Occupational therapy (OT) continuing education requirements can be confusing.
Not only does each state have its own requirements, you’ll also find that all sorts of terminology is used by various organizations! It can get pretty overwhelming. So, you are not alone if you’ve found this post because you need some help figuring things out. 🙂
We’ll start by touching on why you need continuing education. Then, we’ll cover both OT and OTA CEU requirements state-by-state.
Keep in mind that this post is geared toward occupational therapists in the United States. Each country has its own continuing education and professional development requirements, so if you are outside the US, please check with your country’s governing body for specifics.
Here we go…
Why do you need continuing education as an OT/OTA?
To keep your license
Licensure is the most important reason you need continuing education units (CEUs). You worked hard for your license—and if it lapses, you can’t practice. Each state has its own requirements for how many CEUs you need to renew your license. (By the way, we’ve compiled a list you can reference below.)
Units are generally measured as contact hours. One contact hour = one continuing education unit. So, if you take an 8-hour course, you should earn 8 CEUs.
(I do want to point out that the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) uses an especially confusing decimal system when it discusses continuing education. AOTA says that 1 hour = .1 CEU unit.)
To be registered with NBCOT
The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) offers an optional certification for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants. OT practitioners who achieve this certification typically signify it in their credentials with the “R” in OTR/L, meaning that the OT is registered and licensed.
The NBCOT uses the term PDU (professional development unit). 1 hour = 1 PDU, and 36 hours are required every three years in order to re-certify. Here’s the guidance on obtaining PDUs for certification. And, here’s the chart of activities that can count as PDUs. OT Potential Courses are under activity 19 and count as 1.25 units, so you would need to complete 29 courses over the 3 year cycle.
To achieve/maintain certain certifications
Lastly, some OT certifications and OTA certifications require a certain amount of continuing education in specific practice areas. This varies greatly by certification.
State-by-state OT continuing education requirements
Below, you’ll find the number of required hours in your state, as well as when they’re due.
We are including links to websites so you can look up your specific state’s requirements regarding what counts towards an hour of continuing education.
Please be sure to verify the info provided below, on your actual state’s website, as the rules do tend to shift.
As of now, every state allows AOTA-approved courses, such as our podcast-based courses, to count for some or all of your CEUs.
I do also want to point out that taking courses is the most common way to meet your continuing education requirements. However, many states have other options, like reading journal articles. So, please look closely at the requirements in your particular state.
Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Alabama
Due every 2 years – 60 days prior to license expiration
How many hours are required?
- OTs need 30 hours
- OTAs need 20 hours
Hours reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the Alabama State Board of OT
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy
Alaska
Due on June 30th of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Verify here: Alaska State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board
Arizona
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs need 20 hours
- OTAs need 12 hours
Hours reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the Arizona Board of OT Examiners
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners
Arkansas
Due every year on the last day of the practitioner’s birth month
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTs need 10 hours
Verify here: Arkansas State Medical Board
California
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Verify here: California Board of Occupational Therapy
Colorado
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Verify here: Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
Connecticut
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs need 24 hours
- OTAs need 18 hours
Verify here: Connecticut State Department of Public Health
Delaware
Due on July 31st of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Verify here: Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice
District of Columbia
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs need 24 hours
- OTAs need 12 hours
Required topics:
- 2 hours of LGBTQ CE every renewal period.
- In addition, 10% of the total required CE must be in subjects determined by the Department of Health as public health priorities of the district. (Straight up: I’m having difficulty finding details on this myself. Please let me know in the comments, if you have a link to the details on this part of the requirement.)
Verify here: DC Health Board of Occupational Therapy
Florida
Due on February 28th of odd years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 26 hours
- At least 14 hour must be in person or from interactive, real-time courses
Required topics:
- 2 hours of medical errors courses every renewal cycle
- 2 hours of laws and rules courses every renewal cycle
- 1 hour of HIV/AIDS courses for the first renewal cycle only
Hours may be reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the Florida Board of OT
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: Florida Board of Occupational Therapy
Georgia
Due on March 31st of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Required topics:
- 2 hours of CE in the ethics of occupational therapy practice. See our OT ethics courses to help meet this requirement.
Hours may be reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the Georgia Stated Board of OT
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy
Hawaii
Due on December 31st of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 0 hours
Verify here: Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Idaho
Due every year
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 10 hours
Verify here: Idaho State Occupational Therapy Licensure Board
Illinois
Due on December 31st of odd years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Required topics
- 1 hour in sexual harassment prevention training
- 1 hour in OT ethics every renewal cycle. See our OT ethics courses to help meet this requirement.
Verify here: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
Indiana
Due on December 31st of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 18 hours
Verify here: Indiana Professional Licensing Agency
Iowa
Due every 2 years on the 15th day of the licensee’s birth month
How many hours are required?
- OTs need 30 hours
- OTAs need 15 hours
Verify here: Iowa Department of Public Health
Kansas
License renewal due on March 31st every year (CEUs checked on odd years)
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 40 hours every 2 years
Verify here: Kansas Board of Healing Arts
Kentucky
Due October 31st every year
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 12 hours
Required topics:
- 6 hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and management every 6 years
Verify here: Kentucky Board of Licensure for Occupational Therapy
Louisiana
Due every year on the last day of the licensee’s birth month
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 12 hours
Hours reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
Maine
Due March 31st every year
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 0 hours
Verify here: Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice – Laws and Rules
Maryland
Due on June 30th every two years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
- or current NBCOT Cerification
Required topics
- For this renewal period, completion of an implicit bias training course is required
Verify here: Maryland Department of Health Board of Occupational Therapy Practice
Massachusetts
License renewal due every 2 years on the licensee’s birthday
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours (See new CE regulations as of 2022)
Required topics:
- For each renewal period, each occupational therapy professional’s continuing competency points must include two points in ethics, laws and regulations governing practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or some combination thereof.
Verify here: Massachusetts Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Michigan
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 20 hours
Required topics:
- 1 hour of coursework in pain and symptom management
- One-time requirement for completion training on identifying human trafficking victims (beginning Oct. 2022)
Hours reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Minnesota
Due every 2 years on the last day of the licensee’s birth month
How many hours are required?
- OTs need 24 hours
- OTAs need 18 hours
Verify here: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
Mississippi
Due on April 30th of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 20 hours
Hours reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the Mississippi State Department of Health
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: Mississippi State Department of Health
Missouri
Due on June 30th of odd years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Verify here: Missouri Division of Professional Registration
Montana
Due every June 15th
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 10 hours
Verify here: Montana Secretary of State
Nebraska
Due on August 1st of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs need 20 hours
- OTAs need 15 hours
Verify here: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Nevada
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Verify here: State of Nevada Board of Occupational Therapy
New Hampshire
Due between December 2nd and December 31st of odd years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Verify here: New Hampshire Occupational Therapy Governing Board
New Jersey
License renewal due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 0 hours
Verify here: New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
New Mexico
Due on September 30th every year
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 15 hours
Verify here: New Mexico Occupational Therapy Board
New York
Due every 3 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 36 hours
Verify here: New York State Board of Occupational Therapy
North Carolina
Due on June 30th every year
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 15 hours
Required topics:
- 1 hour of CE in the ethics of occupational therapy practice, every renewal. See our OT ethics courses to help meet this requirement.
Verify here: North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy
North Dakota
Due on June 30th of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 20 hours
Verify here: North Dakota State Board of Occupational Therapy Practice
Ohio
Due on June 30th of odd years (OTs) and due on June 30th of even years (OTAs)
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 20 hours
Required topics:
- 1 contact hour of OT ethics, jurisprudence, or cultural competence education, per renewal. See our OT ethics courses to help meet this requirement.
Verify here: Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board
Oklahoma
Due on October 31st of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 20 hours
Required topics:
- If you provide telehealth, 2 CE units in telehealth practice are required each reporting period for OTs and OTAs
Hours reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the Oklahoma Medical Board.
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: Oklahoma Medical Board
Oregon
Due on May 31st of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 30 hours or NBCOT certification
Required topics:
- 1 hour on cultural competence per renewal
- 1 hour OHA Pain Management Module offered by the OHA
Verify here: Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board
Pennsylvania
Due on June 30th of odd years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Topics Required:
- 2 hours must be in Act 31 Mandated Child Abuse Reporter Training from an approved provider.
Verify here: Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure
Rhode Island
Due on March 31st of even years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 20 hours
Verify here: Rhode Island Department of Health
South Carolina
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 16 hours and must be certified and in good standing with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (“NBCOT”) or other board-approved certification program.
Hours reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the South Carolina Board of OT
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy
South Dakota
Due on January 1st every year
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 12 hours
Verify here: South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners
Tennessee
Due every 2 years by the end of licensee’s birth month
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Required topics:
- 1 hour on the AOTA Code of Ethics or other ethics-related continued competence activities with implications for the practice of OT. See our OT ethics courses to help meet this requirement.
- 1 hour on the Tennessee Occupational and Physical Therapy Practice Act
- 2 hours on suicide prevention at least once every 4 years
Hours reported through CE broker.
- We report OT Potential course completions every 24 hours.
- OT Potential is approved by the Tennessee Board of OT
- Our CE Broker # is 50-33236
Verify here: Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy
Texas
Due every 2 years by the end of licensee’s birth month
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Required topics:
- A course on the prevention of human trafficking that is approved by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
Verify here: Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners
Utah
Due on May 31st of odd years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Required topics:
- 2 hours related to legal and ethical principles of practice. See OT Potential’s related courses:
Verify here: Utah Department of Commerce
Vermont
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 20 hours
Verify here: Vermont Office of Professional Regulation
Virginia
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 20 hours
Verify here: Virginia Department of Health Professions
Washington
Due every 2 years on the licensee’s birthday
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 30 hours
Required topics:
- 3 hours of training every 6 years in suicide assessment
- If you provide telehealth, you must complete telemedicine training.
Verify here: Washington State Department of Health
West Virginia
Due on December 31st every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Verify here: West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy
Wisconsin
Due every 2 years
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 24 hours
Verify here: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
Wyoming
License renewal due on July 31st every year (CEUs checked on even years)
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 32 hours every 2 years
Verify here: Wyoming Board of Occupational Therapy
Conclusion
We hope that this article helped clear up any confusion regarding your OT (or OTA) continuing education requirements.
Part of our mission here at OT Potential is to help you meet your OT continuing education needs. We help you stay current with new evidence, by providing continuing education podcast courses and many more resources in the OT Potential Club. For people who are looking for video-based courses, we also have a review of and promo code to MedBridge.
We love digging into CEU questions, so if you have other questions, please ask us in the comments below.