California OT CEUs: License Renewal and Online Courses

Full OT/OTA CEU Requirements in California

Here are the occupational therapy continuing education requirements for coursework in California:

These were copied from the CALIFORNIA BOARD OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY REGULATIONS.

§ 4161. Continuing Competency

(a) Each licensee renewing a license under Section 2570.10 of the Code shall submit evidence of meeting continuing competency requirements by having completed 24 professional development units (PDUs) during the preceding renewal period, or in the case of a license delinquently renewed, within the two years immediately preceding the renewal, acquired through participation in professional development activities.

• (1) One hour of participation in a professional development activity qualifies for one PDU;

• (2) One academic credit equals 10 PDUs;

• (3) One Continuing Education Unit (CEU) equals 10 PDUs.

(b) Topics and subject matter shall be pertinent to the practice of occupational therapy and course material must have a relevance or direct application to a consumer of occupational therapy services. Except as provided in subsection (c), professional development activities acceptable to the board include programs or activities sponsored by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) or the Occupational Therapy Association of California; post-professional coursework completed through any approved or accredited educational institution; or otherwise meets all of the following criteria:

• (1) The program or activity contributes directly to professional knowledge, skill, and ability; and

• (2) The program or activity must be objectively measurable in terms of the hours involved.

This doc goes on to describe other acceptable activities. Again, I recommend you read the rules in full.

I also want to highlight that this clarification is given specifically about online courses on this page:

“You are also allowed to take online or home study courses, as long as a course completion certificate is provided.”

Steps for Renewing Your OT License

Step 1: Look up your OT/OTA license.

To begin the process, I always double-check that my license is displaying correctly. You can look up your California occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant license here.

Step 2: Confirm the California OT continuing education requirements. 

It’s always good to double check for any updates to your licensing cycle. You can do so with the resources above. And, please reach out to me if you see any discrepancies.

Step 3: Earn your CEU hours (discounts below)!

Ok, now that you know your requirements, it is time to start earning those CEUs! There are of course a lot of options out there, but we hope you consider checking out the courses offered by OT Potential.

Step 4: Renew your license. 🎉

Ok, now it’s time for the big moment.

You can renew your license online.

Do OT Potential Online Courses Count as CEUs?

Yes! You can learn more in our post: How OT Potential Helps Meet Your CEU Requirements. But, please keep in mind this rule:

Of the professional development units (PDUs) required for each renewal period, a minimum of one half of the units must be directly related to the delivery of occupational therapy services, which may include:  models, theories, or frameworks that relate to client/patient care in preventing or minimizing impairment, enabling function within the person/environment or community context. Other activities may include, but are not limited to, occupation based theory assessment/interview techniques, intervention strategies, and community/environment as related to one’s practice.

This should be fairly easy to meet with our OT Potential Courses, as the vast majority are categorized as service delivery. (You can check this on the AOTA stamp on each course.)

How to Get a Good Deal on CEUs

At OT Potential, our courses are all built around helping you get new evidence into practice.

But, what good is evidence-based practice, if you are not reimbursed appropriately for it? Our local associations do SUCH important advocacy work, when it comes to reimbursement and scope of practice. That’s why we’ve made it part of our mission to support these associations.

So, we have this win-win proposition for you. Join OT Potential using the promo code “California” to receive a 15% discount—and we’ll donate 15% of your order to OTAC.

👍 Price of OT Potential with your California discount = $84.15 (Reg $99)
🎉 Donation amount to OTAC = $12.62

And, the best part is if you decide to renew, it will be at your discounted price. AND, we’ll make another donation to OTAC.

This is one of the cheapest ways to earn all of your required OT CEUs, and you can feel good doing it because you are giving back to your state association ❤️.

(If OT Potential is not right for you, I am also a long-time fan of MedBridge, and through OT Potential, you can snag a MedBridge Promo Code for 40% off.)

Conclusion

Hopefully, you found this post helpful!

If you have any other questions about continuing education and your OT license renewal, please contact us!