PTBC Military Resources
Professional License Portability and State Registration for Servicemembers and their Spouses
The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) authorizes service members or their spouses who currently hold a valid license in good standing in another state, district, or territory to practice in California within the same profession or vocation, if they relocate to California because of military orders. For individuals who desire to practice in California under the terms of the SCRA, please visit: https://www.dca.ca.gov/military/federal.shtml.
Expedited Licensure for:
Honorably Discharged Members of the United States Armed Forces
PTBC is required to expedite the licensure process for an applicant that served as an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States and was honorably discharged. This does not mean a license must be issued, but simply requires the process to be accelerated. Reference: Business and Professions Code section 115.4.
For your license application to be expedited, you must:
- Apply to PTBC using the application instructions.
- Supply evidence (DD-214 – Certificate of Release or Discharge form) of active duty service in the Armed Forces of the United States with honorable discharge.
Spouses or Domestic Partners of Active-Duty Military Personnel
PTBC is required to expedite the licensure process and waive the application and initial license fee for spouses and domestic partners of those on active duty in the Armed Forces. This does not mean a license must be issued, but simply requires the process to be accelerated. Reference: Business and Professions Code section 115.5.
For your license application to be expedited, you must:
- Apply to PTBC using the application instructions.
- Supply evidence that you are married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in California under official orders
- Hold a current physical therapist or physical therapist assistant license, as applicable, in another state, district or territory of the United States in the profession or vocation for which you are seeking a license
For questions: Contact PTBC
Military Training Qualification for Licensure
Military experience may be used to qualify for Physical Therapist Assistant licensure pursuant to Business and Professions Code (BPC) section 2639.1 and Title 16 California Code of Regulations (CCR) section 1398.47
Military training, consisting of satisfactory completion of a basic hospital corps member course and of a formal physical therapist assistant course that includes a minimum of 550 hours of technical courses relating to physical therapy, and 350 hours of supervised clinical experience is required. In addition, the following general education is required:
General education requirements shall consist of satisfactory completion of 15 semester units or 20 quarter units, including at least one course in each of the following areas:
- Natural Sciences
- Social or Behavioral Sciences
- Humanities
- English, Speech, or Mathematics
- English Composition which meets the Associate or Baccalaureate degree requirement of the college at which the course is taken. The applicant shall have obtained a grade of “C” or better in English Composition to be accepted for licensure as a physical therapist assistant
Proof of completion of the general education and technical courses above shall be submitted on an official transcript. The courses may be taken at any post-secondary institution that is accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the U.S. Department of Education.
To qualify for Physical Therapist licensure, an individual must complete a physical therapist program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE); this is consistent with military practice requirements.
For questions, contact PTBC.
Renewal Fee Waiver for Active-Duty Personnel
PTBC is required to waive renewal requirements for military personnel when they are called to active duty. Reference: Business and Professions Code section 114.3
“Called to active duty” includes licensees in all branches of the military who, on a temporary basis, travel to remote locations to engage in activity relating to a war, national emergency, or other military operation.
Renewal requirements waived for military personnel called to active duty include renewal fees, continuing competency requirements, and any other requirements as determined by PTBC.
To qualify for a waiver, the licensee must:
- Possess a current and valid license when called to active duty.
- Provide written documentation that substantiates the licensee’s call to active duty.
Renewal requirements are only waived for the period of time the licensee is serving in the temporary assignment at the remote location, and the licensee must notify PTBC of receipt of a notice of discharge date within 60 days of receiving such a notice.
All private practice is prohibited under the waiver. A licensee may not return to private practice until after they have complied with renewal requirements required by PTBC.
Any licensee who continues to practice, either part-time or full-time, must maintain an active license in good standing, even while serving in the military if relying on a California license to practice.1
The applications for this waiver are available through your BreEZe account.
There are two applications and statuses:
- Military-Active—indicates you will be practicing while deployed.
- Military-Inactive—indicates you will NOT be practicing while deployed.
If you are unable to access these applications or have questions, please contact PTBC.
1 Gin, Joanna, AB 1588 Concurrence in Senate Amendments, August 22, 2012, accessed January 24, 2018.
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billAnalysisClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120AB1588