Licensure of physical therapists
Wis. Stat. § 448.53
in effect(1) The examining board shall grant a license as a physical therapist to a person who does all of the following:
(a) Submits an application for the license to the department on a form provided by the department.
(b) Pays the fee specified in s. 440.05 (1).
(c) Subject to ss. 111.321, 111.322 and 111.335, submits evidence satisfactory to the examining board that the applicant does not have an arrest or conviction record.
(d) Submits evidence satisfactory to the examining board that the applicant is a graduate of a school of physical therapy approved by the examining board, unless the examining board waives this requirement under sub. (3).
(e) Passes an examination under s. 448.54.
(f) If the person was educated at a physical therapy school that is not in the United States, the person satisfies any additional requirements for demonstrating competence to practice physical therapy that the examining board may establish by rule.
(2) The examining board may promulgate rules providing for various classes of temporary licenses to practice physical therapy.
(3) The examining board may waive the requirement under sub. (1) (d) for an applicant who establishes, to the satisfaction of the examining board, all of the following:
(a) That he or she is a graduate of a physical therapy school.
(b) That he or she is licensed as a physical therapist by another licensing jurisdiction in the United States.
(c) That the jurisdiction in which he or she is licensed required the licensee to be a graduate of a school approved by the licensing jurisdiction or of a school that the licensing jurisdiction evaluated for education equivalency.
(d) That he or she has actively practiced physical therapy, under the license issued by the other licensing jurisdiction in the United States, for at least 3 years immediately preceding the date of his or her application.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/448.53Fetched: 10/7/2026