486.102 Physical therapist assistant; licensing requirements; exemption.—1(1) To be eligible for licensing by the board as a physical therapist assistant, an applicant must:(a) Be at least 18 years old;
(b) Be of good moral character; and
(c)1. Have graduated from a school providing a course of at least 2 years for physical therapist assistants, which has been approved for the educational preparation of physical therapist assistants by the appropriate accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor or the United States Department of Education at the time of her or his graduation and have passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination to determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical therapist assistant under this chapter;
2. Have graduated from a school providing a course for physical therapist assistants in a foreign country and have educational credentials deemed equivalent to those required for the educational preparation of physical therapist assistants in this country, as recognized by the appropriate agency as identified by the board, and passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination to determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical therapist assistant under this chapter;
3. Be entitled to licensure by endorsement as provided in s. 486.107; or 4. Have been enrolled between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2016, in a physical therapist assistant school in this state which was accredited at the time of enrollment; anda. Have graduated or be eligible to graduate from such school no later than July 1, 2018; and
b. Have passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination to determine his or her fitness for practice as a physical therapist assistant as provided in s. 486.104. (2) A person licensed as a physical therapist assistant in another state who is practicing under the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact pursuant to s. 486.112, and only within the scope provided therein, is exempt from the licensure requirements of this section. History.—s. 10, ch. 67-537; s. 6, ch. 73-354; s. 2, ch. 79-116; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 11, 24, ch. 83-86; ss. 17, 18, ch. 86-31; s. 8, ch. 89-124; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 29, ch. 94-310; s. 464, ch. 97-103; s. 181, ch. 97-264; s. 17, ch. 2013-93; s. 32, ch. 2016-230; s. 7, ch. 2017-134; s. 67, ch. 2024-15; s. 33, ch. 2024-243; s. 23, ch. 2024-274.
1Note.—Section 33, ch. 2024-243, amended subsection (1), as amended by s. 67, ch. 2024-15, and s. 23, ch. 2024-274, effective July 1, 2025, to read:(1) To be eligible for licensing by the board as a physical therapist assistant, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:
(a) Be at least 18 years old.
(b) Be of good moral character.
(c)1. Have graduated from a school providing a course of at least 2 years for physical therapist assistants, which has been approved for the educational preparation of physical therapist assistants by the appropriate accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor or the United States Department of Education at the time of her or his graduation and have passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination to determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical therapist assistant under this chapter;
2. Have graduated from a school providing a course for physical therapist assistants in a foreign country and have educational credentials deemed equivalent to those required for the educational preparation of physical therapist assistants in this country, as recognized by the appropriate agency as identified by the board, and passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination to determine her or his fitness for practice as a physical therapist assistant under this chapter;
3. Be entitled to licensure by endorsement as provided in s. 486.107; or
4. Have been enrolled between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2016, in a physical therapist assistant school in this state which was accredited at the time of enrollment; and
a. Have graduated; and
b. Have passed to the satisfaction of the board an examination to determine his or her fitness for practice as a physical therapist assistant as provided in s. 486.104.
(d) Have submitted to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135.