# Physical therapy practice act

A physical therapy practice act is a statute defining the scope and practice of physical therapy within the jurisdiction, outlining licensing requirements for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants, and establishing penalties for violations of the law. In the United States, each state enacts its own practice act, resulting in some variation among the states, though the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) has drafted a model definition in order to limit this variation.

## Model definition of physical therapy for state practice acts

In 1997, the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) published The Model Practice Act for Physical Therapy: A Tool for Public Protection and Legislative Change as a model framework to serve as a basis for inter-jurisdictional consistency among state physical therapy practice acts. The FSBPT published the 5th edition of this document in 2011. According to the introduction to the Fifth edition, "since 1997 many states have enacted large portions and, in some instances, nearly the entire Model Practice Act as their jurisdiction statute."

## List of practice acts

Physical therapy practice acts by jurisdiction :
| State/ Jurisdiction | Statute | Enacted | Licensing Authority | Practice Act Text |
| Alabama | (Title 34, Chapter 24, Article 5) | 1965 | State of Alabama Board of Physical Therapy | Ala. Title 34, Ch. 24, Art. 5 |
| Alaska | (AS 08.84) | | State Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board | Statutes and Regulations: Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy |
| Arizona | (Title 32, Ch. 19) | | Arizona State Board of Physical Therapy | Arizona Rev. Statutes, Title 32, Ch. 19 |
| Arkansas | (Ark. Code Ann. Sec. 17-93-403(a)(2)/-404) | | Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy | Arkansas Physical Therapy Act |
| California | (Business and Professions Code, Div. 2, Ch. 5.7) | 1953 | Physical Therapy Board of California | CA Business and Professions Code, Div 2, Chapter 5.7 |
| Colorado | (Col. Rev. Statutes, Title 12, Art. 41) | | Colorado State Physical Therapy Board | Col. Rev. Statutes, Title 12, Article 41 |
| Connecticut | (CT Gen. Statutes, Ch. 376, Sec. 20.66-20.74) | | CT Dept. of Public Health | CT Gen. Statutes, Ch. 376 (Sec. 20.66-20.74) |
| Delaware | | | | |
| District of Columbia | | | | |
| Florida | | | | |
| Georgia | | | | |
| Hawaii | | | | |
| Idaho | | | | |
| Illinois | | | | |
| Indiana | | | | |
| Iowa | | | | |
| Kansas | (Kan. Statutes Ann., Ch. 65, Art. 29) | 1963 | Kansas State Board of Healing Arts | Kansas Statutes Ann. Chapter 65, Article 29 |
| Kentucky | | | | |
| Louisiana | | | | |
| Maine | | | | |
| Maryland | | | | |
| Massachusetts | (Mass. Gen. Law, Title XVI, Ch. 112, Sec. 23 A-D) | | Board of Registration in Allied Health Professionals | MGL, c.112, §23 A-D, 259 CMR 5.00 |
| Michigan | | | | |
| Minnesota | (MN Stat. Ch. 148, Sec. 65-78) | 1951 | Minnesota State Board of Physical Therapy | MN Stat. Ch. 148, Sec. 65-78 |
| Mississippi | | | | |
| Missouri | (RSMO Title 12, Ch. 334, Sec. 334.500-334.620) | 1969 | Missouri Division of Professional Registration | RSMO Title 12, Ch. 334, Sec. 334.500-334.620 |
| Montana | | | | |
| Nebraska | | | | |
| Nevada | | | | |
| New Hampshire | | | | |
| New Jersey | | | | |
| New Mexico | | | | |
| New York | | | | |
| North Carolina | | | | |
| North Dakota | | | | |
| Ohio | | | | |
| Oklahoma | | | | |
| Oregon | | | | |
| Pennsylvania | | | | |
| Puerto Rico | | | | |
| Rhode Island | | | | |
| South Carolina | | | | |
| South Dakota | | | | |
| Tennessee | | | | |
| Texas | | | | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | | | | |
| Utah | | | | |
| Vermont | | | | |
| Virginia | | | | |
| Washington | | | | |
| West Virginia | | | | |
| Wisconsin | | | | |
| Wyoming | | | | |