OT License Renewal

Renewal Information

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 Look up a License page to see further information regarding access an optional 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.

Renew Online or Submit a Paper Renewal Application:

1.  Renew Online: See also the Renew Online tab for further information.

You may only renew online if:

– you are renewing on time;

– you are renewing less than one year late;

– you are on active status and remaining on active status or moving to inactive status (see the Inactive & Retired Status page for further information regarding initiating inactive status);

       Note that the actual change of license status to inactive will be effective at/around the start of your next renewal period (ex: at/around the start of June for those with a May expiration). 

– you are on inactive status and remaining on inactive status or moving to active status (remember that one may only remain on inactive status for a maximum of six consecutive years; see §371.1 of the OT Rules and the Inactive & Retired Status page for further information);

– you have no renewal holds, including due to child support issues as per §370.1 of the OT Rules; 

– you have reported to the Board any felonies of which you have been convicted; and/or

– you have reported to the Board any suspension or revocation of your license or registration to practice in any other state or nation.

See the note below regarding fingerprinting if you have not yet satisfied the Board’s requirement.

2.  Renew by Paper Renewal Application: See also the Renew by Paper tab for further information.

You may renew by paper renewal application if:

– you are renewing on time;

– you are renewing less than one year late;

– you are on active status and remaining on active status or moving to inactive status;

       Note that the actual change of license status to inactive will be effective at/around the start of your next renewal period (ex: at/around the start of June for those with a May expiration). 

– you are on inactive status and remaining on inactive status or moving to active status (remember that one may only remain on inactive status for a maximum of six consecutive years; see §371.1 of the OT Rules for further information); and/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.

Please Note:

– 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 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), you might have problems accessing your account on the agency’s online licensing system, or you might have problems with submitting your payment, which means you might need to speak with another agency’s staff, for example.

If you are renewing online and do not complete all renewal requirements, including submitting the CE submission form and JP through the online renewal portal and the online renewal application and fee, before your license expires, you will be subject to late fees.

If you are renewing by paper 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 submit the renewal; however, the renewal will not be processed until the fingerprinting requirement has been met. See the Renewal Requirements 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 submit this with your renewal.

– 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 retired status or initiate retired status, visit the Inactive & Retired Status page for further renewal information.

General Renewal Requirements 

The general requirements for renewal are:

1.  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 submit the renewal; however, the renewal 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. 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. A name change request may also be made through your Online Licensing System account. See the How-To Guides page for information regarding creating an account. 

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.

Renewing Online: Instructions

Note: The agency recently transitioned to a new online licensing system. 

You must have an account in the new online licensing system and have linked your license to such in order to access the online application. See the Quick Links, below, to access User Guides concerning creating an online account, linking your license, and submitting the online renewal application in the new system. Note that though you still must enter your CE and take the JP before submitting the application and fee, key codes are no longer in use. School codes are also no longer required.

Quick Online Renewal Links: 

     – Sign in to the Board’s Website to Enter Your CE and Take the JP Exam (only for those whose CE was completed prior to the license expiration.)

    – User Guide: Create an Online Account, Link your License, and Renew Online

    – Log in to the new Online Licensing System to Submit the Renewal Application and Fee – Use only after you have reported your CE and taken the JP; see II or III below. 
(for individuals who have already created an online account, linked their license to such, and referred to the user guide for renewal)

I. Preparation:

A. Submit fingerprints if the fingerprinting requirement has not yet been met. See the Renewal Requirements tab and the announcement on the homepage for further information. 

     – Licensees who have not yet met the Board’s fingerprinting requirement may submit the renewal; however, the renewal will not be processed until the fingerprinting requirement has been met. See the Renewal Requirements tab for further information.

B. Organize Your CE:

     – 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.

 C. Review the Current Version of the OT Act and 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. 

II. Submitting the Online Renewal Application: If your CE was completed prior to the License Expiration Date

A. Sign in to the Website: See the link below. 

     – Click here to sign in to the Board’s website to start your renewal. 

     – 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. 

B. Enter your CE:

     – 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.

C.  Take and Pass the Online Jurisprudence Exam:

     – 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). 

D. Log in to the Online Licensing System and Submit the Online Application and Payment:

     – After you pass the JP exam, you will be taken to a screen with the link to sign in to online licensing system to submit your renewal application and fee. Complete the application and submit such and any required fees.

     – You must have an account in the new online licensing system and have linked your license to such in order to access the online application. See the Quick Links, above, for information regarding accessing User Guides concerning creating an online account, linking your license, and submitting a renewal.

F. If You HAVE NOT submitted payment successfully/Logging back in to the licensing system:

     – Once you have passed the JP Exam, do not try to retake the exam.

    – If you need to return to the online licensing system to complete your application and submit payment, see the Quick Links, above, to access the related link. 

    – If you cannot renew successfully online and ultimately renew by submitting a paper renewal form, note on such the date when you passed the JP exam. See the Renew by Paper tab for more information. The complete renewal, by paper or online, must be submitted prior to the expiration date or the licensee will be subject to late fees and may not practice until the license has been renewed.

III. Submitting the Online Renewal Application: If your CE was completed after the License Expiration Date

A.  Complete the paper CE Submission Form: 

     – Download and complete the paper CE Submission Form from the Forms page. 

    – Send the form by mail (see the footer on this page for the agency address) or by email to exam@ptot.texas.gov. 

B.  Take and Pass the Online Jurisprudence Exam: See the link below.

     –  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 or renewing with late CE. 

 – 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.

C. Log in to the Online Licensing System and Submit the Online Application and Payment:

     – After you pass the JP exam, return to this page to sign in to online licensing system to submit your renewal application and fee. Complete the application and submit such and any required fees. See the Quick Links above to access such.

     – You must have an account in the system in order to access the online application. See the Quick Links, above, for information regarding accessing User Guides concerning creating an online account and submitting a renewal.

Online CE Submission Form Instructions and 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; late CE may not be entered if renewing late.

– 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.

Renewing by a Paper Renewal Application: Instructions

Quick Renew by Paper Links:

     –Take the Application JP Exam

     –Download the OT/OTA License Renewal Form 

Please note: 

If 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 entered your CE and passed the JP exam through the Board’s online renewal portal, indicate the date you passed the exam on the Renewal Form. Once you have entered your CE and passed the JP exam as noted above, as long as staff can confirm such, 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 enter your CE on the paper renewal form’s CE Submission Form and will access the JP through a different link. The online renewal portal (for which licensees must sign in to this website) is only for online renewals.

I. Preparation:

 A. Submit fingerprints if the fingerprinting requirement has not yet been met. See the Renewal Requirements tab and the announcement on the homepage for further information. 

    – Licensees who have not yet met the Board’s fingerprinting requirement may submit the renewal; however, the renewal will not be processed until the fingerprinting requirement has been met. See the Renewal Requirements tab for further information.

 B.  Organize Your CE:

   – 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.

 C.  Review the Current Version of the OT Act and 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. 

II. Submitting the Paper Renewal Application:

You may complete these steps in either order.

A.  Complete the OT/OTA Renewal Form: 

     – 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. 

B.  Take and Pass the Online Jurisprudence Exam: See the link below.

     –  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

If you are renewing late:

     – 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.

    – Once you have completed your CE and any other pending renewal requirements (ex: fingerprinting if not satisfied as part of initial license issuance or a previous renewal), submit the renewal application and any late fees. See further information on this page regarding submitting a renewal online or by paper. 

  – 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.