Licensure by Endorsement
Board Contact Information:
S.C. Board of Physical Therapy Examiners
P. O. Box 11329
Columbia, S.C. 29211-1329
Telephone: (803) 896-4655
Fax: (803) 896-4719
General Information
A person shall not engage in the practice of physical therapy without a license issued in accordance with the State Practice Act. A current permanent license in another state may be endorsed if qualifications at the date of licensure were equivalent to requirements in this state. If criteria for endorsement is not met, the exam will be required and the exam fees paid in addition to the application fee. No person may be licensed under the Physical Therapy Practice Act if the person has failed the examination six or more times, whether or not the exam was taken in South Carolina.
Applicants must be graduates of a Board approved physical therapy program, which is a physical therapy program at a school, college or university located within the continental United States or its territories which has satisfied the accreditation standards of the Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Those who are not must have their educational credentials evaluated to determine if their education is equivalent to the requirements of physical therapists educated in United States educational programs as determined by the Board. Physical therapy schools located outside of the United States or its territories that are accredited by CAPTE are not considered Board-approved programs.
Applicants who are not graduates of a Board approved program must have their completed applications reviewed by the Board prior to approval for licensure.
No application is complete without all of the required documents, fee and photograph. Application for licensure must be completed within one year or the application and credentials must be brought up-to-date and resubmitted with payment of the applicable fee. All documents will be retained by the Board as a permanent part of the applicant's file. An applicant who is not actively engaged in the profession may be required to complete a certain number of CEUs, and/or have supervised practice as specified by the Board, and/or pass a written examination approved by the Board.
Application Process
Applicants submit the following. Do not duplicate forms. All documents must have original signatures. Faxes are not acceptable.
1) Original Application with all sections completed by applicant, including current photograph and non-refundable fee of $120 payable to SCBPTE. Personal checks are acceptable. A $30 charge will be imposed for checks returned for insufficient funds.
2) Copy of legal document showing change of name (marriage license, divorce decree, etc.).
3) Official transcript with registrar's seal indicating degree and date of graduation. Must be mailed directly to Board from school in their sealed envelope. If an original transcript is provided to credentialing agency for evaluation of education, a copy of the transcript is acceptable only from that agency in lieu of one mailed from the school. Transcripts sent by any other means are not acceptable and will be returned to the applicant.
4) NPTE Scores, applicant must make request to:
FSBPT Score Transfer Service
509 Wythe Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
You may reach the Score Transfer Service at (703) 739-9420 or scoretransfer@fsbpt.org. The FSBPT processes score transfer requests within 5 business days. If transfer request submitted via the Internet at https://www.fsbpt.org/, request should be processed within 2 business days. ID number and date of exam can be obtained from the Board where exam was taken. Scores must be submitted directly to the Board from FSBPT Score Transfer Service.
5) Verification of License, Form C-10: Only one current permanent license is required. Must be mailed directly to the Board from that state. Copies of licenses are not acceptable.
6) Proof of proficiency in the English language is required for applicants whose native language is not English. All three of the following passing scores are required:
- TOEFL-560/220 computer score
- TWE-4.5
- TSE-55
- 24 for writing
- 26 for speaking
- 18 for reading
- 21 for listening
- total score to equal 89
Exam arrangements can be made with:
TOEFL/TSE Services
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151 USA
Telephone: (609) 771-7100
Internet: http://www.toefl.org
The TOEFL code number for S.C. is 9561. Please enter this code on the answer sheet and/or the score report request form. Scores must be mailed directly to the Board from Educational Testing Service. Photo copies of the report are not acceptable.
7) Applicants who are not graduates of a Board approved program must submit:
- An original evaluation of educational credentials done specifically for South Carolina. A minimum of 120 semester credit hours of college education is required in the following areas: General Education - minimum of 42 semester hours; Professional Education - minimum of 69 semester credit hours. The preferred credentialing agencies is:
Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy, Inc.
P.O. Box 25827
Alexandria, VA 22313-9998
Telephone: (703) 684-8406 (USA)
Internet: www.fccpt.org
The South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy will accept credential evaluations from any credentialing agency that uses the coursework evaluation Tool, 4th edition.
- Documentation of successful completion of 1,000 clinical practice hours under the on-site supervision of a licensed physical therapist in this state, or in a state with licensure requirements equal to or more stringent than this state. Must be reviewed and approved by Board prior to issuance of a permanent license. If required, clinical practice hours in South Carolina will be competed under a provisional license.