Free CE for Physical Therapists / Georgia
Georgia physical therapists and PTAs must complete 30 clock hours of continuing competence each biennium ending December 31 of odd-numbered years, including 4 hours of Georgia Ethics and Jurisprudence, and no more than 10 hours may be claimed in a single calendar day.
✓ Verified against the Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Professional Licensing Boards Division, Georgia Secretary of State) on August 4, 2026
| Topic | Hours | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia Ethics and Jurisprudence (restricted providers — see caveat) | 4 | every renewal; counts within the 30; may instead be satisfied by passing the Georgia Ethics and Jurisprudence Examination |
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 490-4. Requirements are identical for PTs and PTAs. Rule 490-4-.02(1) caps credit at 10 clock hours per calendar day, so a 30-hour weekend is not compliant. Renewal is biennial by December 31 of odd years (490-4-.01), the window opens October 1, a late fee applies January 1–31, and the license lapses February 1. The current cycle runs 1/1/2026–12/31/2027. Licensees who graduate, pass the NPTE, and are licensed during the current biennium are exempt from continuing competence for that biennium. There is NO cap on online, self-paced, home-study, or asynchronous hours and no live minimum — a full keyword sweep of ch. 490-4 and the board's policy document found no such language, home study is expressly listed as acceptable audit documentation at 490-4-.02(9)(b), and the only related limit is 3 hours for self-instruction from reading professional literature. Georgia expressly does NOT accept orientation and in-service programs, policy or committee meetings, non-educational association meetings, entertainment, officeholding or delegate service, visiting exhibits, or CPR. CE Broker is mandatory under 490-4-.02(6), and beginning January 1, 2026 (O.C.G.A. 43-1-4.1) a licensee cannot even submit a renewal application unless activities and certificates are already recorded in CE Broker — so our certificates must be CE-Broker-reportable to be usable here. Retain original documents 5 years. Audits may occur before, during, or after renewal; no percentage is published.
Yes — Georgia recognizes continuing education approved by another state's physical therapy board or APTA chapter, so our courses (approved through the Texas Physical Therapy Association) can count toward your renewal. Read the caveat below before you rely on it.
One caveat: Georgia accepts our Texas approval for 26 of the 30 hours but NOT for the 4 ethics hours. Rule 490-4-.02(3)(b) recognizes "programs approved by the Physical Therapy Association of Georgia or any other state chapters," and the board's Policy #7 separately lists "programs approved by another state board" — TPTA qualifies under both. But the introductory verb is permissive ("may be considered for approval"), Georgia runs no pre-approval registry, and acceptance is determined at audit, so never label a course "Georgia Board Approved." Separately, Rule 490-4-.02(2)(a) restricts the 4 Georgia Ethics and Jurisprudence hours to a Georgia college or university with an accredited PT education program, or a provider holding a current Physical Therapy Association of Georgia (APTA Georgia) Approval Certificate for that course. We cannot supply those 4 hours without that certificate.
Georgia State Board of Physical Therapy (Professional Licensing Boards Division, Georgia Secretary of State)
https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/490-4
Requirements change. Confirm all figures on the board site above before relying on them.
Pulse offers free CE for PTs and PTAs. Local healthcare organizations cover the cost — you pay nothing, and the hours apply toward your Georgia requirement (subject to the board rules above).