Hawaii PT License Renewal: 30 CCUs, Fees & Restoration 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 Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy.
Who This Guide Is For
- Hawaii-licensed physical therapists approaching their biennial December 31 renewal deadline
- PTs tracking Hawaii’s 30-CCU continuing competence requirement and its specific ethics, jurisprudence, and life-support components
- PTs whose license has lapsed and need to understand Hawaii’s 1-year restoration window
At a Glance: Hawaii PT Renewal
| Renewal Cycle | Biennial (every 2 years) |
| Expiration Date | Fixed date — December 31 of every even-numbered year, regardless of issuance date |
| Renewal Fee | $230.00 active status; $12.00 inactive status |
| Restoration Fee | $345.00 active status ($18.00 inactive) if restored within 1 year of expiration |
| Grace Period | None — the license is immediately unlicensed at expiration, but restoration is available within 1 year |
| CE Requirement | 30 CCUs every 2 years (prorated for first renewal — 0 CCUs if licensed under 12 months, 15 CCUs if 12+ months) |
| Renewal Method | Online via MyPVL (primary), or paper |
| Expired-License Rule | Not restored within 1 year of expiration: license terminates, must reapply as a new applicant |
Hawaii Renewal Overview
Hawaii physical therapist licenses renew every two years, expiring on December 31 of every even-numbered year regardless of when the license was originally issued. The active-status renewal fee is $230.00. There is no grace period — once the license expires, the therapist is immediately unlicensed — but Hawaii allows restoration within 1 year of expiration for a higher fee ($345.00 for active status). If restoration isn’t completed within that 1-year window, the license terminates permanently, and the individual must reapply as a brand-new applicant, meeting all current entry requirements.
Hawaii’s continuing competence requirement totals 30 CCUs (continuing competence units) per two-year cycle, with a specific breakdown: at least 24 CCUs in professional practice or patient/client management, 2 CCUs in Hawaii-specific ethics, laws, and rules (jurisprudence), and 4 CCUs in life support training comparable to or exceeding the American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers course. First-time renewals are prorated — no CCUs are required if the initial license was issued less than 12 months before the renewal date, or 15 CCUs if issued 12 months or more before renewal.
CE Requirements
- 30 CCUs total per two-year renewal period (one CCU equals at least 50 minutes of instruction) — this requirement currently applies only to physical therapists; physical therapist assistants are not subject to continuing competence requirements, and licensees on inactive status are exempt while inactive
- At least 24 CCUs in subjects related to professional practice of physical therapy or patient/client management
- 2 CCUs specifically in ethics, laws, and rules (jurisprudence) covering Hawaii’s own laws and rules — these courses must be approved directly by the Hawaii Board and are not accepted if approved only by another state or organization
- 4 CCUs in life support training comparable to or more advanced than the American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers course
- Approved CCU sources include APTA, the Hawaii Chapter of APTA (HAPTA) specifically (not other states’ chapters), FSBPT ProCert, other state or jurisdiction PT boards, and other Board-approved providers
- Home and self-study courses are explicitly accepted, with no stated cap, but courses teaching techniques outside Hawaii’s legal scope of practice (such as dry needling) never qualify, regardless of who approved them
- CCU records must be retained for at least 7 years; if selected for a random Board audit, licensees have 14 calendar days to provide documentation
How to Renew
- Complete your required CCUs — 24 professional practice/patient management, 2 Hawaii-approved jurisprudence, and 4 life support — before your December 31 deadline
- Log in to MyPVL and complete your online renewal, or submit a paper renewal if preferred
- Pay the $230.00 active-status renewal fee by credit/debit card or electronic bank payment
- If your license has already lapsed, act within 1 year of the expiration date to restore it for $345.00 rather than losing it permanently
Practical Notes: Don’t assume any jurisprudence CE course will satisfy Hawaii’s 2-CCU requirement — Hawaii specifically requires Board approval for jurisprudence courses and will not accept one approved only by another state’s board. Also watch the 1-year restoration deadline closely: unlike states with a longer reinstatement window, Hawaii’s license terminates permanently if you miss it, forcing a full new application.
Editorial note: Practical guidance reviewed by ALG’s editorial team based on official Board sourcing.
Relevant Statutes
- HRS Chapter 461J — Physical Therapy Practice Act (confirms §461J-10 biennial renewal and the 50% restoration surcharge; this compiled version does not include the later-added continuing competence subsections)
- Board’s Important Announcement Regarding PT CCUs (quotes HRS §§461J-10.11 and 461J-10.12 directly — the current source for the 24/2/4 CE breakdown)
- Board of Physical Therapy Continuing Competence FAQ
- Important Announcement Regarding PT CCUs
- Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CE hours does Hawaii require for PT renewal? 30 continuing competence units (CCUs) every two years, confirmed directly via the Board’s own FAQ. Board Continuing Competence FAQ
What specific CE topics does Hawaii require? At least 24 CCUs in professional practice or patient/client management, 2 CCUs in Hawaii-specific ethics and jurisprudence (Board-approved courses only), and 4 CCUs in life support training. HRS §§461J-10.11 and 461J-10.12, quoted in the Board’s Important Announcement
When does a Hawaii PT license expire? December 31 of every even-numbered year, regardless of when the license was originally issued. Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy
What happens if my Hawaii PT license lapses? You can restore it within 1 year of expiration by paying the delinquent renewal fee plus a surcharge equal to 50% of that fee (for the standard $230 fee, this totals $345), along with proof of completed continuing competence units. If you don’t restore it within that year, the license terminates permanently and you must reapply as a new applicant. HRS Chapter 461J, §461J-10
Does Hawaii’s PT Compact status affect renewal? Not applicable — Hawaii has not enacted PT Compact legislation, so there’s no compact privilege renewal process to consider. PT Compact Commission member map
Disclaimer: This page is provided for informational purposes and reflects data verified against official Hawaii government sources as of the Last Verified date above. Licensing and renewal requirements can change. Always confirm current requirements directly with the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy before renewing.
2026-07-07: Page created following direct verification against official Hawaii government sources, including the Board’s own Continuing Competence FAQ confirming the 30-CCU total, the first-renewal proration schedule, and the 7-year record retention requirement.
2026-07-07: Statute citations corrected from the Board homepage to the actual compiled HRS Chapter 461J text. Confirmed the restoration fee mechanism directly from statute (§461J-10): delinquent fee plus a 50% surcharge, which produces the $345 figure exactly. Note: the compiled HRS 461J PDF is an older version (last amended 2009) that does not include the continuing competence subsections added in 2013 — CE-related citations point to the Board’s separate Important Announcement document instead, which quotes those sections directly.
2026-07-07: Directly fetched both cited CE source PDFs in full (Board Continuing Competence FAQ and Important Announcement Regarding PT CCUs) to independently confirm every specific figure on this page — the 30-CCU total, the 0/15 first-renewal proration, the 24/2/4 subject-matter breakdown, the HAPTA-specific provider restriction, the Board-only jurisprudence approval rule, the dry-needling exclusion, the 7-year record retention period, and the Board’s direct phone/email contact. All confirmed verbatim. Also added two details the original research missed: PTAs are not currently subject to continuing competence requirements, and a licensee selected for audit has 14 calendar days to respond.