A. Unless otherwise provided, fees listed in this section shall not be refundable.

B. Licensure by examination.

1. The application fee shall be $140 for a physical therapist and $100 for a physical therapist assistant.

2. The fees for taking all required examinations shall be paid directly to the examination services.

C. Licensure by endorsement. The fee for licensure by endorsement shall be $140 for a physical therapist and $100 for a physical therapist assistant.

D. Licensure renewal and reinstatement.

1. The fee for active license renewal for a physical therapist shall be $135 and for a physical therapist assistant shall be $70 and shall be due by December 31 in each even-numbered year. For renewal in 2020, the active license renewal fee for a physical therapist shall be $70 and for a physical therapist assistant shall be $35.

2. The fee for an inactive license renewal for a physical therapist shall be $70 and for a physical therapist assistant shall be $35 and shall be due by December 31 in each even-numbered year. For renewal in 2020, the inactive license renewal fee for a physical therapist shall be $35 and for a physical therapist assistant shall be $18.

3. A fee of $50 for a physical therapist and $25 for a physical therapist assistant for processing a late renewal within one renewal cycle shall be paid in addition to the renewal fee.

4. The fee for reinstatement of a license that has expired for two or more years shall be $180 for a physical therapist and $120 for a physical therapist assistant and shall be submitted with an application for licensure reinstatement.

E. Other fees.

1. The fee for an application for reinstatement of a license that has been revoked shall be $1,000; the fee for an application for reinstatement of a license that has been suspended shall be $500.

2. The fee for a duplicate license shall be $5, and the fee for a duplicate wall certificate shall be $15.

3. The handling fee for a returned check or a dishonored credit card or debit card shall be $50.

4. The fee for a letter of good standing or verification to another jurisdiction shall be $10.

5. The application fee for direct access certification shall be $75 for a physical therapist to obtain certification to provide services without a referral.

6. The state fee for obtaining or renewing a compact privilege to practice in Virginia shall be $50.

A. A physical therapist or physical therapist assistant who holds a current, unrestricted license in the United States, its territories, the District of Columbia, or Canada may be licensed in Virginia by endorsement.

B. An applicant for licensure by endorsement shall submit:

1. Documentation of having met the educational requirements prescribed in 18VAC112-20-40 or 18VAC112-20-50. In lieu of meeting such requirements, an applicant may provide evidence of clinical practice consisting of at least 2,500 hours of patient care during the five years immediately preceding application for licensure in Virginia with a current, unrestricted license issued by another United States jurisdiction or Canadian province;

2. The required application, fees, and credentials to the board, including a criminal history background check as required by § 54.1-3484 of the Code of Virginia;

3. A current report from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB);

4. Evidence of completion of 15 hours of continuing education for each year in which the applicant held a license in another United States jurisdiction or Canada, or 60 hours obtained within the past four years;

5. Documentation of passage of an examination equivalent to the Virginia examination at the time of initial licensure or documentation of passage of an examination required by another state or Canadian province at the time of initial licensure in that state or province; and

6. 5. Documentation of active practice in physical therapy in another United States jurisdiction or Canada for at least 320 hours within the four years immediately preceding his application for licensure. A physical therapist who does not meet the active practice requirement shall successfully complete 320 hours in a traineeship in accordance with requirements in 18VAC112-20-140.

C. A physical therapist assistant seeking licensure by endorsement who has not actively practiced physical therapy for at least 320 hours within the four years immediately preceding his application for licensure shall successfully complete 320 hours in a traineeship in accordance with the requirements in 18VAC112-20-140.

A. An applicant for certification to provide services to patients without a referral as specified in § 54.1-3482.1 of the Code of Virginia shall hold an active, unrestricted license as a physical therapist in Virginia and shall submit evidence satisfactory to the board that he has one of the following qualifications:

1. Completion of a transitional program in physical therapy as recognized by the board; or

2. At least three years of postlicensure, active practice with evidence of 15 contact hours of continuing education in medical screening or differential diagnosis, including passage of a postcourse examination. The required continuing education shall be offered by a provider or sponsor listed as approved by the board as provided in 18VAC112-20-131 and may be face-to-face or online education courses.

B. In addition to the evidence of qualification for certification required in subsection A of this section, an applicant seeking direct access certification shall submit to the board:

1. A completed application as provided by the board;

2. Any additional documentation as may be required by the board to determine eligibility of the applicant; and

3. The application fee as specified in 18VAC112-20-27.

A. Dry needling is not an entry level skill but an advanced procedure that requires additional post-graduate training.

1. The training shall be specific to dry needling and shall include emergency preparedness and response, contraindications and precautions, secondary effects or complications, palpation and needle techniques, and physiological responses.

2. The training shall consist of didactic and hands-on laboratory education and shall include passage of a theoretical and practical examination. The hands-on laboratory education shall be face-to-face.

3. The training shall be in a course approved or provided by a sponsor listed approved by the board as provided in subsection B of 18VAC112-20-131.

4. The practitioner shall not perform dry needling beyond the scope of the highest level of the practitioner's training.

B. Prior to the performance of dry needling, the physical therapist shall obtain informed consent from the patient or the patient's representative. The informed consent shall include the risks and benefits of the technique. The informed consent form shall be maintained in the patient record.

C. Dry needling shall only be performed by a physical therapist trained pursuant to subsection A of this section and shall not be delegated to a physical therapist assistant or other support personnel.

A. In order to renew an active license biennially, a physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant shall complete at least 30 contact hours of continuing learning activities within the two years immediately preceding renewal. In choosing continuing learning activities or courses, the licensee shall consider the following: (i) the need to promote ethical practice, (ii) an appropriate standard of care, (iii) patient safety, (iv) application of new medical technology, (v) appropriate communication with patients, and (vi) knowledge of the changing health care system.

B. To document the required hours, the licensee shall maintain the Continued Competency Activity and Assessment Form that is provided by the board and that shall indicate completion of the following:

1. A minimum of 20 of the contact hours required for physical therapists and 15 of the contact hours required for physical therapist assistants shall be in Type 1 courses. For the purpose of this section, "course" means an organized program of study, classroom experience, or similar educational experience that is directly related to the clinical practice of physical therapy and approved or provided by an organization approved by the board. one of the following organizations or any of its components:

a. The Virginia Physical Therapy Association;

b. The American Physical Therapy Association;

c. Local, state, or federal government agencies;

d. Regionally accredited colleges and universities;

e. Health care organizations accredited by a national accrediting organization granted authority by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to assure compliance with Medicare conditions of participation;

f. The American Medical Association - Category I Continuing Medical Education course;

g. The National Athletic Trainers' Association;

h. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy;

i. The National Strength and Conditioning Association; or

j. Providers approved by other state licensing boards for physical therapy.

One credit hour of a college course shall be considered the equivalent of 15 contact hours of Type 1 continuing education.

2. No more than 10 of the contact hours required for physical therapists and 15 of the contact hours required for physical therapist assistants may be Type 2 activities or courses, which may or may not be offered by an approved organization but which shall be related to the clinical practice of physical therapy. For the purposes of this subdivision, Type 2 activities may include:

a. Consultation with colleagues, independent study, and research or writing on subjects related to practice.

b. Delivery of physical therapy services, without compensation, to low-income individuals receiving services through a local health department or a free clinic organized in whole or primarily for the delivery of health services for up to two of the Type 2 hours.

c. Attendance at a meeting of the board or disciplinary proceeding conducted by the board for up to two of the Type 2 hours.

d. Classroom instruction of workshops or courses.

e. Clinical supervision of students and research and preparation for the clinical supervision experience.

Forty hours of clinical supervision or instruction shall be considered the equivalent of one contact hour of Type 2 activity.

3. Documentation of specialty certification by the American Physical Therapy Association may be provided as evidence of completion of continuing competency requirements for the biennium in which initial certification or recertification occurs.

4. Documentation of graduation from a transitional doctor of physical therapy program may be provided as evidence of completion of continuing competency requirements for the biennium in which the physical therapist was awarded the degree.

C. A licensee shall be exempt from the continuing competency requirements for the first biennial renewal following the date of initial licensure by examination in Virginia.

D. The licensee shall retain his records on the completed form with all supporting documentation for a period of four years following the renewal of an active license.

E. The licensees selected in a random audit conducted by the board shall provide the completed Continued Competency Activity and Assessment Form and all supporting documentation within 30 days of receiving notification of the audit.

F. Failure to comply with these requirements may subject the licensee to disciplinary action by the board.

G. The board may grant an extension of the deadline for continuing competency requirements for up to one year for good cause shown upon a written request from the licensee prior to the renewal date.

H. The board may grant an exemption for all or part of the requirements for circumstances beyond the control of the licensee, such as temporary disability, mandatory military service, or officially declared disasters, upon a written request from the licensee prior to the renewal date.

A. Any statement specifying a fee, whether standard, discounted, or free, for professional services that does not include the cost of all related procedures, services, and products that, to a substantial likelihood, will be necessary for the completion of the advertised service as it would be understood by an ordinarily prudent person shall be deemed to be deceptive or misleading, or both. Where reasonable disclosure of all relevant variables and considerations is made, a statement of a range of prices for specifically described services shall not be deemed to be deceptive or misleading.

B. Advertising a discounted or free service, examination, or treatment and charging for any additional service, examination, or treatment that is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of the initial office visit in response to such advertisement is unprofessional conduct unless such professional services rendered are as a result of a bona fide emergency. This provision may not be waived by agreement of the patient and the practitioner.

C. A licensee or holder of a compact privilege of the board shall not advertise information that is false, misleading, or deceptive. Advertisements of discounts shall disclose the full fee that has been discounted. The practitioner shall maintain documented evidence to substantiate the discounted fees and shall make such information available to a consumer upon request.

D. A licensee or holder of a compact privilege shall not use the term "board certified" or any similar words or phrase calculated to convey the same meaning in any advertising for his practice unless he holds certification in a clinical specialty issued by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

E. A licensee or holder of a compact privilege of the board shall not advertise information that is false, misleading, or deceptive. For an advertisement for a single practitioner, it shall be presumed that the practitioner is responsible and accountable for the validity and truthfulness of its content. For an advertisement for a practice in which there is more than one practitioner, the name of the practitioner responsible and accountable for the content of the advertisement shall be documented and maintained by the practice for at least two years.

F. Documentation, scientific and otherwise, supporting claims made in an advertisement shall be maintained and available for the board's review for at least two years.