Apply for a License

The Board does not notify applicants directly of their application status. Check the status of your application online if you have received your Applicant Password from the Board. More information/Check Application Status.

PLEASE NOTE: The Board no longer accepts a copy of a diploma as proof of completion of a PT or PTA program. All applications for licensure must include the Board's Letter of Completion. The completion letter must be completed and mailed directly to the Board by the educational institution that granted the degree.

ALL Applicants

Application fees are non-refundable. Please make sure you meet the eligibility requirements before you apply.
The application fee expires in one year. If your application expires before you complete the requirements, you will have to pay a re-application fee.
Change your address promptly. If you move during the application process, email or fax your new address immediately. Wrong addresses can delay your licensure.
Expedited delivery of your license is possible. Your license will be mailed to you. If you need your license as quickly as possible, contact the Licensing Department for information about using an overnight service.
Don't promise a firm start date. Although it takes us a very short time to issue a license once we have received all of the required items, there is no way to tell when you will hold your license in your hand. Keep this in mind when you are discussing your start date with an employer. You may not work with a Temporary or Regular license until you have received the paper license from the Board.

Apply by Exam

The 4 steps for License Application and Exam Registration are listed below.
- After you read this page, download the Licensure Steps and Timelines Tool to use as a guide.
- Go here for the important dates and deadlines you need to know.

Test Accommodations: If you require accommodations on the national exam, you should submit the request and required documentation when you first apply. Download the forms and procedures for requesting a testing accommodation.

Step 1. Apply and pay the fee online. PT only PTA only

Temporary License: You may pay for the optional temporary license online when you apply. More information about Temporary Licenses.
You must provide your social security number (SSN) to obtain a license. If you do not have an SSN, you must submit an SSN affidavit stating that you do not have one.

Step 2. Complete items A-E below in ANY order. Item F, the pre-completion letter, is optional.

Contact the registrar at your school and have them send an official transcript directly to the Board. (US graduates only)
Mail a recent, 2 in. x 2 in. passport-type photo to the Board. Computer-printed photos are not acceptable and will delay the processing of your application. Must be on standard photographic paper, with the printed name, SSN and signature of the applicant on the reverse in dark ink.
Request that your Program Director mail a Letter of Completion letter to the Board. (US graduates only) The completion letter must be an original and include your SSN. It must also include the school seal and be signed by the school registrar, the program director, or other authorized school official, and must be mailed by the school directly to the Board. If you attend a program outside Texas, you must print this Letter of Completion and give it to your program director to complete. Texas applicants, you do not need to send a separate completion letter.
Register to take the national exam with FSBPT. The FSBPT will notify us that you have registered and will report your score to us.
Take the online Jurisprudence Exam. This online, open book exam is based on the Texas PT Rules and the Practice Act. You may refer to the Rules and Act while taking the exam. You will be allowed to repeat the exam if necessary, as the point is to familiarize yourself with the rules.
You may also request that your Program Director mail an optional pre-completion letter to the Board. (US graduates only). The pre-completion letter allows you to receive the FSBPT Authorization to Test (ATT) information and schedule the exam in advance of the program completion once you have met all other requirements.

- The Board will accept a pre-completion letter at any point during your last semester in the program.
- A pre-completion letter mailed early in the semester will make it possible for you to take the exam prior to completing the program, if you meet all requirements and deadlines set by the Board and the FSBPT.
- Deciding when to issue a pre-completion letter for you is the responsibility of the Program Director.
- The Board will not issue a temporary or regular license until you complete the PT or PTA program and the Board receives a letter of program completion from the Program Director. Please remind your Program Director to send the completion letter once you have completed the program.

Step 3. Schedule your exam with the FSBPT.

Once the Board has received all of the required items listed above, it will notify the FSBPT that you are eligible to take the exam. Once you are eligible, you may make an appointment to take the exam from the Federation's website. You can track your eligibility to schedule on the Application Status page. More information about the schedules and deadlines for future fixed date exams.

Step 4. Take the exam.

The FSBPT reports your score to the Board one week after the test date. Find out whether you passed or failed at that time by logging into your FSBPT candidate account. If you pass, the Board will automatically issue and mail your license within 3-5 work days after your score is received. Check the Applicant Status page with your Applicant Password to find out if it has been issued and mailed. Please do not call the office to find out when your license will be mailed; staff cannot tell you.

Important Phone Numbers

PT Board - 512/305-6900
FSBPT - 888/461-6905
Prometric Testing Center - 800/796-9857

Apply by Endorsement

The 2 steps for applying by endorsement are:

Step 1. Apply and pay the fee online. PT only PTA only

NOTE: According to state law, you must provide your social security number (SSN) to obtain a license; or alternatively, if you do not have a SSN, you must submit an affidavit stating that you do not have one.

Step 2. Complete the 6 items below in ANY order.

Contact the registrar at your school and have them send an official transcript directly to the Board. (US graduates only)
Mail a recent, passport-type photo to the Board. Computer-printed photos are not acceptable and will delay the processing of your application. Must be on standard photographic paper, with the printed name, SSN and signature of the applicant on the reverse in dark ink.
Have a Letter of Completion sent directly to the Board by your entry-level PT or PTA program. (US graduates only) Request the director of your PT or PTA program to complete and mail the Board's Letter of Completion certifying that you completed the program. It must be an original, include the school seal (or be notarized) and be signed by the school registrar, the program director, or other authorized school official. It must be mailed by the school directly to the Board.
Provide verification of licensure from all states in which you have ever held a license. At least one of those verifications must show current, active licensure. All verifications must be sent directly to the Board by the state board issuing the license. The verification information must include type of license (PT or PTA); issuance and expiration dates; license number; and indication of any disciplinary action taken, with official documentation. Contact each state board in which you have a license to request that verification be sent to Texas.
Provide an exam score report sent directly from the FSBPT Score Transfer Service to the Board. Request a score transfer online from the FSBPT or contact them at 703-739-9420.
Take the Applicant Jurisprudence Exam. This is an online, open book exam based on the Texas PT Rules and the Practice Act. You may refer to the Rules and Act while taking the exam.

Jurisprudence Exam

Applicant Jurisprudence Exam

This open-book law (or jurisprudence) exam is made up of a random assortment of 20 questions concerning the Board's Act and rules.
If you don't know the answer to a question, you are welcome to review the rules and the Act while you are taking the exam. You must get 15 of the 20 questions right to pass.
You may take the jurisprudence exam at any time during the application process. There is no additional fee to take the exam, and you may take it more than once if you do not pass it on the first try.
Your passing score will be automatically reported to the Board via email and will be included with your application materials.

What to Expect During and After the Exam

You can stop the exam and restart from the beginning with no penalty, but you cannot go backwards to a question that has disappeared from the screen. If you leave the exam for an extended period of time, your computer may "time out" and you will have to start the exam from the beginning.

After you complete the exam, you will be told which questions you missed (if any), and the correct answers for those questions.

Reexamination

If you fail the national exam, you may submit a reexamination application and fee to retake the exam. Contact the Board if your application has been expired for a year or more.

If you have a Temporary License and you fail the exam, you must return the license to the Board. You may not practice again until you pass the exam.
The Board does not issue second Temporary Licenses or extend them.
If you fail the exam twice or more, you must complete additional work before taking the exam again, as stated in the letter you receive with your failing score. The requirements for exam eligibility after the second failure are described in §329.2 of the Board's rules.
You may only take the exam three times in one calendar year. Contact the FSBPT to check your eligibility if you are scheduling an exam for a 4th or greater attempt.
The Board does not maintain or provide information about exam review courses. We suggest you contact your PT or PTA program for assistance in finding a review course.