Alabama Physical Therapy CEU Requirements and Approved Courses

Approval status

Approved

Alabama licensees complete 10 hours with renewal, or 12 for direct access. Each course is 4 hours. Confirm that the content applies before you count it.

Understanding Alabama Physical Therapy CEU Requirements and License Renewal

Alabama physical therapy CEU requirements mandate that physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) complete continuing education to maintain an active license. These requirements are established and regulated by the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy and are designed to ensure clinicians stay current with evolving standards of care, clinical techniques, and patient safety practices.

In Alabama, licensees must complete continuing education during each annual renewal cycle, which runs from October 1 through September 30. Meeting these requirements on time is essential to maintain licensure and continue practicing without interruption while staying compliant with Alabama physical therapy continuing education standards.

Key Points for Alabama PT CEU Requirements

• No pre-approval required: the Alabama Board of Physical Therapy says it does not pre-approve courses. It accepts coursework that is relevant to physical therapy practice. The licensee decides whether an activity applies.
• Standard renewal: 10 hours of continuing education are required with each renewal application for the licensees described on the board’s continuing-education page.
• Direct access: physical therapists who provide care without a referral need 12 hours, including 2 additional hours during the renewal cycle.
• Renewal window: licenses expire on October 1. The annual renewal period on the board’s renewal page is July 1 through September 30.
• Certificates: upload a certificate that shows the completion date, times or contact hours, objectives, and the target audience or prerequisite level. The course must be taught by someone with education, training, or experience in the subject.
• Jurisprudence: recent graduates renewing for the first time submit 2 hours of Alabama jurisprudence. Licensees by endorsement submit those 2 hours plus 8 more hours. After the first renewal, 2 hours of Alabama jurisprudence are required in years ending in 0 or 5.

What Counts for Alabama PT CEU Approval?

The Alabama Board of Physical Therapy does not pre-approve individual courses or vendors. Its continuing-education page says it will honor coursework relevant to the practice of physical therapy, and that licensees use professional judgment to decide whether an activity is applicable. That is broader than a rule that only sister-state board approvals count.

Another state’s approval is not the Alabama test

The Alabama Board accepts coursework that is relevant to physical therapy, and the licensee decides whether a course applies. Approval by the Florida Physical Therapy Association does not, by itself, make a course an Alabama Board approval. Confirm the fit before you count the hours.

Course Certificate Criteria for Audits

Because the board utilizes random audits, you must upload documentation at the time of renewal. To guarantee your course passes board scrutiny, your certificate of completion must explicitly display:

• The course date of completion.
• Times of instruction or activity, stated as contact hours.
• Objectives or goals.
• The target audience, or a description of the prerequisite level of experience.
• Instruction by someone with education, training, or experience in the subject.

Annual Hourly Requirements for Alabama PT CEU Approvals

• Physical therapists (standard): 10 hours of continuing education annually.
• Physical therapist assistants: 10 hours of continuing education annually.
• Direct access PTs: Physical therapists practicing without a patient referral must complete an additional 2 hours focusing on the professional standard of care, totaling 12 hours annually.
• Jurisprudence: 2 hours covering the Alabama Practice Act and Administrative Code are required for licensees renewing for the first time after recent graduation, and again in renewal years ending in 0 or 5. A first renewal by endorsement is 2 jurisprudence hours plus 8 additional hours. General ethics courses do not replace the Alabama jurisprudence requirement.

Looking for state board renewal dates, late fees, or administrative step-by-step instructions? Read the existing companion guide linked in the references on this page.

These courses and Alabama hours

Each course is 4 contact hours, online, and self-paced. The courses are approved by the Florida Physical Therapy Association. Alabama does not pre-approve providers. You still decide whether the content is relevant to physical therapy practice before you count the hours. One 4-hour course does not cover the 10-hour standard renewal total.

Current prices are on the course links below.

What You Will Learn

• Foundational nutrition: Principles of macro- and micronutrients, calories, and daily healthy requirements.
• Dietary frameworks: Standard American Diet (SAD), Mediterranean, and plant-based diets.
• Industry and lobbies: How food industry marketing impacts patient choices.
• Label analysis: Reading labels to advise patients on hidden sugars and nutrients.
• Clinical assessments: Implementing dietary screening tools within physical therapy practice.
• Targeted nutrition: Specific nutrient functions for healing, tissue recovery, and rehabilitation.

12-CEU Course Bundle

The 12-CEU bundle is three courses totaling 12 contact hours. Twelve hours matches the direct-access total on the board page, and it is more than the 10-hour standard renewal total. The Alabama jurisprudence hours are separate. The board has not pre-approved this bundle, and an audit can still ask you to show that the content was relevant.

Course I: Introduction to Nutrition for PTs — Foundational science of macronutrients and healthy populations.

Course II: Nutrition Assessment & Prescription — Diet histories, screening tools, and disease-specific dietary plans.

Course III: Specialized Topics in Nutrition — Advanced inflammation protocols, gut health, and specialty rehab.

The bundle is self-paced and online. Completing all three courses is also the path to the CNPT® credential for a licensed PT or PTA. Count only the hours the Alabama Board will accept for your license type.

Meet Your Instructor

Dr. Sean M. Wells, PT, DPT, developed this curriculum for rehabilitation professionals. He is the program founder and lead instructor, a physical therapist, an athletic trainer, and a strength and conditioning specialist.

Who These Alabama Courses Are For

Nutrition directly impacts healing, inflammation, and recovery, yet most DPT programs leave a gap in this essential science. These continuing education courses are written for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants, athletic trainers, and speech-language pathologists.

Florida Physical Therapy Association approval applies to physical therapy continuing education. It is not approval for occupational therapy, athletic training, or speech-language pathology. Those professions need to check their own boards.

Use the courses as education, then confirm the hours

Don’t just check a box for your Alabama state license renewal. Gain the practical skills and confidence needed to talk to your patients about food, inflammation, and recovery with this continuing education course.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

• Alabama Board of Physical Therapy, continuing education (checked November 5, 2026)
• Alabama Board of Physical Therapy, license renewal (checked November 5, 2026)
• Existing companion guide: Alabama PT License Renewal