Kansas Occupational Therapist License Renewal Guide (2026)
- Kansas-licensed occupational therapists approaching their annual March 31 renewal
- Travel occupational therapists holding a Kansas license who need to renew while on assignment elsewhere
- OTs whose Kansas license has been cancelled and who need to understand the reinstatement process
Kansas OT License Renewal — At a Glance
| Renewal Cycle | Annual, structured as a 10-week cycle — 6 weeks on-time followed by 4 weeks of late renewal |
| Renewal Fee | $72 for online renewal; $75 for paper renewal, per KSBHA’s fee schedule |
| Late Renewal Fee | $77 online / $80 paper during the 4-week late renewal window; $80 reinstatement fee if the license is cancelled |
| License Expiration | Fixed date of March 31 annually, with an overall renewal window running February 15 through April 30 |
| Grace Period | Yes — a 4-week late renewal window (April 1–30) follows the March 31 expiration, with a higher fee, before the license is cancelled |
| Renewal Notice | KSBHA emails notices at the start of both the on-time and late renewal periods |
| CE Hours Required | 40 contact hours every 24 months, submitted with your renewal in odd-numbered years — no CE evidence is required for even-numbered-year renewals |
| Mandatory CE Topics | None — content must relate to occupational therapy or similar areas generally, with no single required subject |
| Approved CE Sources | Kansas organizes qualifying activity into Classes I through VI (coursework, in-service, professional reading, presentations, teaching, and fieldwork supervision); no Board pre-approval of individual courses is required |
| CE Category Limits | Self-study/home study/internet courses capped at 20 hours; in-service training capped at 8 hours; professional reading capped at 2 hours; serving as an instructor capped at 30 hours; fieldwork supervision capped at 24 hours — all per 24-month cycle |
| Renewal Method | Online via the KSBHA Online Portal — a different process from the paper-only initial application |
| Payment Methods | Credit or debit card through the online portal; check or money order if renewing by paper |
| Long-Expired Licenses | A license not renewed by the end of the 10-week cycle is cancelled, and a formal reinstatement process is required. No specific multi-year cutoff after which reinstatement becomes impossible was identified on official sources reviewed. |
| Renewal Portal | KSBHA Online Portal (boha.ks.gov) |
| Renewal Contact | (785) 296-7413 |
| OT Compact Renewal Implications | Your active, unencumbered home-state license must stay current to retain compact privileges. Kansas is not yet actively issuing compact privileges itself as of this page’s last verification. |
| Unique Kansas Rules | Professional liability insurance must be maintained and evidenced annually; CE is only required with odd-year renewals, not every year |
Kansas occupational therapist licenses renew every year, but the continuing education requirement runs on its own two-year cycle — 40 hours due only with renewals in odd-numbered years. See the summary table above for the current fee and CE requirement. Kansas structures its renewal deadline as a defined 10-week cycle rather than a single hard date, giving licensees a built-in late window before cancellation.
What Makes Kansas Different
- Annual renewal, but CE only every other year. Your Kansas OT license renews every single year, but the 40-hour continuing education requirement is only due with odd-numbered-year renewals. Even-numbered-year renewals need the fee and application, but no CE evidence.
- A structured 10-week renewal cycle, not a single cutoff date. Rather than a single hard deadline, Kansas frames renewal as a 6-week on-time window followed by a 4-week late window, both with their own fee tiers and their own reminder emails. The license isn’t cancelled until the full 10 weeks pass.
- A detailed, multi-category CE structure. Kansas organizes qualifying continuing education into six distinct classes, several with their own hour caps — self-study, in-service training, professional reading, teaching, and fieldwork supervision are all treated differently rather than lumped into one general category.
- Renewal is online even though initial licensure isn’t. If you’re used to Kansas’s paper-based initial application, don’t assume renewal works the same way — it’s handled through KSBHA’s online portal.
Renewal Requirements
To renew, licensees complete the process through KSBHA’s online portal, pay the applicable fee, and — in odd-numbered years only — submit evidence of 40 contact hours of continuing education completed during the preceding 24 months. Professional liability insurance evidence must also be current at the time of renewal, every year regardless of the CE cycle.
Continuing Education Detail
A contact hour is defined as 60 minutes of instruction. Content must relate to occupational therapy or a similar area, and the Board does not require pre-approval of individual courses or providers. Kansas organizes qualifying CE into six classes, several with their own hour caps per 24-month cycle:
| CE Category | Maximum Hours (per 24 months) |
|---|---|
| Class I(g): self-study, home study, internet courses | 20 hours |
| Class II: in-service training | 8 hours |
| Class III: professional reading | 2 hours |
| Class V: serving as an instructor | 30 hours |
| Class VI: fieldwork supervision | 24 hours |
If you’re initially licensed or reinstated within one year of a CE-due renewal date, that first renewal is exempt from the CE requirement; if it’s been between one and two years, a reduced 20-hour requirement applies instead of the full 40.
How to Renew Your Kansas OT License
- Watch for KSBHA’s email notice at the start of your on-time renewal window.
- Log in to the KSBHA Online Portal.
- In odd-numbered years, confirm your 40 hours of continuing education are complete for the current 24-month period.
- Confirm your professional liability insurance evidence is current.
- Pay the applicable renewal fee shown in the summary table above.
- Submit within the 6-week on-time window to avoid the higher late-renewal fee.
If You Miss the On-Time Window
Kansas provides a 4-week late renewal period immediately following the on-time window, with a higher fee tier. If the license still isn’t renewed by the end of the full 10-week cycle, it is cancelled, and a formal reinstatement process is required. Official sources reviewed did not identify a specific number of years beyond which reinstatement becomes permanently unavailable — contact KSBHA directly if you’re managing a cancelled license.
Practical Notes
- Track whether the current year is odd or even — it’s easy to assume CE is due every year, and either scrambling to finish 40 hours in an even year or accidentally skipping them in an odd year both cause avoidable problems.
- Renew during the 6-week on-time window rather than treating the full 10 weeks as your real deadline — the late window exists as a safety net, not a target.
- If you rely heavily on self-study, in-service training, or fieldwork supervision for your CE, track those hours against their specific caps — Kansas’s class structure means you can’t cover your full 40 hours from a single category alone if it’s one of the capped ones.
- Keep your professional liability insurance current independent of your CE tracking — it’s required every year at renewal, regardless of whether that year needs CE evidence.
- If you’re relying on an OT Compact privilege from elsewhere, confirm directly with KSBHA whether Kansas is actively issuing and accepting compact privileges yet, since enactment and operational status are different milestones.
Relevant Statutes and Regulations
- K.A.R. 100-54-7 — Continuing education; license renewal
- K.A.R. 100-54-8 — Continuing education; expired, canceled, and revoked licenses
- K.S.A. 65-5401 et seq. — Kansas Occupational Therapy Practice Act
- KSBHA License Fees — official current fee schedule by profession
Related Pages
- Kansas Occupational Therapist Initial Licensing Requirements
- Oklahoma Occupational Therapist License Renewal
- Occupational Therapist Licensing by State — Complete Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
When does my Kansas OT license expire?
Kansas OT licenses expire annually on a fixed date of March 31, with an overall renewal window running from February 15 through April 30. Source: KSBHA Licensing Department
How many continuing education hours do I need to renew my Kansas OT license?
Kansas requires 40 contact hours of continuing education every 24 months, submitted with renewal in odd-numbered years only — no CE evidence is required for even-numbered-year renewals. Source: K.A.R. 100-54-7 — no clean official deep-link was available; verify directly with KSBHA or the Kansas Secretary of State’s Administrative Regulations portal.
Is there a grace period for Kansas OT license renewal?
Yes. Kansas provides a 4-week late renewal window immediately following the March 31 expiration, running through April 30, with a higher fee tier. If the license still isn’t renewed by the end of that window, it’s cancelled and requires formal reinstatement. Source: KSBHA Licensing Department
Can I renew my Kansas OT license online?
Yes. Renewal is completed through the KSBHA Online Portal — a different process from the paper-only initial application. Source: KSBHA License Renewals Online
Is Kansas part of the OT Compact, and does that affect renewal?
Yes, Kansas enacted OT Compact legislation in 2026, but is not yet actively issuing compact privileges. Renewing your Kansas license does not by itself grant or extend compact privileges — those depend on Kansas completing its own integration with the compact system and on maintaining an active home-state license. Source: CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts
What is the renewal fee for a Kansas OT license?
$72 for online renewal or $75 for paper renewal, confirmed directly against KSBHA’s official fee schedule. Late renewal within the 4-week grace window costs $77 online or $80 by paper, and reinstating a cancelled license costs $80. Source: KSBHA License Fees
What happens if I forget to renew my Kansas OT license?
You have a 4-week late renewal window after your March 31 expiration, running through April 30, at a higher fee ($77 online or $80 paper). If the license still isn’t renewed by the end of that window, it’s cancelled, and you’ll need to go through KSBHA’s formal reinstatement process, which carries an $80 fee. Source: KSBHA Licensing Department