CE Amendments effective 6/1/2024
See the Continuing Education and OT Act and Rules pages for further information regarding the amendments. When selecting CE activities completed on or after June 1, 2024, refer to the requirements in the current Chapter 367, Continuing Education, of the OT Rules, which took effect June 1, 2024.
CE Requirement, effective 9/1/2020 – HHSC-Approved Training Course each renewal period on the Prevention of Human Trafficking
See the Human Trafficking Training tab on the Continuing Education page. Further CE information may be found on the Continuing Education page.
Please see the Renewal Requirements tab below for further information about this renewal requirement, including how to access the agency’s Service Code, which must be used when scheduling/registering for fingerprinting.
See the announcement on the homepage for instructions regarding submitting fingerprints if you have not yet satisfied the fingerprinting requirement.
As per §370.1(a) of the OT Rules, “Licensee Renewal. Licensees are required to renew their licenses every two years by the end of their birth month. A licensee may not provide occupational therapy services without a current license. Licenses and license expiration dates should be verified on the Board’s license verification web page.”
If your license does not show as being current and unexpired on the License Verification page of our website, you may not provide occupational therapy services.
Remember that once you have submitted all required materials and made payment, the renewal must be processed, and it will take at least one or more business days for your license to show on our website as being renewed. Verify your renewal on our website.
A license may be renewed up to three months prior to the expiration date.
Please see the full OT Act and Rules for additional information and requirements. The Continuing Education page includes resources such as a decision tree, sample course titles, and tabs that address acceptable CE and unacceptable activities not eligible for CE credit.
If you were serving in the military during your renewal period, please see §370.2(b) for additional information regarding renewal fees and deadlines.
Please see the full OT Act and Rules for detailed renewal and CE information: Chapter 370 contains information regarding license renewal and Chapter 367 details continuing education. The Continuing Education page includes resources regarding CE.
The Board no longer provides renewal cards. Instead, go to the Occupational Therapy License Verification page and use the Last Name and DOB search to access links to print a statement of licensure or wallet card.
Licensees using Internet Explorer as their browser may experience issues when renewing, for example, when taking the Jurisprudence Exam, making payment if renewing online, etc. Licensees may be more successful when using Google Chrome or Firefox. If you are not using the most recent version of your browser, you might need to update such.
You may only renew online if:
– you are renewing before your license expires;
– you are on active status and are renewing active status;
– your SSN is on file with the Board;
– you have no renewal holds, including due to child support issues as per §370.1 of the OT Rules; or
– your CE is from your current renewal period.
See the note below regarding fingerprinting if you have not yet satisfied the Board’s requirement.
You may renew by paper renewal application if:
– you are renewing before your license expires;
– you are renewing less than one year after your license expired;
– you are on active status and wish to initiate inactive status;
– you are on inactive status and wish to maintain inactive status or return to active status;
– you are submitting with your application an SSN Statement, which is required if your SSN is not on file with the Board; or
– you have no renewal holds, including due to child support issues as per §370.1 of the OT Rules.
See the note below regarding fingerprinting if you have not yet satisfied the Board’s requirement.
– Remember that once you have submitted all required materials and made payment, it will take at least one or more business days for your license to show as being renewed on our website. Your license must show as being current and unexpired in order to provide occupational therapy services.
– You may renew on time either online or by paper renewal form up to three months before your expiration date.
– Do not wait until the last minute to renew.
Website or technical issues may occur, you may have to speak with someone at the Board (which is not open after regular business hours), or you might have problems on the payment website (Texas Online), which means you might need to speak with another agency’s staff, for example.
If you are renewing online and do not complete the payment portion of the renewal process before your license expires, you will be subject to late fees.
If you are renewing by paper renewal form and your completed license renewal form and any required documents, information, and fees are not postmarked before your license expires, you will be subject to late fees.
See the OT Act and Rules and the “Late Renewal” tab for additional information.
– Licensees who have not yet met the Board’s fingerprinting requirement may sign in to the Board’s website to enter their CE activities and take the JP exam (to access their key code); however, they will not be able to sign in to the Texas.gov/Texas Online system to continue an on-time online renewal application and submit payment until the fingerprinting requirement has been satisfied and the system has been updated. Note that system updates are not instantaneous and will take at least one or more business days. Licensees who cannot access the online system may submit a paper renewal application, though such will not be processed until the fingerprinting requirement has been met. See the Renewal Requirements tab for further information.
– If you are you are counting CE activities as per §367.1(b)(4), you will need to renew with a paper renewal form. See the Continuing Education page’s “About CE” tab for further information.
– If your license has been expired one year or more, you are not eligible to renew. Please see §370.3, Restoration of a Texas License, for restoration requirements and visit the Restoration Page.
-If you have not given the Board your SSN, you must complete the SSN Statement and include this with your paper renewal. If you submit this form well in advance of your expiration date, once it is processed, you may be able to renew online.
– The Board must receive a release from the appropriate agency for those with renewal holds due to child support issues. Such individuals may submit a paper renewal application, but it will not be processed until the release is received. See the OT Rules and the “Late Renewal” tab for additional information if such is not received in a timely manner prior to your expiration date.
– To renew a license on inactive or retired status or initiate inactive or retired status, visit the Inactive & Retired Status page for further renewal information.
Renewal Requirements1. The renewal fees: See current fees.
2. Completion of the renewal form, on paper or online.
3. Fingerprinting Requirement for Renewals, Effective 1/1/2019
Effective January 1, 2019, changes were made to the OT Act and Rules that require that OTs and OTAs submit their fingerprints for state and national criminal history record information checks for the Board as a one-time requirement for initial license issuance or license renewal.
Note: A licensee is not required to submit fingerprints for renewal if the licensee has previously submitted fingerprints for and satisfied the fingerprinting requirement under one of the following:
– Chapter 364 of the OT Rules (relating to Requirements for Licensure) for the initial issuance of the license;
– Chapter 370 of the OT Rules (relating to License Renewal) as part of a prior license renewal (including license restoration); or
– Chapter 371 of the OT Rules (relating to Inactive and Retired Status) as part of a prior license renewal or change of license status.
In addition, fingerprinting is not a requirement to initiate inactive status or renew an inactive status license.
Refer to Chapter 370, License Renewal, and/or Chapter 371, Inactive and Retired Status, for further information.
If you have already satisfied the requirement, DO NOT resubmit your fingerprints.
See the announcement on the homepage for further information and instructions regarding submitting fingerprints for renewal if you have not yet satisfied this requirement.
Licensees who have not yet met the Board’s fingerprinting requirement may sign in to the Board’s website to enter their CE activities and take the JP exam (to access their key code); however, they will not be able to sign in to the Texas.gov/Texas Online system to continue an on-time online renewal application and submit payment until the fingerprinting requirement has been satisfied and the system has been updated. Note that system updates are not instantaneous and will take at least one or more business days. Licensees who cannot access the online system may submit a paper renewal application, though such will not be processed until the fingerprinting requirement has been met.
**The agency’s Service Code must be used when scheduling/registering for fingerprinting. See the fingerprinting instructions for further instructions.**
Accessing the Agency’s Service Code:
Approximately three months prior to their license’s expiration date, licensees may access the agency’s Service Code from emailed renewal reminder(s) from the Board and/or by logging in to the Board’s website. Once logged in, licensees may access the Service Code from the top of the page containing the online CE Submission Form.
Licensees needing further assistance accessing the Service Code may send an email to exam@ptot.texas.gov to request the code.
4. Completion of the required Continuing Education requirement. See Chapter 367, Continuing Education, in the OT Rules. The requirement is at least 24 contact hours that meet requirements in Chapter 367 of the OT Rules. This CE must include the completion of an HHSC approved course on human trafficking that meets requirements as per the OT Rules (new September 1, 2020); see the Continuing Education page for further information and to access an HHSC approved course. You must report your CE on the CE Submission Form either online or on the paper renewal form. The Continuing Education page includes further resources regarding CE.
5. Passing score on the online Jurisprudence Examination (JP) Exam. This is an open-book, 20-question test based on the OT Act and Rules. These are free to download and use during the exam.
6. Current and correct information for your home address, business address, and mailing address (if different from your home address). A physical home address is required.
7. Your Social Security Number or the SSN Form if you do not presently have an SSN or if you have not previously reported your SSN to the Board.
8. If your name has changed: mail or email a copy of the marriage certificate or other legal documents for the name change. The name change cannot be made online during your renewal process or through an email. We must receive the documentation for any name change. If emailing the documentation, send as an attachment in JPG, PDF, or PNG form to exam@ptot.texas.gov.
Submit all items above or any other required forms or information prior to the license expiration date to avoid late fees.
Please see the full OT Act and Rules for further information and requirements.
Renew OnlineLicensees who have not yet met the Board’s fingerprinting requirement may sign in to the Board’s website to enter their CE activities and take the JP exam (to access their key code); however, they will not be able to sign in to the Texas.gov/Texas Online system to continue an on-time online renewal application and submit payment until the fingerprinting requirement has been satisfied and the system has been updated. Note that system updates are not instantaneous and will take at least one or more business days. Licensees who cannot access the online system may submit a paper renewal application, though such will not be processed until the fingerprinting requirement has been met.
– Look at the box to the right and look up your school code, which you must enter before submitting payment.
– If your school is not on the list, contact the Board.
– Organize your CE so you can enter such by name, date, and number of hours.
– Read the “CE Form Tips” tab.
– For CE information, read Chapter 367, Continuing Education, in the OT Rules and consult the Continuing Education page and FAQs for further information.
– Remember that licensees are responsible for selecting CE as per Chapter 367 of the OT Rules.
– You must take the Jurisprudence (JP) Exam as part of the renewal process.
– This is an open-book exam. You will use the OT Rules and OT Practice Act to answer the questions.
– Reread the current OT Act and Rules. Download or print them or open them in a new tab or window. Have them accessible when you take the JP Exam.
– Licensees using Internet Explorer as their browser may experience issues with their renewals, for example, when taking the Jurisprudence Exam, making payment if renewing online, etc. Licensees may be more successful when using Google Chrome or another browser. If you are not using the most recent version of your browser, you might need to update such. See also the helpful hints below.
Helpful Hints for the CE Submission Form/JP Exam:
– Consider entering your CE (once requirements have been met) and taking the JP exam as soon as possible and not waiting until the last minute.
– Should you experience persistent issues when taking the exam, please contact our office. Staff may ask you to provide a screenshot showing the IP address you used (in IPv4 format) and the time of the exam; in some cases, such may be useful in resolving the issue.
Remember that your license must display on our license verification page as current and unexpired in order to provide services.
– Please note that updating your browser and restarting your computer, clearing the browser’s cache, signing out and then back in to the online renewal portal (by accessing the portal through the same link you originally used to sign in), and/or trying on a different device connected to the internet in a different manner (ex: using a smartphone on data, rather than a computer on Wi-Fi) may address CE Form/JP issues for some users.
– Users who may have previously experienced issues are encouraged to try taking the exam on a smartphone, on data (not Wi-Fi).
– See further tips regarding entering your CE and taking the exam from the relevant sections below.
– You can add CE during different sessions by logging in and out, but once your renewal is submitted, the CE may not be edited.
– Be sure to print or save a screen shot of the completed CE Submission form for your records prior to clicking the “Take Exam” button. The form is not available after the renewal is submitted.
– See the tab “CE Form Tips” for further tips.
– After you hit “Submit” after entering your CE, you will be redirected to the JP Exam page.
– Access the downloaded or printed OT Act and Rules or have them opened in a new tab or window.
– Do not use the forward, back, or refresh buttons on your browser/the browser tab in which the exam is open during the exam.
– If you do not interact with the exam page by either advancing to the next exam question or returning to a previous question at least every approximately 24 minutes, the exam page will time out and you will need to restart the exam. It is recommended to take the exam in one sitting to reduce technical difficulties. Please also note that the exam itself, which is a 20-question exam, will also time out after a period of time (usually after approximately 3 hours).
– Once you pass the JP Exam, print out or write down your Key Code, which is made up of numbers and capital letters.
– You must retain this Key Code as you will use it for later renewal steps.
– After you receive your Key Code, you will be redirected to the Texas Online website.
– You must enter your license number and Key Code. You must enter all letters as CAPITAL LETTERS.
– Once you have your Key Code, do not try to retake the JP Exam.
– If you have issues on the Texas Online website after you have received your Key Code (for example, if you cannot complete your payment on the Texas Online site), click here to continue to renew and pay online by signing in again on the Texas Online website. Remember that you may have to update your browser in order to use the Texas Online website to submit payment.
– If you cannot renew successfully online and ultimately renew by submitting a paper renewal form, you can write your Key Code on the paper renewal form. See the “Renew by Paper” tab for more information.
CE Form Tips– Your CE Submission Form is available for 3 months before your expiration date until the last day of your birth month, and remember that only CE from your current renewal period may be entered. You can log in and out of the website in order to continue adding or updating your CE. The form is complete when you have entered at least 24 hours of CE and confirmed that one course meets the human trafficking training requirement, at which time, the “Take Exam” button will become active.
– You can remove or edit an entry by clicking the designated option from that page.
– Refer to Chapter 367 of the OT Rules for information regarding CE requirements.
– If a course or activity title does not fit in the space provided, use an abbreviated title. For activities other than courses, enter a descriptive title that references the category (for example, the category of fieldwork supervision). You can enter partial hours (ex: 2.75 hours).
– Be sure to print or save a screen shot of the completed CE Submission form for your records prior to clicking the “Take Exam” button. The form is not available after the renewal is submitted.
Renew by PaperIf you are submitting a paper renewal application because you attempted to renew online, but were unsuccessful (for example, you were unable to submit your payment), if you already have your Key Code because you have entered your CE online and passed the Jurisprudence (JP) Exam, write your Key Code on the Renewal Form. Once you have your Key Code, you do not need to retake the JP exam or include a CE submission form with the paper renewal form.
If you have not tried to renew online, you will not receive a Key Code. The Key Code is only for online renewals.
– Licensees who have not yet met the Board’s fingerprinting requirement may submit a paper renewal application, though such will not be processed until the fingerprinting requirement has been met.
– Organize your CE so you can record such by name, date, and number of hours.
– For CE information, read Chapter 367, Continuing Education, in the OT Rules and consult the Continuing Education page and FAQs for further information.
– Remember that licensees are responsible for selecting CE as per Chapter 367 of the OT Rules.
– You must take the online Jurisprudence (JP) exam as part of the renewal process.
– This is an open-book exam. You will use the OT Rules and OT Practice Act to answer the questions.
– Reread the current OT Act and Rules. Download or print them or open them in a new tab or window. Have them accessible when you take the JP Exam.
– Download the OT/OTA License Renewal Form from the Forms page.
– Complete the form, including the CE Submission Form.
– Send the form, including the CE Submission Form, payment (by check or money order), and any additional required forms or information. See the related announcement available from our homepage regarding our upcoming move and mailing items, including for information regarding which mailing address to use.
– Licensees using Internet Explorer as their browser may experience issues when taking the Jurisprudence Exam and may be more successful when using Google Chrome or Firefox. If you are not using the most recent version of your browser, you might need to update such.
– Access the downloaded or printed OT Act and Rules or have them opened in a new tab or window.
– Do not use the forward, back, or refresh buttons on your browser/the browser tab in which the exam is open during the exam.
– If you do not interact with the exam page by either advancing to the next exam question or returning to a previous question at least every approximately 24 minutes, the exam page will time out and you will need to restart the exam. It is recommended to take the exam in one sitting to reduce technical difficulties. Please also note that the exam itself, which is a 20-question exam, will also time out after a period of time (usually after approximately 3 hours).
– Click here to take the Application JP Exam. Select the exam link for those renewing by paper renewal form.
– After you pass the exam, you must enter and submit your personal information. After you have done so, you will receive a message that your score has been automatically reported to the Board.
Late Renewal– Stop practicing (once your license has expired) and finish up your CE or your renewal. The possession of an expired license is not a violation until you practice with it.
– If you are renewing late, you must submit a paper application with the appropriate late fee. See the Renew by Paper tab for instructions.
– Chapter 370, License Renewal, contains information regarding renewals and Chapter 367, Continuing Education, contains information about continuing education requirements. Click this link to access the OT Act and Rules.
– Requirements and fees are subject to change at any time due to legislative, judicial, or Board action.