OT CEU Requirements and Licensure Renewal

This is your guide to occupational therapy continuing education requirements. Use this resource to navigate state and international rules, verify required course topics, and stay compliant for license renewal.

Occupational Therapy Continuing Education by State

In the United States, occupational therapy licensure is governed at the state level. Here’s the state-by-state CEU requirements—for both occupational therapists (OTs) and OT assistants (OTAs).

State OT CEU Guide	CE Hours Required (Occupational Therapist)	CE Hours Required (Occupational Therapy Assistant)	CEU Due Date	Next Renewal Date	OTs: Hours you can earn at OT Potential	OTAs: Hours you can earn at OT Potential	Verify CEUs with Your Board	Scope of Practice / Licensure Law	Live Hours Required	Ethics Hours Required	Other Requirements
Alabama	15 Hours	10 Hours	April 30 or October 31 (biennially)	October 31, 2026	All	All	Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy	Alabama Code §34-39-3	-	-	Limit of 1/3 of total required hours for presenting and for academic, administrative, or management activities. Continuing education is due 60 days prior to license expiration.
Alaska	24 Hours	24 Hours	June 30th	June 30, 2028	All	All	Alaska State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board	Alaska Statutes §08.84.190	-	-	Half of all hours must come from an accredited academic institution or a board-approved professional organization (including AOTA Approved Providers). NBCOT certification may be submitted in lieu of contact hours.
Arizona	20 Hours	12 Hours	Every 2 years	Every two years from initial licensure	All	All	Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners	Arizona Revised Statutes §32-3401	-	-	-
Arkansas	10 Hours	10 Hours	Annually	Last day of the licensee’s birth month	All	All	Arkansas State Medical Board	Arkansas Code §17-88-102	-	-	OTPs in administrative or educational roles may submit up to half of required hours in that area, with the remaining hours directly related to OT clinical practice.
California	24 Hours	24 Hours	Every 2 years	Last day of your birth month in odd or even years depending on your birth year	All	All	California Board of Occupational Therapy	California Business & Professions Code §2570.2 & 2570.3 §2570.2	-	-	One half of the required number of hours (12 hours) must be directly related to the delivery of occupational therapy services
Colorado	24 Hours	24 Hours	December 31 (even years)	December 31, 2026	12 Hours	12 Hours	Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies	Colorado Revised Statutes §12-270-104	-	-	Maximum 12 PDA in a single category. Licensees may submit proof of NBCOT certification in lieu of required continuing education hours.
Connecticut	24 Hours	18 Hours	July 31 (odd years)	July 31, 2027	All	All	Connecticut State Department of Public Health	Connecticut General Statutes §376a	-	-	Required topics: At least 2 hours on topics of (1) screening for post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention training during the first renewal period and every six years thereafter.
Delaware	24 Hours	24 Hours	July 31 (even years)	July 31, 2028	22 Hours	22 Hours	Delaware Board of Occupational Therapy Practice	Delaware Code Title 24	-	-	Required topic: 2 hours in elder or child abuse.
District of Columbia	24 Hours	12 Hours	Every 2 years	Last day of the licensee’s birth month	All	All	DC Health Board of Occupational Therapy	District of Columbia Municipal Regulations	-	-	10% of all required hours must be on topics deemed public health priorities of the District.
Florida	26 Hours	26 Hours	February 28 (odd years)	February 28, 2027	22 Hours	22 Hours	Florida Board of Occupational Therapy	Florida Statutes Title XXXII, Chapter 468, Part III	14 Hours	-	Required topics: 2 hours of medical errors and 2 hours of laws and rules offered by a Board approved provider. 1 hour of HIV/AIDS course (first renewal cycle only).
Georgia	24 Hours	24 Hours	March 31st (even years)	March 31, 2028	All	All	Georgia State Board of Occupational Therapy	Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia	12 Hours	2 Hours	Minimum of 12 hours must be on a topic related to direct patient care
Hawaii	36 PDUs	36 PDUs	NBCOT renewal due March 31st (every 3 years)	HI OT license renewal due December 31, 2026	All	All	Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs	HRS Chapters 436B, 457G	-	-	Maintenance of NBCOT certification required.
Idaho	20 Hours	20 Hours	Every 2 years	Licensee's birthday	All	All	Occupational Therapy Licensure Board	Idaho Code §54-3702	-	-	Note: Even-year licenses renew in even years; odd-year licenses in odd years.
Illinois	24 Hours	24 Hours	December 31 (odd years)	December 31, 2027	21 Hours	21 Hours	Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation	Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 75/2	-	1 Hour	1 hour in sexual harassment prevention, 1 hour in implicit bias awareness, 1 hour in dementia recognition (for those who work with adults aged 26+), 1 hour in cultural competency every 6 years.
Indiana	18 Hours	18 Hours	December 31 (even years)	December 31, 2026	All	All	Indiana Professional Licensing Agency	Indiana Code Title 25, Article 23.5	-	-	-
Iowa	30 Hours	15 Hours	Every 2 years	15th day of the licensee’s birth month	All	All	Iowa Department of Public Health	Iowa Code §148b.2	-	-	Required topics: Activities should contribute directly to your professional competency and integrally relate to the practice of the profession.
Kansas	40 Hours	40 Hours	OT: April 30 (odd years) \| OTA: March 31 (odd years)	OT: April 30, 2027 \| OTA: March 31, 2027	All	All	Kansas State Board Of Healing Arts	Kansas Statutes §65-5402	-	-	Licenses renew annually. Continuing education reporting is required in odd years only.
Kentucky	12 Hours	12 Hours	October 31 (annually)	October 31, 2026	All	All	Kentucky Board of Licensure for Occupational Therapy	Kentucky Revised Statutes §319A.010	-	-	6-hour training program on suicide treatment, and management required every 6 years.
Louisiana	14 Hours	14 Hours	Annually	Last day of the licensee’s birth month	13 Hours	13 Hours	Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners	Louisiana Revised Statutes §37:3003	-	1 Hour	1 hour course provided by LSBME on the rules and regulations for OTs and COTAs.
Maine	10 Hours	6 Hours	March 31 (annually)	March 31, 2027	All	All	Maine Board of Occupational Therapy Practice	Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, Chapter 32, § 2272	-	1 Hour	-
Maryland	24 Hours	24 Hours	June 30 (varies)	Even-year licenses renew in even years; odd-year licenses in odd years.	All	All	Maryland Department of Health Board of Occupational Therapy Practice	Annotated Code of Maryland, Health Occupations Article § 10-101	-	-	At least 16 contact hours must relate to occupational therapy principles and procedures; up to 8 may come from OT role-related activities. NBCOT certification may be submitted in lieu of contact hours.
Massachusetts	24 Hours	24 Hours	Every 2 years	Licensee's birthday	All	All	Massachusetts Board of Allied Health Professions	Massachusetts General Laws Part 1, Title XVI, Chapter 112	-	2 Hours	-
Michigan	20 Hours	20 Hours	Every 2 years	Initial licensure date	20 Hours	20 Hours	MI Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Occupational Therapy	Michigan Compiled Laws, Public Health Code §333.18301	10 Hours	-	Required topics: 1 hour of pain and symptom management per cycle. 1 hour of implicit bias training per year. One-time training to identify victims of human trafficking, which is separate from the 20 hours of required CE.
Minnesota	24 Hours	18 Hours	Every 2 years	Last day of the licensee’s birth month	All	All	Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice	Minnesota Statutes Chapter 148	-	-	Required topics: Half of all required hours must relate directly to occupational therapy practice. The remaining hours can be related to service delivery, general OT practice, and topics that increase competence in your current role.
Mississippi	20 Hours	20 Hours	April 30 (even years)	April 30, 2028	All	All	Mississippi State Department of Health	Mississippi Code §73-24-13	13 Hours	2 Hours	6 hours directly related to OT clinical practice. 13 hours must be live face-to-face training. Licensees may submit proof of current NBCOT certification in lieu of 20 hours (2 hours on ethics still required).
Missouri	24 Hours	24 Hours	June 30 (odd years)	June 30, 2027	All	All	Missouri Division of Professional Registration	Missouri Revised Statutes §324.050	-	-	-
Montana	10 Hours	10 Hours	June 15 (annually)	June 15, 2027	All	All	Board of Physical, Rehabilitative, and Developmental Health Care Professionals	Montana Administrative Code §24.119	-	-	OT professionals may submit proof of NBCOT certification in lieu of required contact hours.
Nebraska	20 Hours	15 Hours	August 1 (even years)	August 1, 2026	All	All	Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services	Nebraska Code §§38-2510 & 38-2526	-	-	-
Nevada	24 Hours	24 Hours	Every 2 years	Initial licensure date	All	All	State of Nevada Board of Occupational Therapy	State of Nevada Board of Occupational Therapy	-	-	A licensee must achieve a passing score on the Nevada Occupational Therapy Jurisprudence Examination at least once every 5 years.
New Hampshire	24 Hours	24 Hours	Every 2 years	Initial licensure date	All	All	New Hampshire Occupational Therapy Governing Board	New Hampshire Revised Statutes Title 30 §326-C:1	-	-	Minimum of 12 hours must relate directly to the clinical application of occupational therapy.
New Jersey	-	-	Every 2 years	Initial licensure date	No Limit	No Limit	Occupational Therapy Advisory Council	New Jersey Revised Statutes § 45:9-37.53	-	-	-
New Mexico	15 Hours	15 Hours	September 30 (annually)	September 30, 2026	All	All	New Mexico Occupational Therapy Board	New Mexico Revised Statutes §§61-12A-3 & 61-12A-4	-	-	-
New York	36 Hours	36 Hours	Every 3 years	Initial licensure date	All	All	New York State Education Department	New York Education Law Title 8, Article 156, §7901	12 Hours	-	Required Topic: At least 24 hours must focus on topics relevant to your scope. Maximum of 24 hours of self-study courses. The remaining hours must be in-person, live online, or synchronous online study.
North Carolina	15 Hours	15 Hours	June 30th (annually)	June 30th, 2027	All	All	North Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy	North Carolina General Statutes §90-270.67	-	1 Hour	-
North Dakota	20 Hours	20 Hours	June 1st (even years)	June 30th, 2028	All	All	North Dakota State Board of Occupational Therapy Practice	North Dakota Century Code §43-40	-	-	-
Ohio	20 Hours	20 Hours	June 30 (varies)	OTs renew June 30 in odd years. OTAs renew June 30 in even years.	All	All	Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Athletic Trainers Board	Ohio Revised Code §4755.04	-	1 Hour	At least one hour must be devoted to mental health and addiction topics generally.
Oklahoma	20 Hours	20 Hours	October 31 (even years)	October 31, 2026	All	All	Oklahoma Medical Board	Oklahoma Statutes, Title 59, Section §888.3	-	-	2 CE hours in telehealth practice are required each reporting period for OTs and OTAs who provide telehealth.
Oregon	30 Hours	30 Hours	May 31 (even years)	May 31, 2028	29 Hours	29 Hours	Oregon Occupational Therapy Licensing Board	Oregon Revised Statute §675.210	-	-	Required topics: 1 hour on cultural competence and 1 hour OHA Pain Management Module offered by the OHA. OT professionals may submit proof of NBCOT certification in lieu of required contact hours, cultural competence and pain management hours still required.
Pennsylvania	24 Hours	24 Hours	June 30 (odd years)	June 30, 2027	22 Hours	22 Hours	Pennsylvania State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure	Pennsylvania Code Chapter 49 §42	-	-	Required topic: 2 hours on Act 31 Mandated Child Abuse Reporter Training from an approved provider.
Rhode Island	20 Hours	20 Hours	March 31 (even years)	March 31, 2028	All	All	Rhode Island Department of Health	Rhode Island General Laws §5-40.1-3	-	-	-
South Carolina	16 Hours	16 Hours	March 15th (odd years)	March 15, 2027	16 Hours	16 Hours	South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy	South Carolina Code of Laws §40-36-20	-	-	NBCOT certification is required. Continuing education requirements are met through completing activities required for NBCOT certification and/or renewal.
South Dakota	12 Hours	12 Hours	January 1 (annually)	January 1, 2027	All	All	South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners	South Dakota Codified Laws §36-31-1	-	-	-
Tennessee	24 Hours	24 Hours	Every 2 years	Last day of the licensee’s birth month	23 Hours	23 Hours	Tennessee Board of Occupational Therapy	Tennessee Code §63-13-103	-	1 Hour	Required topics: 1 hour on the Tennessee Occupational and Physical Therapy Practice Act, 2 hours on suicide prevention at least once every 4 years.
Texas	24 Hours	24 Hours	Every 2 years	Last day of the licensee’s birth month	23 Hours	23 Hours	Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners	Texas Health and Safety Code § 454.006	-	-	1 course on the prevention of human trafficking that is approved by the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).
Utah	24 Hours	24 Hours	May 31 (odd years)	May 31, 2027	All	All	Utah Department of Commerce	Utah Code §58-42a-102	-	2 Hours	Utah OT professionals may submit proof of NBCOT certification in lieu of required contact hours.
Vermont	20 Hours	20 Hours	May 31 (even years)	May 31, 2028	All	All	Vermont Office of Professional Regulation	Vermont Statutes Title 26, Chapter 71, §3351	-	-	-
Virginia	10 Hours	10 Hours	Even years	Last day of the licensee’s birth month	All	All	Virginia Department of Health Professions	Code of Virginia §54.1-2900	-	-	-
Washington	24 Hours	24 Hours	Every 2 years	Licensee's birthday	All	All	Washington State Department of Health	Washington Revised Code Chapter 18.59	-	-	Minimum of 20 hours must directly relate to the practice of occupational therapy. 3 hours of training every 6 years in suicide assessment. 2 hours in health equity continuing education training every 4 years. Licensees must engage in at least two or more different educational activity types.
West Virginia	24 Hours	24 Hours	OT: December 31 \| OTA: June 30	Every two years from initial licensure	All	All	West Virginia Board of Occupational Therapy	West Virginia Code §§30-28-3 and 30-28-4	-	-	-
Wisconsin	24 Hours	24 Hours	May 31 (odd years)	May 31, 2027	All	All	Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services	Wisconsin Statutes §448.96	-	-	Minimum of 12 points must be earned through through 2 or more professional development activities related to occupational therapy
Wyoming	24 Hours	24 Hours	June 15 (even years)	June 15, 2028	All	All	Wyoming Board of Occupational Therapy	Wyoming Statutes §33-40-102	-	-	-

Occupational Therapy Continuing Education Requirements by Country

Our CEU courses are created in the United States, but they are also designed to quality for professional development requirements in other countries. We’ve made several country specific guides for you! If you would like us to make one for your country, please contact us.

Country	Continuing Education Required (Occupational Therapist)	Continuing Education Required (Occupational Therapy Assistant)	Due Date
Australia	20 Hours	-	November 30 (annually)
Canada	Varies	-	Varies by Province
New Zealand	Varies	Varies	March 31 (annually)
United Kingdom	Varies	-	October 31 (odd years)

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 AOTA CEUs. Luckily for us no state-boards use this decimal system—they simply count contact hours.

To be registered with NBCOT

In the United States, 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.

Learn more in our post on NBCOT renewal.

To achieve/maintain certain certifications

Lastly, some OT certifications and OTA certifications require a certain amount of continuing education in specific practice areas.

How Does AOTA CEU Approval Give You Confidence Your Courses Are Audit-Ready?

At OT Potential, we chose to become an AOTA-Approved Provider in 2020 so you could have peace of mind that our courses meet the rigorous quality benchmarks your state board expects.

The Reality of Licensure: Ultimately, your state board makes the final call on which hours count toward your license renewal. AOTA Approved Provider status acts as “shortcut” for state regulators to verify that an occupational therapy continuing education course meets strict national standards.

In addition to our overall provider status, we take the extra step to have each course individually reviewed and approved through the AOTA Approved Provider Program. While this means our offerings are subject to a higher level of scrutiny and an intensive annual renewal process, it gives you the ultimate consistency and confidence that your OT CEUs are fully audit-ready.

For information on our CEU certificates & CE Broker reporting, check out this post:

How OT Potential Helps Meet Your CEU Requirements

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2026-07-15 17:29:00

Conclusion

We hope that this guide 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 courses and many more resources for OT Potential members.