In order to maintain your occupational therapy license in the state of Michigan, you will need to earn 20 hours of continuing education credits each cycle. These CEUs are due at the time of renewal (2 years after initial licensing and 2 years after last renewal).
Please note: You can easily earn 10 of these hours through OT Potential podcast courses, as an “approved continuing education program or activity related to the practice of occupational therapy,” including courses to meet the required topics of pain and symptom management and implicit bias training. We also offer monthly live webinars to help you meet your requirement for 10 live, interactive credit hours. OT Potential does not currently offer courses on the one-time required topic of identifying victims of human trafficking.
OK! There are a lot of details to cover here, but we are going to walk through the steps needed to renew your OT license in Michigan.
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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 Michigan occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant license here.
Step 2: Confirm the Michigan OT continuing education requirements.
It’s always good to double check for any updates to your 2025 licensing cycle. (One year, I completed ALL of my state of Nebraska requirements only to find out that they were waived due to COVID. 😭)
But, to get you going here is the information I found, with links to where I found it.
Here are the basic OT/OTA CEU requirements in Michigan:
Due at the time of license renewal (2 years after initial licensing or 2 years after last renewal).
Note: Applicants for license renewal in Michigan are not actually required to submit proof of completion of continuing education hours at time of renewal. Licensees may be selected for an audit, however, so it is recommended to hold on to your documentation confirming the completion of your required continuing education hours for 4 years following application for renewal.
How many hours are required?
- OTs/OTAs need 20 hours
Required topics:
- A minimum of 10 hours must be completed with live, synchronous, and interactive courses (either in-person or virtual)
- 1 hour of education is required on the topic of pain and symptom management
- 1 hour of implicit bias training is required for each year of licensure since June 1, 2021
- Licensees must complete a one-time training to identify victims of human trafficking, which is separate from the 20 hours of required continuing education.
Verify here:
- MI Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Occupational Therapy
- Michigan Occupational Therapist (OT) Licensing Guide
Discounts
Get a 15% discount on OT Potential by using the promo code: Michigan
(We’ll also give 15% of that sale to the Michigan OT Association.)
Here are the specific occupational therapy continuing education requirements for coursework in Michigan:
These were copied from the MI Administrative Code – Occupational Therapists General Rules, which was updated October 2023.
MI DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS
DIRECTOR’S OFFICE
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS – GENERAL RULES
R 338.1252 Acceptable continuing education; occupational therapist; occupational therapy assistant; requirements.
Rule 52. (1) The 20 hours of continuing education required pursuant to R 338.1251
for the renewal of a license must comply with the following:
(a) Not more than 10 credit hours may be earned during a 24-hour period for online
or electronic media, such as videos, internet web-based seminars, video conferences,
online continuing education programs, and online journal articles that are asynchronous
and not interactive.
(b) Except for the 1-time training in human trafficking, which may be used to
comply with the requirement for the 1-time training and continuing education
requirements, an applicant may not earn credit for a continuing education program or
activity that is identical or substantially similar to a program or activity the applicant has
already earned credit for during that renewal period.
(c) Pursuant to section 16204 of the code, MCL 333.16204, at least 1 hour of
continuing education must be earned in the area of pain and symptom management.
Continuing education hours in pain and symptom management may include, but are not
limited to, courses in behavior management, psychology of pain, pharmacology, behavior
modification, stress management, clinical applications, and drug interventions as they
relate to the practice of occupational therapy.
(2) One-half of the required continuing education contact hours must be completed
by live, synchronous, and interactive courses and programs, either in-person or virtual,
that provide for the opportunity for direct interaction during the course or program,
between faculty and participants, including, but not limited to, lectures, symposia, live
teleconferences, and workshops. The remaining continuing education contact hours may
be completed in another format.
(3) The following are acceptable continuing education activities:
| (a) Completion of an approved continuing education program or activity related to the practice of occupational therapy. A continuing education program or activity is approved if it is approved or offered for continuing education credit by any of the following: AOTA. International Association for Continuing Education and Training authorized providers. Michigan Occupational Therapy Association. NBCOT. Another state or provincial board of occupational therapy. An occupational therapy education program approved by the board in R 338.1222. Employer-provided work-place training. Third-party presentation that contributes to professional growth, development, and competency of occupational therapy practitioners. If audited, an applicant shall submit a copy of a letter or certificate of completion showing the applicant’s name, number of credits earned, sponsor name or the name of the organization that approved the program or activity for continuing education credit, and the date the program was held or activity completed. | The number of hours approved by the sponsor or the approving organization may be earned in each renewal period. If the activity was not approved for a set number of hours, then 1 hour of continuing education for each 60 minutes of participation may be earned. Credit in this category may be earned without limitation. |
| (b) Completion of academic courses related to the practice of occupational therapy offered in an occupational therapy education program approved by the board pursuant to R 338.1222. If audited, an applicant shall submit an official transcript that reflects completion of the academic course and number of semester or quarter credit hours earned. | Five hours of continuing education may be earned for each semester credit hour earned. Three hours of continuing education may be earned for each quarter credit hour earned. Credit in this category may be earned without limitation. |
| (c) Initial publication of a chapter or an article related to the practice of occupational therapy in any of the following: A peer-reviewed textbook. A professional healthcare textbook. A peer-reviewed journal or periodical. A practice area related article in a lay publication (community newspaper or newsletter). A non-peer-reviewed professional publication (such as OT Practice, SIS Quarterly and Advance). If audited, an applicant shall submit a copy of the publication that identifies the applicant as the author of the publication or a publication acceptance letter. | A maximum of 10 hours of continuing education may be earned in each renewal period. Ten hours of continuing education may be earned for publishing a peer reviewed textbook, professional healthcare textbook, or a peer reviewed journal or periodical. Two hours of continuing education may be earned for publishing a practice related article in a lay publication. Five hours of continuing education may be earned for publishing a non peer-reviewed professional publication. |
| (d) Independent reading of peer-reviewed articles or viewing or listening to media related to the practice of occupational therapy that does not include a self assessment part. If audited, an applicant shall submit an affidavit attesting to the number of hours the applicant spent participating in these activities that includes a description of the activity. | One hour of continuing education may be earned for each 60 minutes of participation. A maximum of 5 hours of continuing education may be earned in each renewal period. |
| (e) Initial presentation of an academic or continuing education program that is not a part of the applicant’s regular job description. If audited, an applicant shall submit a copy of the curriculum and a letter from the program sponsor verifying the length and date of the presentation. | Three hours of continuing education may be earned for each 60 minutes of presentation. A maximum of 10 hours of continuing education may be earned in each renewal period. |
| (f) Fieldwork supervision that is not part of the applicant’s primary job description. If audited, an applicant shall submit a copy of a letter of verification or certificate from school including dates of fieldwork and name of fieldwork student | Level I: One hour of continuing education, for all supervision activities, may be earned per student. Level II: One hour of continuing education may be earned for each week of supervision per student supervised. A maximum of 12 hours of continuing education may be earned in each renewal period. |
| (g) Participating on a state or national board, board of a local chapter, association, or committee, or volunteering if the activity enhances the participant’s knowledge and understanding of the field of occupational therapy. If audited, an applicant shall submit documentation verifying the licensee’s participation in not less than 50% of the regularly scheduled meetings of the board. | A maximum of 10 hours of continuing education may be earned for this activity in each renewal period. Attendance at a meeting equals 1 credit hour of continuing education. Attendance at a volunteering activity equals 1 credit hour of continuing education. |
| Primary or co-primary investigator in research activities or outcome studies, or externally funded service training projects associated with grants or post-graduation studies related to the field of occupational therapy. If audited, an applicant shall submit documentation verifying the licensee’s participation as a primary or co-primary investigator or in externally funded service training projects associated with grants or post-graduation studies related to the field of occupational therapy. | A maximum of 10 hours of continuing education may be earned in each renewal period. |
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.
Do OT Potential courses count toward the continuing education required to renew my license?
Yes! You can earn all 20 of your required continuing education credit hours through OT Potential, with the exception of the one-time required training for identifying victims of human trafficking. You can earn 10 credit hours through OT Potential podcast courses, as outlined above in 3(a) “approved continuing education program or activity related to the practice of occupational therapy.” You can also earn your additional 10 “live, synchronous, and interactive courses” credit hours by attending our live webinars!
OT Potential also offers courses to meet the required topics of pain and symptom management and implicit bias training (as confirmed by the MI OT licensing office on 2/26/2025.)
Please note: OT Potential does not currently offer courses on identifying victims of human trafficking, a one-time required training which is separate from the 20 required continuing education hours.
Where can Michigan OT professionals get the best deals 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 “Michigan” to receive a 15% discount—and we’ll donate 15% of your order to MiOTA.
👍 Price of OT Potential with your Michigan discount = $84.15 (Reg $99)
🎉 Donation amount to MiOTA = $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 MiOTA.
This is one of the cheapest ways to earn all of your required Michigan 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.)
Step 4: Renew your license. 🎉
Ok, now it’s time for the big moment.
You can renew your license online.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you found this post helpful!
As you can tell, I am a continuing education nerd 🤓, so if you have any other questions about continuing education and your Michigan OT license renewal, just ask me the comments!
Ok! Ready to try OT Potential?
Get 15% off + 15% goes to support MiOTA.
Learn more, then use promo code: Michigan