three consecutive years, the statute additionally requires you to demonstrate competence — through restricted-license practice, remedial courses, completing CE for the expired period, or passing an exam. NDAC 61.5-02-02-01; NDCC 43-26.1-09(2)
How many CE hours does North Dakota require for PT renewal? 25 continuing competence units every two years, with no carryover between reporting periods. Board PT Licensure Application Instructions
Does North Dakota’s PT Compact status affect renewal? A compact privilege in another state depends on your North Dakota home license staying active — if your ND license expires, so does the privilege. The compact privilege fee itself is $40.00. NDCC 43-26.1-10(5)
Disclaimer: This page is provided for informational purposes and reflects data verified against official North Dakota government sources as of the Last Verified date above. Renewal method (online vs. mail), renewal payment methods, mandatory CE topics, and CE category limits were not independently confirmed this session. Always confirm current requirements directly with the North Dakota Board of Physical Therapy before renewing.
2026-07-09: Page created following direct verification against official North Dakota government sources. Confirmed via NDAC 61.5-02-02 that an expired-more-than-one-year license requires a full new application rather than simple renewal.
2026-07-09: Follow-up verification pass — the $100 renewal fee, previously resting only on the original data collection responses, was independently confirmed directly against the Board’s own primary application page. Added a newly confirmed detail: continuing competence credit does not carry over between reporting periods.
2026-07-09: Editorial review round resolved a real gap: fetched the complete text of NDCC Chapter 43-26.1 directly, confirming a genuine three-year threshold exists in the PT statute itself (§43-26.1-09(2)) — a separate, additional competence-demonstration requirement layered on top of the one-year administrative-rule threshold, not a competing figure. This corrects an earlier changelog entry and page narrative that had incorrectly attributed the three-year figure to North Dakota’s Occupational Therapy board; that attribution was wrong, and has been removed. Also confirmed the $40.00 compact privilege fee directly from statute text (NDCC 43-26.1-10(5)) rather than a secondary fee schedule characterization.