Renewal Information

Please see the full OT Rules and OT Practice Act for detailed renewal and CE information: Chapter 370 contains information regarding license renewal and Chapter 367 details continuing education. The Continuing Education page includes resources regarding CE.

The Board no longer provides renewal cards. Instead, go to the Occupational Therapy License Verification page and use the Last Name and DOB search to access links to print a statement of licensure or wallet card. 

Licensees using Internet Explorer as their browser may experience problems with their renewals, for example, when taking the Jurisprudence Exam, making payment if renewing online, etc. Licensees may be more successful when using Google Chrome or Firefox. If you are not using the most recent version of your browser, you might need to update such.

Renew Online or Submit a Paper Renewal Application:

1.  Renew Online: Please go to the "Renew Online" tab after reading this section.

   You may only renew online if:

      -you are renewing before your license expires;

      -you are on active status and are renewing active status;

      -your SSN is on file with the Board; 

      -you have no renewal holds due to child support issues as per §370.1 of the OT Rules; or

      -your CE is from your current renewal period.

2.  Renew by Paper Renewal Application: Please go to the "Renew by Paper" tab after reading this section.

    You may renew by paper renewal application if:

      -you are renewing before your license expires;

      -you are renewing less than one year after your license expired;

      -you are on active status and wish to initiate inactive status; 

      -you are on inactive status and wish to maintain inactive status or return to active status; or

      -you are submitting with your application an SSN Statement, which is required if your SSN is not on file with the Board.

Please Note:

     -Remember that once you have submitted all required materials and made payment, it will take at least one or more business days for your license to show as being renewed on our website. Your license must show as being current and unexpired in order to provide occupational therapy services.

     -You may renew on time either online or by paper renewal form up to three months before your expiration date.

     -Do not wait until the last minute to renew.

             Website or technical issues may occur, you may have to speak with someone at the Board (which is not open after regular business hours), or you might have problems on the payment website (Texas Online), which means you might need to speak with another agency's staff, for example.

             If you are renewing online and do not complete the payment portion of the renewal process before your license expires, you will be subject to late fees. 

            If you are renewing by paper renewal form and your completed license renewal form and any required documents, information, and fees are not postmarked before your license expires, you will be subject to late fees. 

               See the OT Rules and OT Practice Act and the "Late Renewal" tab for additional information. 

    - If you are you are counting CE activities as per §367.1(b)(4), you will need to renew with a paper renewal form. See the Continuing Education page's "About CE" tab for further information.

     -If your license has been expired one year or more, you are not eligible to renew. Please see §370.3, Restoration of a Texas License, for restoration requirements and visit the Restoration Page.

     -If you have not given the Board your SSN, you must complete the SSN Statement and include this with your paper renewal. If you submit this form well in advance of your expiration date, once it is processed, you may be able to renew online.

     -The Board must receive a release from the appropriate agency for those with renewal holds due to child support issues. Such individuals may submit a paper renewal application, but it will not be processed until the release is received. See the OT Rules and the "Late Renewal" tab for additional information if such is not received in a timely manner prior to your expiration date. 

  -To renew a license on retired status or initiate retired status, visit the Inactive & Retired Status page for further renewal information.

General Renewal Requirements 

The general requirements for renewal are:

1. The renewal fees: See current fees.
   

2. Completion of the renewal form, on paper or online.

3. Fingerprinting Requirement for Renewals, Effective 1/1/2019 

   Effective January 1, 2019, changes were made to the OT Act and Rules that require that OTs and OTAs submit their fingerprints for state and national criminal history record information checks for the Board as a one-time requirement for initial license issuance or license renewal.   

   Note: A licensee is not required to submit fingerprints for renewal if the licensee has previously submitted fingerprints for and satisfied the fingerprinting requirement under one of the following:

          - Chapter 364 of the OT Rules (relating to Requirements for Licensure) for the initial issuance of the license;

         - Chapter 370 of the OT Rules (relating to License Renewal) as part of a prior license renewal (including license restoration); or

        - Chapter 371 of the OT Rules (relating to Inactive and Retired Status) as part of a prior license renewal or change of license status.

          In addition, fingerprinting is not a requirement to initiate inactive status or renew an inactive status license.

   Refer to Chapter 370, License Renewal, and/or Chapter 371, Inactive and Retired Status, for further information.  

   If you have already satisfied the requirement, DO NOT resubmit your fingerprints.

   See the announcement on the homepage for further information and instructions regarding submitting fingerprints for renewal if you have not yet satisfied this requirement. 

   **The agency's Service Code must be used when scheduling/registering for fingerprinting. See the fingerprinting instructions for further instructions.**

   Accessing the Agency's Service Code:

   Approximately three months prior to their license's expiration date, licensees may access the agency's Service Code from emailed renewal reminder(s) from the Board and/or by logging in to the Board's website. Once logged in, licensees may access the Service Code from the top of the page containing the online CE Submission Form. 

   Licensees needing further assistance accessing the Service Code may send an email to exam@ptot.texas.gov to request the code.

   In addition, note that renewal applications postmarked on or after June 1, 2021 will not be processed until the fingerprinting requirement has been completed.

   Note, furthermore, that on or after June 1, licensees renewing on time online may still sign in to the Board's website to enter their CE activities and take the JP exam; however, they will not be able to sign in to the Texas.gov/TX Online system to continue an on-time online renewal application and submit payment until the fingerprinting requirement has been satisfied and the system updated to reflect such. Note that such system updates are not instantaneous.

4. Completion of the required Continuing Education requirement. See Chapter 367, Continuing Education, in the OT Rules. The requirement is at least 24 contact hours that meet requirements in Chapter 367 of the OT Rules. This CE must include the completion of an HHSC approved course on human trafficking that meets requirements as per the OT Rules (new September 1, 2020); see the Continuing Education page for further information and to access an HHSC approved course. You must report your CE on the CE Submission Form either online or on the paper renewal form. The Continuing Education page includes further resources regarding CE.

5. Passing score on the online Jurisprudence Examination (JP) Exam. This is an open-book, 20-question test based on the OT Rules and OT Practice Act. These are free to download and use during the exam.
   

6. Current and correct information for your home and/or business contact information (address and phone number). A physical home address is required, but you may also supply a different mailing address. You must choose an Address of Record, the address that is shared with the public. If you do not choose an Address of Record, your business address will be used as the default. If no business address is available, the mailing address will be used. If no alternate address is available, the home address will be used.

7. Your Social Security Number or the SSN Form if you do not presently have an SSN or if you have not previously reported your SSN to the Board.

8. If your name has changed: mail or fax a copy of the marriage certificate or other legal documents for the name change. The name change cannot be made online during your renewal process or through an email. We must receive the documentation for any name change. 

Submit all items above or any other required forms or information prior to the license expiration date to avoid late fees.

Please see the full OT Rules and OT Practice Act for further information and requirements.

Renewing Online: Instructions

 Quick Online Renewal Links: 

     -Sign in to the Board's Website to Enter Your CE and Take the JP Exam 

     -Sign in to the TX Online Website if You Already Have Your Key Code 

     -OT and OTA School Codes - US and International

I. Preparation:

A. Submit fingerprints if the fingerprinting requirement has not yet been met. See the Renewal Requirements tab and the announcement on the homepage for further information. 

B. Locate Your School Code:

    -Look at the box to the right and look up your school code, which you must enter before submitting payment.

    - If your school is not on the list, contact the Board. 

C. Organize Your CE:

     -Organize your CE so you can enter such by name, date, and number of hours.

     -Read the "CE Form Tips" tab. 

     -For CE information, read Chapter 367, Continuing Education, in the OT Rules and consult the Continuing Education page and FAQs for further information. 

     -Remember that licensees are responsible for selecting CE as per Chapter 367 of the OT Rules.

 D. Review the Current Version of the OT Rules and OT Practice Act:

     -You must take the Jurisprudence (JP) Exam as part of the renewal process.

     -This is an open-book exam. You will use the OT Rules and OT Practice Act to answer the questions.

     -Reread the current OT Rules and OT Practice Act. Download or print them or open them in a new tab or window. Have them accessible when you take the JP Exam. 

 II. Renewing 

A. Sign in to the Website: See the link below.

     -Click here to login to the Board's website to start your renewal. 

     -Licensees using Internet Explorer as their browser often experience problems with their renewals, for example, when taking the Jurisprudence Exam, making payment if renewing online, etc. Licensees are frequently more successful when using Google Chrome or Firefox. If you are not using the most recent version of your browser, you might need to update such.

B. Enter your CE:

     -You can add CE during different sessions by logging in and out, but once your renewal is submitted, the CE may not be edited.

     -Be sure to print or save a screen shot of the completed CE Submission form for your records prior to clicking the "Take Exam" button. The form is not available after the renewal is submitted.

C.  Take and Pass the Online Jurisprudence Exam:

     -After you hit "Submit" after entering your CE, you will be redirected to the JP Exam page.  

     -Access the downloaded or printed OT Rules and OT Practice Act or have them opened in a new tab or window.

     -Do not use the forward, back, or refresh buttons on your browser during the exam.

     -The exam will time out after a period of time (usually two hours). Try to take the exam in one sitting to reduce technical difficulties.

D. Record your Key Code:

     -Once you pass the JP Exam, print out or write down your Key Code, which is made up of numbers and capital letters.

     -You must retain this Key Code as you will use it for later renewal steps.  

E. Enter Your Key Code on the Texas Online Website and Submit Payment:

     -After you receive your Key Code, you will be redirected to the Texas Online website.

     -You must enter your license number and Key Code. You must enter all letters as CAPITAL LETTERS.  

F. If You HAVE NOT submitted payment successfully/Logging back in to the Texas Online Site:

     -Once you have your Key Code, do not try to retake the JP Exam.

     -If you have issues on the Texas Online website after you have received your Key Code (for example, if you cannot complete your payment on the Texas Online site), click here to continue to renew and pay online by signing in again on the Texas Online website. Remember that you may have to update your browser in order to use the Texas Online website to submit payment.

     -If you cannot renew successfully online and ultimately renew by submitting a paper renewal form, you can write your Key Code on the paper renewal form. See the "Renew by Paper" tab for more information.

Online CE Submission Form Instructions and Tips 

 - Your CE Submission Form is available for 3 months before your expiration date until the last day of your birth month, and remember that only CE from your current renewal period may be entered. You can log in and out of the website in order to continue adding or updating your CE. The form is complete when you have entered at least 24 hours of CE and confirmed that one course meets the human trafficking training requirement, at which time, the "Take Exam" button will become active.

- You can remove or edit an entry by looking at the end of the row, far right; click on the X to remove the entry.

- Refer to Chapter 367 of the OT Rules for information regarding CE requirements.

- If a course or activity title does not fit in the space provided, use an abbreviated title. For activities other than courses, enter a descriptive title that references the category (for example, the category of fieldwork supervision). You can enter partial hours (ex: 2.75 hours).

 -Be sure to print or save a screen shot of the completed CE Submission form for your records prior to clicking the "Take Exam" button. The form is not available after the renewal is submitted.

Renewing by a Paper Renewal Application: Instructions

 Quick Renew by Paper Links:

     -Take the Application JP Exam

     -Download the OT/OTA License Renewal Form 

Please note: 

If you are submitting a paper renewal application because you attempted to renew online, but were unsuccessful (for example, you were unable to submit your payment), if you already have your Key Code because you have entered your CE online and passed the Jurisprudence (JP) Exam, write your Key Code on the Renewal Form. Once you have your Key Code, you do not need to retake the JP exam or include a CE submission form with the paper renewal form.

If you have not tried to renew online, you will not receive a Key Code.  The Key Code is only for online renewals.

I. Preparation:

 A. Submit fingerprints if the fingerprinting requirement has not yet been met. See the Renewal Requirements tab and the announcement on the homepage for further information. 

 B.  Organize Your CE:

   -Organize your CE so you can record such by name, date, and number of hours.  

   -For CE information, read Chapter 367, Continuing Education, in the OT Rules and consult the Continuing Education page and FAQs for further information.

   -Remember that licensees are responsible for selecting CE as per Chapter 367 of the OT Rules.

 C.  Review the Current Version of the OT Rules and OT Practice Act:

    -You must take the online Jurisprudence (JP) exam as part of the renewal process.

    -This is an open-book exam. You will use the OT Rules and OT Practice Act to answer the questions.

   -Reread the current OT Rules and OT Practice Act. Download or print them or open them in a new tab or window. Have them accessible when you take the JP Exam. 

II. Submit your Renewal by Paper:

You may complete these steps in either order.

A.  Complete the OT/OTA Renewal Form: 

     -Download the OT/OTA License Renewal Form from the Forms page.  

    -Complete the form, including the CE Submission Form.

   -Send the form, including the CE Submission Form, payment (by check or money order), and any additional required forms or information to the address on the form. 

B.  Take and Pass the Online Jurisprudence Exam: See the link below.

     -Licensees using Internet Explorer as their browser often experience problems with their renewals, for example, when taking the Jurisprudence Exam, making payment if renewing online, etc. Licensees are frequently more successful when using Google Chrome or Firefox. If you are not using the most recent version of your browser, you might need to update such.

     -Access the downloaded or printed OT Rules and OT Practice Act or have them opened in a new tab or window.

     -Do not use the forward, back, or refresh buttons on your browser during the exam.

    -The exam will time out after a period of time (usually two hours). Try to take the exam in one sitting to reduce technical difficulties.

  -Click here to take the Application JP Exam. Select the exam link for those renewing by paper renewal form. 

  -After you pass the exam, you must enter and submit your personal information. After you have done so, you will receive a message that your score has been automatically reported to the Board.

Late Renewal

If you are renewing late:

     -Stop practicing (once your license has expired) and finish up your CE or your renewal. The possession of an expired license is not a violation until you practice with it.

      -If you are renewing late, you must submit a paper application with the appropriate late fee. See the "Renew by Paper" tab for instructions.

  -Chapter 370, License Renewal, contains information regarding renewals and Chapter 367, Continuing Education, contains information about continuing education requirements. Click this link to access the OT Rules and Practice Act.

   -Requirements and fees are subject to change at any time due to legislative, judicial, or Board action.